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29 03 11 - 10:37
E.ON uses PPC's Broadband Powerline technology in smart grid project
by Power Plus Communications
Mannheim - Power Plus Communications AG (PPC), the leading provider of Broadband Powerline Communication systems (BPL) for smart grids has taken on a key role within an E.ON smart grid project to facilitate an extension of Cisco's Connected Grid Solution.
E.ON Westfalen Weser AG is currently trialing smart grid technology within its network of 1.3 million inhabitants and PPC's proven medium voltage BPL solution has connected substations in the project using the existing power grid.
Using BPL technology, standard compliant and IP-based data transfer rates of 5-30 Mbit/s can easily be achieved via the medium voltage cable itself. Within E.ON’s smart grid project, PPC's medium voltage technology facilitated the extension of Cisco's Connected Grid Solution. The Cisco smart grid Router and Switches used in the project are highly compatible with BPL networks, providing a real cost advantage over fiber optic networks – which can be much more expensive where cables are not pre-existing.
By combining their technology at Westfalen Weser, PPC and Cisco have ensured the evolution of fast and efficient smart grids which are controlled on an IP basis. This increases the reliability of the power grid, fulfills regulations and drives down costs. At the same time this modern smart grids communications technology makes it possible to effectively integrate renewable energy into the grid.
Henning Probst, CEO of E.ON Westfalen Weser AG, emphasised the use of Broadband Powerline technology for smart grids: “With the help of BPL technology we have had an outstanding opportunity to achieve a future-proof communications infrastructure in our medium voltage grid. With it, we have become technological forerunners and have become highly flexible in our application.”
The broadband transfer of any IP data takes place over the existing cables and is the ideal solution for setting up a communication infrastructure for smart grids. In the pilot project, E.ON Westfalen Weser has achieved an average bandwidth of more than 13 Mbps with 24 ms latency using BPL technology on the 20kV level. The BPL medium voltage solution from PPC, consisting of medium voltage modems and capacitive couplers, is currently of importance not only in the field of network automation and on-line grid monitoring, but also as a backbone in smart metering projects. It can be used for both overhead and underground cables.
Used tags: capacitive_couplers, communication_infrastructure, network_automation, renewable_energy, smaart_grid_router, smart_grid, smart_grid_technology, smart_metering