Supergrid Across Europe Needed to Revolutionise Renewable Energy

Europe is the world leader in renewable energy generation but to overcome the problem of supply reliability, without having to resort to traditional fossil fuelled power stations, a Europe-wide supergrid is required to link several diverse sources of renewable energy onto one electrical grid. When a wind farm cannot supply power on a windless day, a solar farm might be able to compensate, for example. It would also reduce power prices for consumers and make supplies more secure.

Such a grid, however, requires long-term thinking, joined up international politics and huge investment, which is unlikely in the current economic climate.

Security of electricity supply can be mitigated by installing UPS (uninterruptible power supply) and an alternative source of onsite standby power, such as a diesel generator. There are many different types of system to suit every different sort of application, criticality of load and financial budget. More information is available on Riello’s website.

Anyone reading an electrical magazine of late can’t help but notice the rising interest in (and column inches devoted to) the subject of voltage optimisation.

In 1995, the European Union set out to harmonise the single-phase mains supply voltage across countries. Prior to that, variation existed country-to-country from 220, 230 or 240Vac 50Hz. It was down to manufacturers of electrical equipment to optimise their products for each country or region. 230Vac became the nominal standard (prior to which the UK operated at 240Vac). Three-phase mains nominal voltage was harmonised to 400Vac.

A problem arose because many large electricity consumers found that much of the electrical equipment they use to run their businesses now operates inefficiently at the new rating and thus wastes considerable electricity each year.

Voltage optimisation technology providers stepped in to stem the problem by developing technology that sits between mains power and connected loads to provide a steady-state 230Vac or 400Vac supply to ensure optimal load voltage efficiency, whether resistive or inductive/capacitive loads.

My question is: can it be recommended for mission critical applications and is such technology really the best option when UPS themselves are the ultimate voltage optimiser?

Firstly, UPS protect connected loads from breaks in mains supply AND from mains-borne power problems such as sags, surges, brownouts and so on, which a voltage optimisers cannot do as effectively.

Secondly, although most online UPS are installed as 230Vac (single-phase) or 400Vac (three-phase) output, they can be configured manually to provide other voltages such as: 220/230/240Vac or 380/400/415Vac. Loads are automatically supplied by a UPS with the level of voltage and current required to perform at their optimal frequency. UPS also provide battery back up and/or connection to an alternative energy source (such as a generator) to protect loads in the event of a mains failure. Today’s online UPS can also achieve operating efficiency figures of 96% and higher (if operated in certain power modes).

Voltage optimisers carry a lower capital cost compared with UPS but they do not provide the higher levels of power protection required by the critical loads that run today’s always on businesses. In my view, UPS are better at the job of both power protection and voltage optimisation.

As most electrical engineers know, working with switchgear carries with it potential hazards. Improvements in design and better working practices, however, have contrived to make it much safer than it used to be.

If it were an animal, switchgear would be a champion racehorse; highly-strung, unpredictable – and with a powerful bite. But as every champion jockey will tell you: it’s all in the training. If you know what you’re doing and have thorough and appropriate training, you should be able to handle switchgear, no problem. If you are a novice, however, take every precaution and wear all the safety gear you can.

An accident associated with switchgear has been arc flash. These can occur when a large electrical current passes through ionised air and can be triggered when a circuit-breaker fails or when insulation has been seriously compromised. Although rare, these accidents have had serious consequences in the past. When an arc flash occurs, the temperature surrounding it can rise to around 20,000 degrees centigrade, which vaporises conductors leading to an explosion and the release of globules of molten metal. Anyone nearby could be in danger of serious injury or death.

Arc flash can also cause fire, the production of dangerous gasses and the leakage of burning oil in older designs such as oil insulated switchgear.

The good news is that modern designs of switchgear have moulded insulation, which allows good control over electric fields thereby reducing the susceptibility of the insulation to break down. It significantly reduces the chances of arc-related faults. It won’t entirely negate such incidents, or the chances there of, so it is important still to observe appropriate safety information and practices.

Not quite so hazardous but potentially more disruptive is the problem of partial discharge in insulation, which is a common cause of unreliability in MV switchgear. Here, small currents in the form of sparks can leak through the insulation at points where it has deteriorated. In hazardous environments, this could cause ignition of flammable materials but at best it could lead to breakdown of equipment and expensive repair. Needless to say, the best remedy for this is regular testing and inspection of switchgear, including all cabling and connectors.

