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Power Quality 2001

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PowerSystems World 2001, Chicago – Sept 10-12.

As you know, I attended this annual conference held in conjunction with two power electronics conferences, all under the name of PowerSystems World 2001. Overall, the event was poorly organized and confusing to begin with, however, I’ve learned that a new company is taking over conference operations, so things may improve. More significant, the news on September 11 broke just as the conference was getting underway and had everyone completely distracted, so little was accomplished.

There were a few nuggets to extract, however. The plenary session papers were interesting, and I delved into one or two other issues with company reps on duty at their exhibit booths.

The conference proceedings have been published in a 5 lb. 2″ thick hardcover volume, can be ordered for $150 (plus s/h) from Linda McCay, 805-389-6600, linda@powersystems.com

Through December, the conference website will provide the agenda and other conference information: http://www.powersystems.com/

The opening plenary session papers were not provided in the proceedings:

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“Power Electronics in Power Systems: Technology and Business”
– Vlatko Vlatkovic, General Electric Corporate R&D
With advent of distributed generation, any source that isn’t constant speed synchronized will require significant power conditioning, i.e. “four-leg” converters for fuel cells and microturbines. Such power conversion technology is derived from motor drives using IGBTs (in the 20 KVA to 2.5 MVA range). Large DC systems (100+ MW), e.g., high temperature fuel cells (solid oxide), need conversion from low voltage DC to high voltage AC. Market drivers are strong, but complicated. With utilities’ conservatism, it will be hard to make money, and the technology is changing rapidly. Regulation of transmission systems (and the coming RTOs) means limits on ROI.

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The Motor Drive Revolution in the Energy Starved Generation
– Dr. Alexander Lidow, International Rectifier

IR sees huge opportunity, and high payback from power management technology. 57% of electricity consumption goes to motors, most of which are controlled on/off, which is very inefficient. Savings would be substantial if variable speed drives were used in refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners. Barriers include cost, time-to-market, and the need for multiple engineering skills to apply technologies in analog/digital (A/D), sensors, power semiconductors, and software control. IR has developed “Accelerator” architecture development system and a “ChipSet” to simplify and facilitate the design process.
Tech info: http://www.irf.com/prmU7avc/product-info/motor/
For papers: http://www.irf.com/OxJB7a4c/e/powersys01.htm

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Data Center/Facility Infrastructure Design For The Next Millennium
– Neil Rasmussen, American Power Conversion

This paper challenges a number of assumptions about the future power needs of Data Centers. (I have the complete text, which I can forward on request.)

First, an enumeration of the problems driving change:

– Data Center owners get poor ROI on power systems, because they install much more capacity than they can use, and it sits idle, while capital and service costs continue.
– Need to standardize and “drive out variability”. The industry is full of mythology, and there are limited opportunities for systematic learning. Troubling events are random and rare. Installations are one-off custom designs. (reminiscent of nuclear power plants?)
– Can’t predict system requirements. Computer systems become outmoded and are replaced in 2 years, while power systems expected to last for 15 years. That’s 7 generations ahead of the loads being served.
– Systems can’t adapt to increases or decreases, so installations are grossly oversized.

Then, some predictions:

1. No more raised floors – wiring will be overhead, floor will be a slab — cheaper, more secure, air treatment easier to manage, etc.
2. AC will prevail. Need open architecture, so DC will remain limited to inside of closed systems (boxes). Also, adding a new DC drop is expensive.
3. Overloading will occur because power draw of new data equipment varies (2-5 to one) depending on computing activity level, unlike most present-day systems.
4. Instead of focus on total facility loads, discussion will move to “watts/rack”, not “watts per sq.ft”.
5. Modular scalable systems will replace highly (site-specific) engineered solutions. The whole system will be made with cookie-cutter prefabricated modular scalable systems, designed and delivered “just-in-time”.
6. Fast-cycle centers. It now takes 9-18 months to design, purchase, install, and start-up a center. In 2 years, this will drop to 3-6 weeks. This will be accompanied by big changes in the financing and capital structure.

— In another paper from APC, Chris Thompson outlines overall design issues for data centers, pointing out that redundancy is often put in the wrong place, i.e. at the last step before the load. The lack of training for facility personnel means that human factors play a bigger role than they should.

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Power Management -Not an Option
– David Kreiss, Kreiss Johnson Technologies

For most industrial and commercial firms, power is a sizable part of their cost of operations, but many have yet to realize that it can and should be managed. The average CFO sees electricity in particular as the least controllable of all – a fixed cost. This view may have been valid in the past, but there have been big changes in the business and power environments, and now, power procurement is negotiated, in terms of both cost and quality. Savings go straight to the bottom line.

