According to the company, mission-critical facilities such as hospitals, waste water plants, data centers, process-intensive, government installations and other CI&I Utility loads require full-rated or near full-rated emergency power systems.
PowerSecure had used GE Fanuc PLCs in its power system solutions, including those for mission critical facilities. For its integrated switchgear and control system called NexGear, it again selected GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms’ PLC as a part of the NexGear system.
PowerSecure sought to provide a solution that would meet utilities’ requirements for the protection and control of DG systems.
Brian Kisner, president, NexGear Business Unit, a division of PowerSecure International, said: “We selected GE Fanuc’s PLCs as they are easily able to customize the I/O and programming to meet the scalable needs of a particular installation’s electrical topology. It is also extremely survivable, and that was a key attribute when PowerSecure selected the GE Fanuc line.”
The integration and open architecture of GE Fanuc’s PLC enables control, including orchestration of other digital control equipment operations, I/O interface, operator interface and SCADA interface. The NexGear system is considered a SmartGrid solution as it provides control of distributed resources in the distribution system as well as employs diagnostics with communications, said the company.
Connie Chick, general manager of GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms Control Systems Business, said: “As power is a mission-critical element, a distributed generation system has to be ready at a moment’s notice, without fail.
“GE Fanuc’s reliability was a key factor for PowerSecure, knowing that when a system has to operate in emergency mode, it leaves no room for equipment failure. The GE Fanuc-based distributed generation system enables utilities to reduce costs and eliminate downtime, as power is instantly available from the emergency onsite generation if an issue arises with the utility.”
