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Cambridge, MA, Dec. 7, 2006 -- A marketing and development agreement that is expected to decrease costs and increase the consistency and reliability of electric power distribution was announced by LiveData and Radio Control Central Stations. Under the agreement, LiveData and RCCS will develop and co-market new integration technology for centralized capacitor control software, which balances power distribution loads, protecting equipment, and lowering maintenance costs for utilities.
RCCS is a supplier of centralized capacitor control application software. Many U.S. utilities use RCCS Volt-Ampere reactive (VAr) reduction software all day, every day to automatically switch thousands of feeder capacitors daily.
LiveData supplies the glue for binding RCCS to a utility's DA infrastructure, capacitor control hardware and communications. LiveData products support integration with a utility's existing DA infrastructures, with data historians, and with ICCP and advanced protocols.
"The utility market is ready for a superior capacitor control product," said Wally Pitts, CEO of RCCS. "The product we envision extends the RCCS product by offering advanced integration capabilities for accessing a utility's data resources and for supporting various models of capacitor controllers and communications alternatives."
RCCS technology provides a centralized view of capacitor controls, enabling utilities to balance and thus reduce the load, protect equipment and increase longevity of maintenance. RCCS application software and comprehensive system integration services helps utilities gain the financial and operational benefits of closed-loop VAr control far sooner and at lower cost than is possible with other approaches.
For several years, the companies have provided technology to Xcel Energy, which uses LiveData RTI Server, an integration hub for applications, including RCCS. The companies are moving forward with an intensified program to bring their solutions to a broader range of large and small utilities.
"The centralized capacitor bank control system went live according to our original budget and schedule," said Linda Murphy, business manager, customer operations utilities group of Xcel Energy, which is based in Minneapolis. "System performance monitoring shows significant VAr improvement. Utilities have experienced average annual savings of $3 to $4million by performing effective VAr management. The collaboration between LiveData and RCCS will energize the market, and we look forward to further developments in this technology. "
Unlike other approaches, RCCS and LiveData are developing an open solution that operates with equipment and communications products from numerous utility grade suppliers. It avoids the difficulties of single-source supplier while contributing to best-for-the-purpose hardware selection.
RCCS' model RCC-2000W augments a utility's primary SCADA/EMS facilities by offloading down-line VAr management to a Windows NT processor. RCC-2000W obtains near-real-time substation load and voltage data directly from a utility's existing SCADA facilities. By eliminating VArs from the circuit load, the power requirement is reduced and the circuit can carry more useable power. The best effect is achieved when VArs are eliminated early by locating capacitors down-line, close to inductive loads. Once VArs are introduced, they continue to load the circuit's conductors until they are neutralized. The effective way to reduce circuit VArs is to use down-line capacitors. Substation capacitors do not reduce the reactive load burden in the distribution system.
Few down-line opportunities match the ROI potential of effective capacitor control. Down-line capacitor control can achieve resounding results by saving energy, increasing line and substation capacities, and improving power quality, system stability, and voltage profile.
As the number of down-line capacitors increases, their impact on system stability becomes apparent. It becomes increasingly important for power supply management to have access to down-line VArs for system stability interests. RCCS software, with appropriate authorization, allows override of planned VAr control strategy so that power supply can use available distribution VArs when stability requires.
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