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Over 100 technical papers, published in the proceedings, were organized under these headings:

-PQ Solutions, -PQ Battery, -PQ Standards, -Distributed Generation, -PQ Monitoring, -PQ Distribution, -PQ Harmonic, -PQ Flicker, -PQ UPS, -PQ TVSS
(The complete program is available as a download:
http://power.bluedot.com/power/pdfForms/pq_confdetails.pdf)

Some highlights:

“PQ Impacts of Distributed Generation”, Roger Dugan, Electrotek Concepts, (page 190) admitting a “pro-utility” bias, went into some detail on complex technical issues arising from the placement of DG on a utility distribution system:
– Fault overcurrent in radial feeders can come from 2 directions; DG must also disconnect.
– Low voltage after interruption- DG needed for voltage support, but can’t come back on until the voltage is restored.
– Reclosing, because most faults are temporary, usually done in less than 1 second (many utilities do it “instantly”). If DG doesn’t do the same, fault won’t clear.
– Transformer connection issues-Wye delta seen as best, but utilities forbid DG to use it, because of grounding dangers.
Engineering solutions can generally be found for these and other technical problems, but there are no simple answers, and there are questions as to who should pay. DG can be used with “no changes” if less than 15% of a feeder load (5-10% if rural).

New Ride-Through:
There were several new technologies for UPS ride-through (i.e., to a standby generator):

– Active Power is developing an Integrated Flywheel Microturbine. The flywheel spins on the same shaft as the turbine rotor, and can provide instant power until fuel is supplied to the microturbine, which then takes over for as long as necessary.

– Precise Power’s written pole technology has been used in a flywheel motor/generator for over 10 years, for short term ride through. Can be integrated with an IC engine for long term backup.

– Metallic Power’s Zinc-Air system is being applied in a rack mounted version for use in data centers. Longer ride through (many hours) at the rack itself avoids reliablity problems of facility based UPS systems (and the siting and emissions issues for gensets).

Battery Systems:
Some interesting controversies are evident in the world of lead acid battery systems, regarding monitoring and charge balancing.

Charge balancing, or “equalization”– we’ve seen AutoCap previously (UFTO Note – Travel Reports, 29 Oct 2000) proposing a system to float-charge cells individually–don’t know how they’re doing. PowerDesigners is now promoting its “PowerCheq” modules which interconnect adjacent cells in a string, and uses stronger batteries to top off weaker ones. (www.powerdesigners.com) The problem is that greybeards in the industry insist this is the worse thing you can do! In particular, it will mask a problem with a bad cell until the whole line goes down.

Similar reactions are heard to a novel pulse conditioning method, called ReNew-IT, invented by Pulse Tech Products. They apply a unique waveform pulse train to the battery string, explaining that it clears away sulfation deposits that block plates and decrease life. Apparently the military has taken a hearty interest, but another industry greybeard told me–one should just never never apply AC of any kind to a battery.

Battery monitoring also has ideological splits, e.g. whether resistance, impedance, or conductance is the right thing to measure. Btech (www.btechinc.com) says they’re the oldest and best supplier of “battery validation systems” and insist that impedance is the way to go. Their counterparts at Alber say resistance (www.alber.com — they sponsor an annual conference on the subject). (Both show a long list of prominent clients, with a lot of overlap, e.g. the NY Stock Exchange!) And newer arrivals, Midtronic and Vanner (www.vanner.com) have their views as well.

Serveron, a new entrant, is getting an excellent response from major customers with its CellSense technology, which answers all the greybeard concerns and then some. (See 14 May 2001 UFTO Note – On-Line Transformer and Battery Monitoring). CellSense monitors provide continuous measurements of all key physical and electrical parameters needed to characterize the condition of all individual cells as well as the battery system as a whole. www.serveron.com
(They’ll be showing at the IEEE T&D Expo in Atlanta, which opens Oct. 29. I’ll be there as well)

Energy Storage Assoc Meeting Notes

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Here are some notes from the recent meeting of the ESA, here in the SF
bay area. The ESA website will be posting additional information.
http://www.EnergyStorage.org/

Energy Storage Association
2000 Annual Meeting

“Cleaner, Greener Power through Energy Storage”
6-7 April 2000
Pleasanton, CA

OVERVIEW

Finally, energy storage appears to be breaking through, across a broad front. There are about 100 MW of pending purchases for systems in the US, and a comparable amount in Europe. This new success isn’t limited to one technology either, but is spread across many different ones, from flywheels to SMES to advanced Pb Acid to “flow” batteries. Applications range from small to large, from local UPS/power quality to grid support systems.

This meeting had as its theme the environmental implications of storage, noting the synergies with renewable power (e.g. to improve its dispatchability and application), and how storage also can improve the environmental performance of conventional plants.

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Flow Batteries

Flow batteries in particular are emerging strongly; four companies presented different chemistries and product niches.

