RENEWABLE ENERGY

Created: Friday, 16 June 2017 12:00

According to U.S. Energy Information Administration, about 15% of U.S. electricity generation was from renewable energy sources in 2016. In Canada Renewable energy sources provide about 18.9% of the country’s energy source.  Wind and solar photovoltaic energy the fastest growing sources of electricity in Canada.

As we mentioned in our post “5 Reasons to follow trends in the Electrical Industry”, being ready for any change in the economic and political landscape is the key to providing the appropriate solution that our clients need. So, we teamed up with our agents around North America and found  that renewable energy generators (as wind farms and solar farms) face three common challenges: connecting battery banks to the rest of the system, exposure to extreme weather conditions and short circuits due to the use of lithium batteries.

BATTERY CONNECTIVITY SPACE CONSTRICTION

Our innovative “Battery Spiders” connect the power source (wind turbine, solar panels, etc.) to the batteries. The system consists of a tap box that splits the incoming cables from the disconnect into multiple cables that run down the “legs” of the spider that feed the battery banks. To ensure a compact system size, highly flexible Diesel Locomotive (DLO) cable is used to make connections easier in tight spaces. Power runs efficiently from the source to each battery bank for storage and is ready to feed the power grid when needed.

EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS

Wind and solar farms are generally installed in open fields making them susceptible to environmental effects like frost heave and floods. Hinged fittings are built to allow movement with no breaks or splices in case of frost heave. Superior Bus has continuous conductors sealed on each end; which ensures the safety of our system and splices-free in case of flood.

SHORT CIRCUIT DUE TO LITHIUM BATTERY

Lithium batteries are prone to intense heat buildup, and can provide high current discharge in the event of a fault. Superior Tray Systems manufactures a cable bus that uses “shock absorbers” which eliminates the chance of conductor damage during such an event.

The need to develop clean energy is increasing each day and we are witnessing how teamwork is a key ingredient for innovation.