When you choose Riello UPS for switchgear supply, you can be sure of our expertise. We always design switchgear into the system from the start and our name appears on the panel so you can rest assured we make sure that the quality of our work is consistent with the rest of your UPS and standby power installation.

A couple of weeks ago, a bomb disposal team safely exploded a World War II mine, which was on-site at the Greater Gabbard Wind Farm off the coast of Suffolk. It turned out to be a 680 kilo German ground mine and an ROV (remotely operated vehicle) was brought in by ex-Royal Navy explosives experts to blow it up.

There are many areas around the British coast were unexploded ground mines from World War II are known to exist. Unlike other types of mine, or floating mines, ground mines are not designed to explode on impact, instead they employ magnetic sensors to detect the presence of an enemy submarine or ship overhead, which makes them exceptionally difficult to detect.  Areas of heavy shipping traffic, such as ports and marinas have been cleared but old mines are becoming a problem now in the light of the off-shore wind sector’s rapid expansion.

Ex-Navy and/or privately-owned bomb disposal teams are now busier than ever clearing sites for the development and expansion of new wind farms.

This article got me thinking about how important it is before any major power protection installation project to prepare the ground first with a thorough site survey. It’s extremely unlikely that land-based businesses on industrial parks or in office blocks will stumble upon unexploded bombs but you’d be amazed at how much material and information, relevant to the installation, surveys unearth.

In a tight economy, the temptation may be to either not carry out a survey at all or to massively scale it down. The installation time and costs saved as a result of the information contained within a site survey almost always far outweigh the time and costs associated with carrying it out.

A site survey will reveal all sorts to do with the complexity of the project and installation, such as logistics, environment and location and electrical installation. It covers a set of standard criterion that identify site-specific actions and information and areas requiring further investigation, all of which is documented in a formal report (a copy of which will be given to the customer for their files).

There is a long list but some of the issues a site survey can reveal are:

• The final positioning of the UPS and requirement for cranes or specialist lifting gear (stair climbers, for example).
• The existence of a low bridge on route to site and requirement to find an alternative route.
• The need for local authority and law enforcement permissions to close roads for equipment unload.
• The existence of floor loading weight restrictions (which can occur in computer rooms with raised floors) and need for reinforcement.

Nothing should ever be assumed or taken for granted when surveying a site. Wherever possible it should be completed with a site representative present, whose local and site knowledge will be invaluable. Visit our website for more details.

The importance of power conditioning within a power system cannot be underestimated and it is a little-known but very important feature of a UPS system.

At its source, mains power is ‘unclean’ and generally badly behaved and this can cause all sorts of problems within an internal power distribution system and for any equipment attached to it. It can ultimately lead to costly and disruptive breakdown or system crashes.

Power Problems

Alongside total blackouts and power failures, power problems manifest in several different ways:

• sags – short duration voltage reductions in mains power supply, which can cause computer equipment to malfunction and lead to data loss.
• Brownouts – longer duration reduction in mains power supply voltage, which can also result in equipment failure.
• Surges – these are short duration voltage increases, which can lead to system crashes from activated automatic cut-out protection within the equipment. Surges can also cause wear and tear and general equipment degradation over time.
• Spikes and transients – are fast-moving, high energy bursts (in excess of 6kVA in some instances). They last only a few milliseconds but can cause widespread and costly damage to equipment and motherboards.
• Electrical Noise – electrical noise exists in all electrical systems and if not filtered out can disrupt the operation of circuits and equipment and cause damage.
• Harmonics – harmonic pollution is a problem associated with proliferation of SMPS (Switch Mode Power Supplies) being connected to electrical distribution networks. Harmonics can cause distortion of the mains power supply voltage, overheating of building wiring circuits and nuisance tripping of breakers.

Power conditioners within a UPS system are designed to attenuate spikes, transients and electrical noise. But in environments where these problems are most severe, such as in industrial settings, for example, other types of power conditioner and/or filter may also be employed. Constant Voltage Transformers (CVTs) can be used to stabilise voltage over a wide input voltage window. This is a type of Ferro resonant design.

Other types of protection include AVS (automatic voltage stabilisers), which can protect from sags, brownouts and surges. TVSS (transient voltage surge suppressors) can be employed to guard against transient voltages and high-energy spikes. Some also have filters that protect from spikes, transients and electrical noise. Standard filters and filter strips may be employed in some installations to protect against spikes, transients and electrical noise but rather than attenuating performance, they ‘clamp’ peak voltages to predefined, acceptable levels.

A power quality review, prior to embarking on a power protection project, upgrade or change to your power protection plans, is recommended as it will reveal essential information pertinent to the design and configuration of your new system. For more information, visit our website.