In these systems, two electrolytes flow through a reactor, which is similar to a fuel cell, on either side of an separator membrane. When a voltage is applied across the reactor, the electrolytes change state and become “charged”. The “charged” electrolytes pass out of the reactor to be stored in tanks. Just like a conventional rechargeable battery, the process can be easily reversed. The “charged” electrolytes flow back through the reactor and electricity is produced. The technologies are environmentally benign, modular, comparatively easy to site, and separate the power rating from the energy storage capacity. They also appear to be free of the charge/discharge management issues that most battery chemistries suffer from, i.e. they can be fully discharged, and have no standby self-discharge losses (i.e. when the circulating pumps are turned off). Manufacturing and material costs are relatively low, and system costs will drop as the number of installations increases.

— Regenesys — Large Scale Utility Energy Storage — sodium bromide and sodium polysulphide electrolytes. An “electricity warehouse” reference design is based on 120 MWh with 10 hour discharge, max rated output 14.75 MW. Other configurations (5 – 500 MW) are possible. First plant at advanced stage of planning on a power station site in the UK. The first N. American “follow-on” installation is in advanced discussions. A transportable/containerised unit is suggested at 20 MWh, 2MW. (http://www.regenesys.com)

— Pinnacle VRB Ltd — Renewable and Remote Applications — vanadium (in various charge states). Invented at Univ of New South Wales, Australia. Licensed to Sumitomo and Mitshubishi in Japan. Sumitomo has developed collapsible storage tanks that can go through doors and manholes, enabling installation in existing structures. (High time-of-day rate differentials make diurnal peak shaving attractive.) Installation at SDGE as part of EPRI DR test program. A unit at a park hostel in Australia is 20 kw/120 kwh, part of a remote power system. Another on King Island is 100kw/1800 kwh supports a minigrid and drastically reduces diesel fuel and operating costs. (http://www.pinnaclevrb.com.au)

— Powercell — Zinc-Flow™ uses zinc bromide and polybromide solutions. Their standard unit is the PowerBlock, 100kW/100kWh, in one self contained package complete with power electronics. It is on the market, to date mostly through Williams Energy, and the company is ramping up production to meet the demand. (http://www.powercell.com)

— Cellennium — also uses vanadium. This Thailand based company is developing a wide range of applications, from small to large. (http://www.vanadiumbattery.com)

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Keynote Address: * Renewables, Distributed Generation and System Reliability in a Restructured Electric Supply Industry – Gregg Renkes, The Renkes Group, Ltd.

Renkes was staff to Senator Murkowski for many years, and directly involved in many of the congressional hearings on the energy industry. He gave a detailed view of how the players line up in Washington, particularly as to how the elections will impact restructuring legislation in the near future. Starting from a historical perspective (cold war, White House and Congress controlled by opposite parties), he uses various clues to how Gore and Bush’s views on energy will play out (in the closest race in recent history), and concludes they’re very similar. The current administration’s proposal, and what’s been done in Texas both point to restructuring, market mechanisms to deal with emissions, renewable standards, etc. In Congress, there’s also more agreement than disagreement, and the states’ speed on restructuring is pressuring Congress to do something sooner rather than later, regardless of election results. Grid reliability, and shortages expected this summer are high profile reasons for action. Overall, conditions are looking increasingly positive for distributed power, renewables, and storage application.

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* Energy Storage and Renewable Energy, BPA’s Perspectives
Mike Hoffman, Bonneville Power Administration

BPA is espousing an “EnergyWeb” concept, and see storage as an important element alongside distributed generation and renewables. In conjunction with wind, for example, storage can make it possible to dispatch wind power in the large flat blocks during peak demand, and displace carbon-based generation in the process. Wind power could also be bid into hour-ahead and week-ahead markets if the storage system has a high enough discharge rate. Customer side storage becomes relevant if there are demand charges–and retail access. Larger system configurations depend on local market structures. On the transmission system, storage presents many potential benefits, no one of which is enough by itself to justify the cost, but taken together could do it. Storage will be easier to site than new lines; it can help with congestion management, increase transfer capability, and replace contingencies. Transportable systems would overcome fears of stranded investment. Fast systems (e.g. SMES) can help with stability.

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* IBERDROLA’s Technology Demonstration Centre
Jesus Garcia Martin, IBERDROLA

This center supports the generation and other business units of Iderbola, one of the four large utilities in Spain. The only such facility in Spain, it evaluates and tests new technology, does technology transfer, and tries to reduce the time it takes to introduce new technology. In renewable energy, they have PV arrays, fuel cell demonstrations (one with Ansaldo in Italy is a molten carbonate), studies in biomass, thermal solar, wind and hybrid systems. There is also have a 2 MW battery storage system, operating for the last 4 years.

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* Power Quality Management as a Green Technology; Imre Gyuk, DOE

Storage is important for reliability and economic competitiveness, and it also plays a role as a green technology, by virtue of its ability to increase the potential of (intermittent) renewable energy sources by making them more dispatchable, and, for example, reducing/optimizing use of diesels in off grid or microgrid settings.

