ABB Showcases Smart Grid Innovations for U.S. Senate, FERC Personnel at Washington, DC Events
Transmission and distribution technologies, research initiatives confirm ABB's commitment to making grid modernization a reality
Washington, DC, April 20, 2009 - ABB, the leading power and automation technology company, announced it will demonstrate cutting-edge technologies and equipment designed for the emerging Smart Grid today for United States Senators and staff at a special Smart Grid Demo Day in Washington, DC.
This event, organized by GridWise Alliance, is sponsored by the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee and U.S. Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV). The event will take place in the Hart Senate Office Building, Room 902, from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm.
ABB will show off a sample of its smart grid equipment designed to build greater efficiency, reliability and intelligence into a modernized power grid. This includes ABB's "amorphous metal distribution transformer," an environmentally-friendly, high-tech transformer with low losses, high efficiency and BIOTEMP®, a superior natural ester fluid made out of sunflower seeds.
The term "smart grid" refers to a wide range of technologies and operating procedures that will transform today's power system into a grid that is largely automated. This modernized grid will apply greater intelligence to operate, monitor and even heal itself.
Much of ABB's success with smart grid-related innovations is due to unwavering support of technology and product development by the company's Corporate Research Center.
"ABB has built a long-term reputation in the power industry as the primary innovator and manufacturer of power equipment, and this has opened the door for us to become a pioneer in the smart grid of the 21st century," said Dr. Le Tang, ABB vice president and head of the U.S. Corporate Research Center located in Raleigh, N.C. "We already have the technology in hand, but we're now striving to align costs and benefits so that utilities have a sound business case for making investments in grid modernization."
FERC Demo Day
ABB also unveiled significant technology innovations, research initiatives and practical demonstrations at a special demonstration day earlier this month at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) office in Washington, DC.
The FERC Demo Day, sponsored by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), provided ABB an opportunity to share various technologies, innovations and research findings first-hand with FERC personnel, congressional representatives and policy.
ABB representatives on hand showcased many of its Smart Grid-related technology innovations with live demonstrations, product displays and open discussion. Displays and demonstrations included:
o Asset Data Management to deal with emerging grid issues such as the aging infrastructure, loss of personnel and expertise, and cost-reduction pressures
o A field-based Feeder Restoration demo, using Feeder Automation products only
o A control center-based Feeder Restoration demo, where the Feeder Automation products are integrated together with the Outage Management System. This demo also includes communications with several meter devices and displays the meter data in the Outage Management System, showing the value of integrated metering data in the future Smart Grid
o An integrated Feeder Restoration and Outage Management System
o Substation automation utilizing open global IEC 61850 standards for applications in utilities, industries, solar and wind farms
o HVDC for renewable power integration and long distance transmission
o Energy storage battery applications
In addition, ABB showcased its collaborative participation in several major award-winning energy system pilots including MORE MICROGRIDS, which spans seven European countries, and MEREGIO, an emissions-free zone in Germany that will be a model for the power industry.
About ABB
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 120,000 people. The company's North American operations, headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, employ about 15,000 people in 20 manufacturing and other major facilities.
For more information, please contact:
Bill Rose
ABB Media Relations Manager
919.807.5743 - office
919.244.4879 - mobile
bill.rose@us.abb.com
