ABB has made it possible for microgrids to be protected, controlled and managed using smart circuit breakers. The latest software-based innovation for the company’s Emax 2 smart circuit breaker makes microgrid architectures simpler and more cost-effective than ever before.
Microgrids coordinate distributed energy resources, integrating renewables with conventional power sources, networking with the grid or operating self-sufficiently. Low-voltage microgrids are helping accelerate the roll out of renewable energy by integrating small-scale wind or solar energy production of up to 4 MW with battery energy storage systems.
Giampiero Frisio, managing director of ABB’s Protection and Connection business, said: “This is another technological first for ABB, building on the first ever combined circuit breaker and power manager Emax 2. Innovation is needed to make microgrid installations simpler and more cost-effective; and to help end-users get more value from their investment. By embedding all the intelligence needed to manage a small microgrid safely and productively, Emax 2 delivers a game-changing solution.”
With the addition of embedded functions such as an automatic transfer switch, Emax 2 is now equipped to manage the different power sources that make up a typical microgrid. The new upgrades will enable it to combine advanced protection, programmable logic, full connectivity, easy integration and comprehensive microgrid energy management in a single device. ABB is working with equipment suppliers and consultants ahead of the technology’s rollout in the second half of 2016.
A complete series of protections ensure a single unit can cover all loads and generators, with adaptive solutions that recognise network changes and automatically set new thresholds to guarantee coordination in all conditions. Software embedded in the Emax 2 also optimises the microgrid where locally generated power, energy storage, loads and utility power work together. ABB algorithms measure and evaluate energy consumption, enabling constant power loads or peak power reductions, depending on the user’s requirements.
“This all-in-one solution integrates both standard and advanced microgrid functionality to meet a broad range of on and off-grid requirements, improving quality and saving costs. Emax 2 will make managing power consumption and renewable energy sources simpler and more effective. It will also help end-users to take maximum advantage of the opportunities that renewables present,” concluded Frisio.
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