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* Flywheels for Renewable Energy and Power Quality Applications
Don Bender, Trinity Flywheel Power

(There was also a tour of Trinity’s plant nearby.) As lower tech flywheel (i.e. steel) systems are opening the market, high speed carbon composite systems are making steady progress, though they’re taking longer than anticipated. There’s been a lot of hype over the last 10 years, and only a small number of contenders are still around. Programs were underfunded, and had too much of a component, not system, focus. Also, requirements for vehicular applications were too severe for the first step.

Trinity’s “electromechanical battery,” as they like to call it, uses a 9 inch diameter rotor. Turning at 40,000 rpm, it will deliver 50 kW for 20 sec. Other configurations offer 100kW/15 sec to 250kW/3 sec, and 700kW/5 sec. Installed on a DC bus to add or remove power as needed, it can deliver energy, or power or both, from a compact package – power density (of the motor/generator and power electronics) starts at 5 kW/kg. The state of charge is always precisely known from the rotational speed. The balance of plant has turned out to be a bigger challenge than originally expected, and the power electronics have very special requirements. Flywheels should have an advantage for short duration power quality applications. Safety concerns have been addressed by a collaboration among most of the developers. You need either containment or rotor integrity, not both. Trinity has focused on rotor integrity, through extensive overspeed/burst testing.

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* Battery Energy Storage for Residential Photovoltaic Systems
Bill Brooks, Endecon Engineering

Over 75% of the 299 PV systems installed under CEC Emerging Renewables Buydown program in the first two years of the program include some amount of battery storage. (Even higher percentage among residential projects). The CEC Buydown does not apply to the battery portion of the systems. (even though several attempts were made to include batteries). Battery options are generally preferred and actually help sell the PV system by providing firm backup power capabilities. Batteries are here to stay in this market.

Most appropriate battery for this market is the Valve-Regulated Lead-Acid (VRLA) battery. Advantage—Low maintenance, good performance Disadvantage—Higher cost, intolerant of high temperatures or improper regulation voltages.

Enclosures need very little ventilation. Best if placed in garage or in an outdoor enclosure (in shade and/or conditioned to prevent high temperatures). Building inspectors are unfamiliar with reviewing battery installations; their requirements vary from plywood boxes to explosion-proof enclosures with four-hour fire ratings. Very few batteries or battery enclosures have listings or recognitions by testing labs. PV is blazing the way for a whole series of backup power options for residential and commercial customers.

The Trace 5548 Power Module has a5.5kW ac rating, 44-60V dc input, 120Vac output — Batteries and controls all in the same cabinet, up to 12 kWh in storage cabinet.

More Battery is ALWAYS better

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* Utility Evaluation and Demonstration of Dispersed Subsurface
Compressed Air Energy Storage, Dale Bradshaw, Tennessee Valley Authority

A 300 MW CAES site got pretty far in the planning stages in the early 90’s, but the plant was never built. Now TVA is considering a smaller scale system (10-20 MW; 6-10 hours) to be used close to the customer to help relieve transmission congestion. The compressed air field would consist of 3-4000 ft of 5-foot diameter gas pipe, laid out in any pattern convenient for the site, e.g. under a farmer’s field. The CT’s would always be available, even if the storage was exhausted, and while using the compressed air, plant output would not be sensitive to ambient air temperature, and would be a low cost source of spinning reserve, with rapid hot or cold start. Operating cost benefits compared with a CT become significant under higher gas prices.

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* Lithium Ion Batteries for Energy Storage Applications
Jim McDowall, SAFT America
Lithium Ion is not just one kind of battery, but refers to a whole family of battery materials and chemistries, with a wide range of characteristics. First proposed in 1990, and first shipped in 1993, they are now in 1/2 of all portable devices. Saft and others have been working on a large scale version for EV applications. Lithium is the lightest metal and offers the highest voltage. With no water present, there’s no problem with electrolysis during charging. SAFT’s battery has lithiated cobalt oxide as the positive electrode, lithium intercalated in graphite as the negative electrode, and the electrolyte consists of LiPF6 salt in an organic solvent. Lithium-Ion batteries must be protected from high temperature (they’ll burn over 150 deg C), overcharge, overdischarge, and over voltage. Therefore each cell must have its own built-in electronic monitoring and control. The batteries provide good cycling, high power, and deep discharge. They’re in pilot production and should be available commercially in 3 years. Though the initial cost is high, this will be very dependent on volume (as with so many new technologies). Life-cycle cost should eventually match Lead-Acid batteries.
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* Molten Salt as an Energy Storage Medium
Hugh Reilly, Sandia National Lab

The Solar II plant, closed down over a year ago, used molten salt to transport heat from the tower to heat exhangers, making steam for power generation. Adding 2 large storage tanks effectively decoupled the collection of energy from the generation of electricity, with 105 MWhr of storage, at 97% efficiency, and thus enabling anytime dispatch of solar electricity. The salts solidify at 430 deg F, so the “cold tank” must be kept above that temperature. A new plant using this approach, “Solar Tres”, is under construction in Spain by a consortium that includes Boeing and Bechtel.

