From DistribuTECH: How S&C Electric Averted 1.2B Minutes of Power Outages

Jan. 31, 2017
This week from DistribuTECH, a major electric industry trade show in San Diego, S&C Electric reports that it helped avert 1.2 billion minutes of outages in 2016.

We live in an age of technology razzle dazzle. But when it comes to electricity, bottom line success is measured simply. Is the power flowing or not? So it’s apt that one of the first big numbers out of Distributech, a major electric industry trade show, has to do with electric reliability.

Chicago-based S&C Electric is reporting from this week’s show in San Diego that its technology helped the electric industry avert 1.2 billion minutes of outages in 2016.

“For every minute an outage was avoided, it meant that there was a home, business, or critical piece of community infrastructure that was able to keep functioning without disruption,” said Mike Edmonds, president of S&C Electric’s US business. “It’s just another example of how we are continuing to set a high standard for our customers when it comes to grid reliability and keeping the lights on around the world.”

A myriad of innovations introduced over the last century, including microgrids, contributed to keeping the power flowing. The company is displaying some of the newest among them at DistribuTech, which is expected to attract 11,000 participants to its 500 exhibits.

S&C’s displays at DistribuTECH include a live microgrid demonstration that uses S&C’s recently acquired IPERC controls with S&C’s automation and battery energy storage solutions. The system will show conference attendees the functionality of a microgrid and how it supports both utility and private users’ goals of increasing resiliency and modernizing the grid.

S&C also is featuring other reliability equipment, including:

A new communication option for TripSaver II CutoutMounted Recloser, which will allow customers to communicate with the recloser units, preventing unnecessary truck rolls and enabling faster response times.

 The introduction of a new split-bus configuration for the Vista SD Underground Distribution Switchgear. The new configuration provides utilities with advanced source-transfer capabilities when deploying S&C’s submersible switchgear in underground distribution systems, described by S&C as ideal for mission critical loads such as hospitals or data centers.

 Live demonstrations of the latest expansion to their IntelliTeam FMS software, which S&C says will make it even easier for its customers to manage their growing fleets of intelligent devices, reduce operation costs, and improve reliability.

DistribuTECH 2017 is being held at the San Diego Convention Center from January 31 – February 2. S&C Electric is at booth #2430.

Microgrid Knowledge is at DistribuTECH this week. Join our LinkedIn in Group, Distributed Energy Resources, and track the news.

About the Author

Elisa Wood | Editor-in-Chief

Elisa Wood is an award-winning writer and editor who specializes in the energy industry. She is chief editor and co-founder of Microgrid Knowledge and serves as co-host of the publication’s popular conference series. She also co-founded RealEnergyWriters.com, where she continues to lead a team of energy writers who produce content for energy companies and advocacy organizations.

She has been writing about energy for more than two decades and is published widely. Her work can be found in prominent energy business journals as well as mainstream publications. She has been quoted by NPR, the Wall Street Journal and other notable media outlets.

“For an especially readable voice in the industry, the most consistent interpreter across these years has been the energy journalist Elisa Wood, whose Microgrid Knowledge (and conference) has aggregated more stories better than any other feed of its time,” wrote Malcolm McCullough, in the book, Downtime on the Microgrid, published by MIT Press in 2020.

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