The CBI (Confederation of Business and Industry) is up in arms about the Government’s proposed Carbon Tax and claims that energy-intensive manufacturers should be exempt from it, or the Government will risk making the UK an uncompetitive market where heads of heavy industry and manufacturing will no longer wish to base their businesses.

In a report (Protecting the UK’s Foundations: a blueprint for energy-intensive industries) published at the end of August, the CBI stressed that the Government must ensure energy-intensive manufacturers are not undermined by rising costs and climate change energy policies. These companies form a crucial part of the manufacturing and supply chain alongside employing a quarter of a million people and accounting for £15bn of UK GDP. As such, so says the CBI, they need protection from laws like the carbon floor price, which would penalise many of them in their manufacturing processes.

Such companies make a diverse range of products such as steel and chemicals required for wind turbines and low-rolling resistance tyres.

The CBI wants the Government to find a way of moving businesses to a low carbon economy while exempting certain ‘carbon-heavy’ companies from so doing. How can that be possible?

Thanks to our Master Plus Industrial range of rugged and energy efficient UPS, at least energy-intensive manufacturers can enjoy efficient and cost-effective power protection. Based on our leading Master Plus UPS range, the Master Plus Industrial is designed for tough installation environments, such as petrochemical manufacturing sites, where operating conditions (levels of vibration, mechanical stress, ambient temperatures and dust ingress) require a more robust and industrialised UPS design. We’ve incorporated a number of design features to make it applicable to this market, such as:

• HIGH Icc
Master Plus Industrial has a higher short-circuit current (Icc = 3In) making it suitable for loads with high current peaks, during switch-on or a load step-change.
• 220V DC VOLTAGE
- the UPS has a 220Vdc bus bar (from 108 to 114 blocks) – a common standard for industrial applications.
• REDUNDANT VENTILATION
- Master Plus Industrial has 100% redundant ventilation with 50% fan loading at nominal load. Each fan is monitored for failure to ensure optimum temperatures are maintained.
• IP (Ingress Protection) Rating Various IP protection levels are available on request.

For more details visit our website.

Jellyfish are currently proving to be the greatest threat to continuity of supply for nuclear power stations the world over. They have so far been responsible for at least three reactor shutdowns in recent weeks and scientists are expecting more.

Two weeks ago, EDF was forced to shut down its nuclear power plant in East Lothian Scotland due to a jellyfish invasion entering its cooling systems. Both units at Torness Power Station were manually shutdown on 28^th June 2011 as a precautionary measure. EDF reported that there was no impact on the environment or the public. However, the clean up operation took over a week to complete and for the plant to be operational again.

Torness has two Advanced Gas Cooled Reactors but it also relies on sea water to ensure it operates safely. Filters prevent seaweed and marine animals from entering the cooling system but they became clogged by the jellyfish, which meant the reactors had to be shut down to comply with safety procedures.

Since the closure of Torness, other reactors in Japan and Israel have also had to be shut down because of jellyfish.

The city of Hadera, Israel, was plunged into darkness when the Orot Rabin nuclear power plant’s cooling system was invaded by Jellyfish. The same happened at the Shimane reactor in Japan. It comes only months after an earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused lethal explosions and ultimately closure at the Fukushima nuclear complex.

In some articles I’ve read, Scientists are saying that massive blooms of jellyfish in summer months are normal and that these incidents are purely coincidental. Environmentalists, however, seem to be making a link with global warming and even going so far as to claim that the Jellyfish are natures army sent to fight the nuclear cause.

The positive side to this is that leatherback turtles (a protected species) are thriving, enjoying the rich food source Jellyfish provide.

However, what’s clear to me is that this is yet another endorsement of the fact that there are always lurking threats to power supply and that nuclear reactor shut downs can happen at anytime and for any reason – many which we cannot even begin to imagine. Businesses need to be ready with their own power protection, back-up systems and onsite generation if they are the ensure continuity through disaster – be it a Jellyfish invasion or anything!

Being the keen communicator I am, I was concerned to read an article in PRWeek that reported that the Government has responded to the news that officials approached nuclear companies to draw up a PR strategy to play down the Fukushima nuclear accident, by stating that there is no strategy.

Apparently, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills contacted the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) two days after the disaster, suggesting a consortium on communications material, activities and strategy to address any backlash from the media or concerns, or reduction in confidence from the public over Britain’s nuclear energy industry.