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* Annex XV: Energy Storage and Renewable Generation: The New Opportunity
John Boyes, Sandia National Lab
The International Energy Agency (IEA), which is an offshoot of the OECD, sponsors a series of research programs and working groups. For a complete list, see “Implementing Agreements” at http://www.iea.org/techno.htm

Annex XV is the successor to Annex IX, and both of these are under a broad category that covers all forms of storage for energy conservation.
For details, see http://cevre.cu.edu.tr/eces

An acrobat document gives an overview (http://cevre.cu.edu.tr/eces/ax15prop.PDF) The program scope will be determined at a meeting in October, with work to begin in November.

The objective is “to move storage systems towards commercial market implementation, via the mechanism of technology and applications demonstrators. Whilst it is beyond the scope of Annex 15 to implement an actual demonstration project, it is fully intended that much of the necessary groundwork will be covered within the project to make a demonstration project the next logical step in electrical energy storage system market development.”

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UPDATES:

Jon Hurwitch – His firm Switch Technology has merged with RK Sen to form Sentech

Evonyx – Ian Grant is new to ESA and a new employee of Evonyx, announced a major investment by Niagara Mohawk in their company. Evonyx has a new type of Zn-Air battery which can be recharged or physically refueled with solid plates or tapes. They forsee applications from AAA size to multi-MW. (http://www.evonyx.com)

Trace (Trace Technologies and Trace Engineering) announced their merger with Xantrex.

Brad Roberts explained that Omnion had been acquired by S&C Electric, and that they were filling commercial orders for the PQ2000.

Anthony Price and Joe Iannucci observed that lots of money has been spent on reducing the cost of storage technology, nothing has been spent on increasing its value, e.g., integrating it with renewables.

Steve Eckroad summarized recent developments at Golden Valley Electric, Fairbanks, where they’re in the last stage of bidding for a major BESS. There are 3 finalists- ABB, GE and Siemens, each teamed with a particular battery. An award is expected in September.

Gridcom Powerline Sensors

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A remarkable new type of low cost and easily installed intelligent powerline sensors are nearing commercial readiness. They come in three flavors:

– Medium Voltage Single Phase Overhead (4 – 69 KV)
– Medium Voltage Single Phase Underground
– Low Voltage Single and Multi-phase Underground (e.g., 208 V)

The medium voltage devices simply clamp on the cable, and measure voltage and current without a connection to ground or a phase-to-phase connection. There is no penetration of cable voltage insulation. (It is not applicable to coax or multiple conductor configurations–only single unshielded cables.) The underground units are self-powered by the power line, and the overhead ones use batteries that will last 5 years or more.

They are said to be approximately ten times cheaper to buy and install, and offer far greater capabilities than anything else on the market. Measurement accuracies (I, V, P) are quoted at better than 3%, though the units invariably do much better. It is not a revenue meter, however.

Evaluation units are available now, and the first production units will be ready before the end of the year. Five utilities (including one or two UFTO companies) have been testing overhead sensors.

The sensors measure current and voltage and can be equipped to measure and/or detect a number of additional conditions or quantities including temperature, moisture, specific substances, light, acceleration, and vibration. Underground sensors utilize two-way powerline carrier communications over the existing lines and overhead sensors communicate through two-way low power RF systems.

Each sensor has its own local on-board intelligence to perform data processing and analysis. In typical applications the sensors calculate true rms voltage and current, power factor and harmonic content. Peak rms quantities and fault recognition capabilities can also be employed.

The sensors report by exception, when polled, or at determined times. Since data is processed at the sensors, communications bandwidth requirements are relatively low. Only processed data or observed data related events (like faults, voltage dips, or high current limits) are reported — not extensive strings of raw data.

Typical functions of these sensors (both overhead and underground) include:

– Detection and location of faults
– Measurement of power quality
– Identification of grounding and cable insulation issues
– Detection of non-technical losses
– Detection of unanticipated loads
– Confirmation of recloser, sectionalizer and other switch operations
– Support capacitor switching algorithms
– Monitoring distributed generation

APPLICATIONS

Infrastructure Monitoring
– Distribution Automation
– Operations Support
– Fault Detection, Classification and Location
– Power-line losses
– Power Factor and VAR Monitoring
– Switch Operation Confirmation
– Planning Studies
– Circuit Design

Condition Based Maintenance
– Cable Burnout and Circuit Limiter Detection (low voltage U/G)
– Equipment Health Status (Fuse, Cutout, Transformer, Switch)
– Tree Trimming Effectiveness

Beyond the Meter Services
– Power Quality
– Sub-metering and Beyond-the-Meter Distribution Networks
– Harmonic Analysis

The underground sensors were initially developed for Consolidated Edison’s Secondary Underground Network Distribution Automation System (SUNDAS). The objective was to develop a comprehensive sensing system that would be relatively inexpensive to purchase, install, operate and maintain.

