Texas Wind Farm Meets Changing Interconnection Standards with an S&C Electric Company Solution

CHICAGO, Oct. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- S&C Electric Company, a global leader in renewable energy integration, announces today the completion of a VAR compensation system that helps the Edison Mission Energy Goat Mountain Wind Ranch meet the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)'s new grid interconnection requirements.  Retrofit projects, such as the one at Goat Mountain Wind Ranch, are increasing as renewable plants and utilities ensure existing assets and systems comply with evolving grid requirements. Compliance with these requirements allows renewable energy projects to bring renewable sources on to the grid.  

S&C's VAR compensation system was retrofitted at the 150-MW Goat Mountain Wind Ranch near San Angelo, Texas, developed and owned by Edison Mission Energy. The retrofit project helps ensure production at the wind farm is not curtailed.

"Our focus was on ensuring we met the new ERCOT interconnection requirements," says Gary Tarplee, Edison Mission Energy. "S&C offered the technical expertise to evaluate the impact of these new requirements, and provided a customized, cost-effective VAR compensation system that allows the plant to comply with the new grid code."

S&C first analyzed the impact of the new requirements on the Goat Mountain plant, then provided a complete engineer-procure-construction (EPC) solution that successfully navigated the complex challenges associated with retrofitting a VAR compensation system at an existing plant.

"As communities worldwide work to meet increasingly ambitious renewable portfolio targets, grid interconnection requirements will continue to evolve," says Dan Girard, S&C Director—Renewable Energy. "S&C offers both the expertise and the experience to address even the most complex grid interconnection requirements to make renewable integration viable."

As part of the EPC solution, S&C provided a PureWave DSTATCOM® Distributed Static Compensator. The field-proven system is a fast-acting reactive power source applied at wind energy plants around the world.  The PureWave DSTATCOM today enables production of gigawatts of wind energy by allowing plants to meet even the strictest grid codes.

The VAR compensation system, which was designed, installed and commissioned by S&C, also includes a mechanically switched capacitor and reactor banks controlled by the PureWave DSTATCOM for a complete and cost-effective solution.

About S&C Electric Company

S&C, headquartered in Chicago, IL, 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. Visit S&C's corporate blog at www.sandc.com/blogs/ for commentary on the latest smart grid issues and technologies.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Erin Buelt
312-240-3154
[email protected]

SOURCE S&C Electric Company