AMSC Utilities Solutions

Helping the grid meet today’s power demands

 

Utilities today face unprecedented pressure to reliably deliver greater loads of higher quality power in a deregulated, competitive marketplace. Compounding this challenge is a transmission and distribution infrastructure that has suffered from decades of neglect and underinvestment.

More and more, utilities are working with AMSC to bring their grids into the 21st century. Together, we’re engineering solutions to a range of mission-critical issues:

Voltage instability —Uncontrolled, rapid decline in system voltage. Voltage instability can be caused by a sudden loss of generation or transmission, and may result in voltage collapse, loss of load and blackouts.

Low system voltage—Steady-state system voltage that is below the established acceptable criteria. Low voltage can result from contingency outages during peak load or high transfer periods. It can cause equipment damage and system collapse.

Import/transfer capability restrictions—Limited ability to reliably import, export or transfer power. Utilities often operate lines well below their thermal capacity to not only prevent thermal overload, but also mitigate concerns over stability and low voltage. Such action undercuts the benefits of competition, so utilities operating their lines in this manner may be assessed significant economic penalties.

Capacitor bank switching—Sudden step increases or decreases in system voltage. When utilities switch capacitor banks on and off, they cause momentary changes in system voltage. Sudden malfunctions in customer control systems can also result.

Increased demand for renewable energy—Around the world, renewable energy has entered the mainstream. However, wind farms and solar power plants present new and unique requirements in order to effectively connect to electrical grids.

  

Click to learn about AMSC solutions for utilities:
 

 

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About Us

AMSC offers an array of proprietary technologies and solutions spanning the electric power infrastructure – from generation to delivery to end use. The company is a leader in alternative energy, providing proven, megawatt-scale wind turbine designs and electrical control systems.

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