Con Ed has tested experimental versions of the low voltage underground sensors in their Battery Park City and Harlem networks. These tests demonstrated the capabilities of these sensors to monitor powerline conditions and to detect variations in line conditions associated with circuit limiter loss, arcing faults, changes in network protector relay status and unusual changes in power flow patterns. Based on the performance of the experimental sensors, Con Edison will install GridCom sensors throughout the Hunter network with installations beginning this fall.

US Patent No. 5,892,430: Self-powered powerline sensor
The company’s website has a lot of information and pictures:
http://www.gridcom.com

Contact: Rich Wiesman, 781-684-4387 rwiesman@foster-miller.com

N. Amer Power Quality Equipment Markets

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SPECIAL OFFER TO UFTO CLIENTS
————————————————————–

“North American Markets for Power Quality:
The Top 50 Equipment Suppliers and Service Providers,”
Research Publication: 5621-27, March 1999 (approx. 400 pages; Price: $4450)

Frost & Sullivan, in collaboration with Power Quality Magazine, has produced this major new report. It was written by a friend and colleague, Jane Clemmenson, whose qualifications include many years of experience in the field of power quality, business development, joint venture development, strategic partnering, and technology transfer. She is considered a power quality industry expert, dating back to the mid 80’s when she managed the utility consulting practice at SRI. She has been quoted in Business Week and The Wall Street Journal. She can be reached in Berkeley CA at 510-848-8002, jclemm@gte.net

======================================================================
!!! By special arrangement, UFTO Client companies are being !!!
!!! offered a 25% discount on the purchase price of this report. !!!

Contact: Alex Lopez, Frost & Sullivan,
alopez@frost.com, 650-237-6514, and mention UFTO.
======================================================================

More information is available at:
http://www.frost.com/verity/reports/electronics_semiconductors/rp562127.htm

In addition, I have a PDF version of the brochure which includes the complete table of contents (which at this time is missing from the brochure available on line.) The materials below are from Frost & Sullivan.

———————————
Announcement of the Study (prepublication)

Until now, the market for power quality equipment and services has not been described in total. Studies have focused on narrow segments of the market in isolation. A comprehensive view of the market is necessarily broader and includes analysis of competitive and synergistic forces that operate between technologies and segments of the market. A broad view also provides a vantage point for understanding existing industry partnerships and alliances, for spotting merger/acquisition candidates, and for planning corporate strategy. The “Power Quality 50” provides valuable insight on competitors and identifies which companies should be the focus of competitive benchmarking.

The report defines the total power quality market in the United States and Canada, including revenue estimates, growth rates, industry leaders and market share, for the following equipment or aggregated categories of equipment:

* transient voltage surge suppressors
* power conditioners, including isolation transformers and power distribution units, voltage regulators, motor generators, and harmonic filters
* uninterruptible power supplies
* energy storage systems for power quality applications, including superconducting magnetic energy storage systems, battery energy storage systems, mechanical storage systems including flywheels, and capacitor and ultracapacitor systems
* low- and medium-voltage static transfer switches and custom power products
* power quality test and measurement instrumentation and software including hand-held, portable and transportable, and permanently installed types
* software for power quality analysis and power management software
* a qualitative discussion of the market for standby generators in UPS backup applications will be included

The services market is evolving and with deregulation of the electric utility market, energy service companies (ESCOs) are becoming more active in the front end of equipment sales. Future bundling of power quality equipment into power contracts is likely. The report includes revenue estimates, growth rates, industry leaders and market share for ESCO-provided services, vendor-provided services, and independent consulting. The role of architect-engineer and electrical contracting firms is discussed.

A synthesis section describes how these various segments of the equipment and services market compete or act synergistically. The top 50 equipment suppliers and service providers are identified and profiled, with attention to industry leaders in each segment of the market and the total power quality market. Profiles describe each industry leader in terms of its product lines and market share. Profiles also include company history, ownership and affiliations, facts and figures, financials where available, and a discussion of strategies in the marketplace.

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Portions of the F&S press release:

“Cross-Segment Competition and New Entrants Challenge Power Quality Market Participants”

Cross segment competition is becoming evident in the power quality market as the debate continues about whether it is more cost-effective to protect end-user equipment at the point-of-use, at a branch circuit, or at a facility level. Small, medium and large-scale solutions are available for different applications, and customer education and marketing is essential. Vendors must now educate themselves about products that compete directly with their own, as well as possible alternative products.

Another challenge that is covered in the study is the entrance of new players such as Siemens, Hewlett Packard and General Electric, who bring with them money and strong corporate backing, say the authors of this study. In addition, the recent consolidation of several large companies has heightened competition.

