S&C Introduces New Underground Switchgear and 250-kW Storage Management System to Help Utilities Increase Power System Resilience, Adapt to Changing Industry

CHICAGO, April 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at the IEEE PES T&D Conference and Exposition, S&C Electric Company, a smart grid leader shaping the future of power delivery, announces two new products designed to improve power system reliability: Vista® SD Underground Distribution Switchgear and the PureWave® SMS-250 Storage Management System.

"The industry landscape is changing rapidly with new technology and new expectations from utility customers and regulators," says Tim Qualheim, vice president—Strategic Solutions, S&C. "Our new portfolio additions will help utilities improve the reliability and efficiency of power systems, even in the face of challenges including extreme weather and greater use of distributed renewable generation."

Next-Generation Switchgear

Vista® SD Underground Distribution Switchgear is S&C's new platform of medium-voltage switchgear for modern power systems. Vista SD is designed to withstand difficult conditions, ensuring the product performs as expected in harsh conditions resulting from weather or other environmental factors. This is an especially important feature for applications in subsurface vaults or where flooding is a concern.

"Communities worldwide are actively working to reduce the impact of storms and natural disasters by hardening critical infrastructure like the electric power system," says Phil Fahey, vice president—Switching and Protection Products, S&C. "Vista SD Switchgear gives utilities a new option to increase power system resilience. It helps protect against one of the biggest reliability challenges to underground power systems: flooding."

Vista SD is available at ratings of 17.5 kV and 29 kV max, in both pad-mounted and vault-mounted styles, with options for power operation.  It features elbow-connected components encapsulated in environmentally friendly solid-dielectric insulation, which provides a new switchgear alternative for utilities and large power users that want to reduce their use of SF6-gas-insulated equipment. 

Expanded Energy Storage Systems

S&C announces the new PureWave® SMS-250 Storage Management System, the latest in S&C's industry-leading portfolio of solutions to integrate energy storage to power systems. By providing a new building block with which to integrate energy storage to the grid, this new 250-kW storage management system offers more flexibility in how energy storage is implemented while also maximizing economic requirements.

"Energy storage is essential for modern power systems. It helps utilities address major challenges including the need to increase power system resilience, meet peak demand more efficiently, and successfully integrate renewable energy resources," says Don Rickey, vice president—Power Quality Products, S&C. "Our new PureWave SMS-250 expands our existing storage offerings, giving utilities more choices to maximize power grid reliability, efficiency, and stability."

Today, S&C energy storage solutions are serving in a broad range of applications around the world. They are providing peak shaving capability, helping integrate intermittent renewable energy sources and providing a back-up power source in microgrid applications. To date, S&C has connected over 150 megawatt-hours of energy storage to the grid.

For more information, please visit S&C onsite at the IEEE PES T&D Conference and Exposition 2014 (booth #3223) or online at www.sandc.com.

About S&C Electric Company
S&C, with global headquarters in Chicago, USA, is applying its heritage of innovation to address challenges facing the world's power grids and is thus shaping the future of reliable electricity delivery. The mission of employee-owned S&C is to continually develop new solutions for electricity delivery, fostering the improved efficiency and reliability required for the intelligent grid. Additional information about S&C is available at www.sandc.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
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SOURCE S&C Electric Company