On hearing this news (according to PRWeek), controversial Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith, who sits on the Commons environmental audit committee, got up in arms and fumed that the Government has no business doing PR for the industry.

In answer to his concerns (no doubt), a DECC (Department for Energy and Climate Change) spokesperson informed the magazine that there “was no strategy” and that no document had been produced as a result of a meeting between the Office for Nuclear Development and the Nuclear Industry Association.

I think it’s absolutely right that the communications departments of the various industry bodies and key players got together to discuss what turned out to be one of the most serious incidents in nuclear’s history, its impact and how to handle any backlash. However, I do find it odd that no strategy was produced as a result. A key aspect of dealing with any crisis – even if it is not one of your own – is learning lessons that can be used in the future.

In my view, implementation of a communications strategy on the future of nuclear energy by the consortium (comprising primary industry players) would be an excellent idea at this time. We need nuclear to play a role in the future of energy production; securing public confidence is a key part of that.

A news item in DatacenterDynamics caught my eye today: according to a recent survey released this month by The Ponemon Institute in the USA, 65% of the 41 USA-based data centres it surveyed (2,500 square feet and above) cited UPS battery failure as the biggest cause of unplanned downtime in the past two years.

The most costly data centre outage during that time cost its operators over $1million (around £620,000 at today’s values).

The survey looked at costs associated with the impact on productivity, legal and regulatory consequences, lost confidence and stakeholder trust (among others).

Although the $1m is at the top of the range ($39,000 was reported as the lowest), the survey concluded that the average cost of data centre downtime is $5,600 (around £3,472) a minute. The average incident length was 90 minutes.

Sadly, I have to agree that this reflects our own experience. A high proportion of the UPS failure call outs we deal with (that are not supported by a maintenance contract) are as a result of UPS battery failure because the batteries have either not been checked by the operator or an alarm signal has gone unheard.

As part of a maintenance contract, Riello UPS schedules regular maintenance visits by experienced and qualified engineers who check battery condition as standard and replace any batteries that are showing signs of wear and/or are not holding charge. A maintenance contract with remote monitoring enables us to be alerted by the remote monitoring system whenever an alarm is signalled. We can deal with the problem before it causes downtime – and save our data centre customers a lot of money according to this survey.

If you want to know more about UPS remote monitoring or the true value of UPS maintenance contracts, visit our website.

This month (December 2010) is one of the coldest on record for the United Kingdom. The night of December 19^th saw Northern Ireland experience its coldest night since records began in the 1800′s and much of Scotland has had snow and freezing temperatures for longer than a month. Met office records highlight December 2010 as the 3rd coldest December since records began in 1659. This is the third consecutive winter we have had extremely cold and snowy conditions in the UK.

And as UK temperatures plummet, energy prices continue to soar. Npower became the latest of the ‘big six’ energy providers to hike its prices in early December – taking electricity and gas tariffs up by an average of 5 per cent in the new year – following similar increases from British Gas, Scottish Power, and Scottish and Southern Energy.

One factor common to both the fuel industry and the household gas and electricity sector is oil price. The global oil market has been rising consistently from the crisis-hit low of around $40 (£25) a barrel at the end of 2008, to $87 per barrel, pushing up both pump prices and wholesale gas costs. Investors are already speculating a return to $100 per barrel, and the 12-strong Opec producers’ cartel last weekend voted to keep in place production restrictions originally designed to put a floor under the cessionary price collapse, there is no let-up in pressure yet.

So, what can businesses do to take the bite out of rising energy prices?

Electricity is the most commonly used source of energy for most businesses and ensuring a continuous supply with the installation of UPS (uninterruptible power supply) and generators is a sound business move. However, there are other things you can do to reduce energy costs.

1)     Alongside switching off lights and equipment not in use and fitting low-energy light bulbs, the starting point is to know exactly how much you use and where. Armed with this knowledge, you can begin to implement energy efficiency measures and technologies, such as the latest, energy efficient UPS equipment and energy management technology.

2)     Negotiate hard with your energy supplier. Sign up to a longer-term deal to get a better price and make sure you get a fixed price. The more energy you consume, the harder you will be able to negotiate.

3)     Carry out a baseline audit of room temperature, particularly in locations that use the highest amount of electricity such as server rooms and food storage areas. Rather than a blanket turn down of the thermostat throughout the building, you will save more energy by monitoring (through energy management) and addressing areas of concern, freezer doors left open, for example, can have a massive impact on energy consumption. As can doors to cooled areas (server rooms) that are left open.

Small changes can make a big difference where energy consumption is concerned.