The power quality market is comprised of over 200 companies, half of which hold identifiable market share in one or more segments of this study. The top equipment suppliers and service providers constitute the Power Quality 50, a term originated by Power Quality Assurance and Frost & Sullivan. The Power Quality 50 accounted for 60.2 percent of the total market in 1997.

It is important to recognize the contributions of companies to particular subsegments where they may be market leaders, no matter how small these companies are with regard to the total market. The top contributors on the basis of 1997 revenue in one or more subsegments makes up Frost & Sullivan’s 50 Market Leaders. This study contains detailed profiles of each company listed in the 50 Market Leaders.

This new study, North American Markets for Power Quality: The Top 50 Equipment Suppliers and Service Providers, addresses the major challenges and issues affecting growth in the market. Frost & Sullivan’s objective is to show how these implications impact the market and to assist equipment manufacturers and service providers in better preparing for a successful future.

This research has integrated the Market Engineering consulting philosophy into the entire research process. Critical phases of this research include: Identification of industry challenges, market engineering measurements, strategic recommendations, planning and market monitoring. All of the vital elements of this system help market participants navigate successfully though the power quality industry.

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A news story from the F&S website (available free if you register):

“Primary Restraints in the North American Power Quality Protection Equipment Markets”

The power quality protection equipment markets consists of the following four segments:

– transient voltage surge suppressors (TVSSs)
– power line conditioners (PLCs)
– voltage regulators (VRs)
– shielded isolation transformers

In 1998, the North American market revenues reached $1.4 billion and the market is expected to experience healthy growth throughout the forecast period. Although the markets for power quality protection equipment are growing, manufacturers need to also be aware of several issues which are restraining the revenue growth.

One of the primary restraints affecting the revenue growth of power quality protection equipment is the movement towards the UPS market, based largely on the misconception that they address all power quality problems. In reality, UPSs do not regulate and maintain voltages to electronic equipment nor do they act as an alternative power source. They typically only receive the actual raw electrical power coming in through the sockets. While this misconception has increased the demand for UPSs, it has created a decreasing demand for power quality protection equipment. The incorporation of UPS features into these devices could bring in more revenues for these market segments.

Another restraint that manufacturers should be concerned about is the lack of technological innovation in these products. While the technologies in computers and electronic equipment are continuously and rapidly changing, the technology in power quality protection equipment has remained much the same over recent years. A relative lack of breakthroughs has caused manufacturers to spend valuable resources on other product lines, and decreasing their focus on these products. The power quality protection equipment discussed in this market has remained relatively the same in both appearance and function.

Finally, the third restraint that should be of concern for manufacturers is the general lack of end-user awareness and understanding of the need for power quality protection. Potential and existing end users must become aware and knowledgeable about the possible causes and problems of what is coming through the electrical sockets. Without the appropriate knowledge, customers will most likely not make the best decisions regarding their power problems. A possible effect of this is that by not knowing what power quality protection products are available, consumers may select low-end products to protect their expensive equipment. Using such products can lead to loss of money and damaged equipment.

These are the three issues restraining growth in the North American markets for power quality protection equipment. Manufacturers must create and develop strategies to stay ahead of their competitors and on top of their markets. To learn more about this market, as well as the issues to be aware of, consult Frost & Sullivan’s recent study 5801-27, North American Power Quality Protection Equipment Markets.

Substation Power Quality System

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Sandia is developing a proposal for a Substation Power Quality System (SPQS) project and needs industry input. Attached below are the text of a powerpoint presentation and a list of questions. There hasn’t been much involvement yet from utilities, so UFTO companies are especially encouraged to respond directly to Sandia with comments. The central question now appears to be: “Are utilities or large end users interested in a substation level power quality system?”. (There will also be a presentation at the PowerSystems World ’98 conference in Santa Clara, CA on Nov. 11.)

The DOE Energy Storage Systems Program at Sandia has been working with industry and other laboratories for several years on storage systems for substation power quality applications.

Over the last three years, DOE and Sandia worked closely with Public Service of New Mexico on a project with the intent of developing and demonstrating a substation power quality system. Industry partnerships were to be formed for the development phase, and a demonstration site was chosen at Sandia. Recent market downturns coupled with turmoil in the electric utility industry prevented the completion of this project. The DOE Energy Storage Program is still committed to working with industry on the development and testing of substation level, mid-voltage power quality systems.

The system as currently conceived would operate at the 12-15 kV, 2-6 MVA level. It would correct power quality problems originating upstream of the substation in the transmission line system or downstream in adjacent distribution system feeder lines. Open questions exist regarding the required ride-through time, technology to be employed, and the location for such a demonstration. This is anticipated to be a three-year project. The intent is to form a cost shared partnership to design, construct and field a system in this power range.

Sandia is very interested in obtaining comments on the Utility and Electricity provider industry interest in such a project, and feedback from energy storage system suppliers on the technology available for this type of system.

————-(text of powerpoint vugraphs)——–
Substation Power Quality Project

Dean Rovang, Abbas Akhil, John Boyes
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM

(Oct. 7, 1998, ESA Fall ’98 Meeting, Atlanta, GA)

— Why Are We Here?
Discuss the ESS/SNL perspective on a Sub-station Power Quality System (SPQS)
Project
Past motivation and future expectations
History of project at SNL with PNM
SNL’s performance expectations for PQ system
Obtain industry perspective
Industry perspective on SPQS market
Industry needs of system performance:
Power level, ride through, footprint
Describe SNL’s expectations for further work
Competitive, cost-shared proposals
RFI followed by RFP

— Past Motivation
PNM’s experience with large hi-tech customers in their service area
Traditional UPS solutions did not solve all PQ problems
PNM was seeking a utility-level solution
SNL advocated a SMES solution at a mid-voltage level
SNL Superconductivity Program
Preliminary thinking indicated 1 – 2 second ride through was adequate

— Project History
PNM and SNL formed an Industrial Advisory Board (IAB)
Primarily semiconductor manufacturers
Define system performance requirements
1 – 2 second ride through was thought to be adequate
“Baseline” PQ system concept with 2 second ride through
12.47 kV, 22.4 MVA
SMES system size was 42 MJ

— Other IAB input
Cost must not only be competitive, but aggressively competitive
Not UPS, limited ride through
It protects entire load, people expect lower $/kVA
Demonstrate device at someone else’s facility
Some factors motivated rethinking project scope
Cost estimates of $17 million for baseline system
4 second sag recorded at customer site

— Revised Baseline system was proposed
SNL advocated idea of “meaningful yet supportable” demonstration
6 MVA size: matches SNL loads
Split-bus concept at Substation 41
Use battery to reduce cost and meet ride through requirements
SNL and PNM pursued CRADA for demonstration at SNL site
CRADA package was prepared but not executed
Project canceled

— SPQS STILL MAKES SENSE
Mid-voltage level is the next logical step in the evolution
of PQ systems
Industry wants to develop SPQS technology
Provides vehicle for Utilities to deliver Premium Power
Whole facilities and multiple customers can be protected
in a Premium Power Park concept
Utility will have control of PQ system at the substation level
Short power interruptions can be corrected at one place
Voltage sags are not always corrected by existing systems
Economy of scale

— Substation Power Quality System:
Correct voltage sags/swells and momentary outages from transmission lines or
adjacent feeder lines

— SNL Expectations for Future SPQS
Interconnection voltage: 12 – 15 kV
System power: 2 – 6 MVA
Ride through options:
2 – 8 seconds for voltage sags
up to 30 seconds for 3rd re-closer requirements
1/4 cycle switch time
Storage technology insensitive
Turnkey system
Modular design, outdoor installation
Self-contained energy storage module(s) – eliminate need for building
Minimize footprint

Demonstration preferred at customer site; alternately at SNL
Innovative power conversion and system design
Prefer not paralleling existing small systems to meet performance
Encourage formation of user/supplier consortia
Cost-sharing of 50-80% by industry
SNL contribution expected to be $1.5-2.0 M over 3 years
Time to demonstration – 3 years
Place contract in FY99
System build FY00
System installation and testing FY01

————————————–
QUESTIONS
————————————–
Questions For The Utility/Electricity Provider Industry

1. Are Power Quality solutions at the substation location
useful to you?
2. What voltage(s), in mid-voltage range, are of interest?
3. What is the minimum power level of interest?
4. What power quality events should this system address?
5. What ride through time should this system be capable of
servicing?
6. What problems would this system create that must be addressed
in the design phase? Reconnection? Siting? Safety? Control?
Maintenance? Etc.?
7. What type of sites would benefit from this system?
8. Are there any potential sites in your system?
9. Are you interested in hosting the site?
10. Do you see the need for this system now? In the near
term (1-3 years)? In the long term (>3 years)?
11. What would be a cost goal for such a system?

Questions for the Power Quality System Industry

1. Are the technical specifications in the ballpark?
2. Is the schedule estimate in the ballpark?
3. What are the technical issues in the proposed system?
4. Are the power electronics for the mid-voltage specification
ready for commercialization? If not what is the state of
the art?
5. What are the cost drivers of a mid-voltage Power
Quality system?
6. Who should perform the system integration function?

Questions for All

1. What kind of partnerships/consortia/collaborations could
be formed to pursue this system? Cost Sharing? Intellectual
property rights? Project responsibility? Etc.?
2. What other information is necessary for your company to
participate in this project?
3. What other information is necessary to start this project?
4. Other questions or comments:

___ Indicate if you would like emailed summaries of ESA meeting discussion
and future communications on the SPQS project.
Name:
Company:
Telephone:
Fax:
Email:

Please Return to: John D. Boyes, Sandia National Laboratories
Telephone: (505) 845-7090 Fax: (505) 844-7874
Email: jdboyes@sandia.gov