To meet increased demand for green energy from solar panel and wind turbine generators, a Scarborough firm has designed a microprocessor-based control panel for monitoring power transfer to the national grid.
Control & Power Systems (CPS), a manufacturer of power control panels, has designed the new system to provide G59/2 protection, which is a legal requirement for those involved in providing more than 16 amps of solar or wind power. This recent statutory obligation requires those involved in supplying power to the grid to monitor production and to automatically turn-off the flow of power in the event of certain abnormal grid conditions.
The CPS control panel acts as a failsafe system, monitoring voltage, frequency and other parameters as requested by the local Distribution Network Operators (DNO). If any of the power parameters go outside the nominal settings, the control panel will automatically trip an integral protection relay and closedown the transfer of electricity to the national grid, thus avoiding risk to personnel or cabling, both of which could prove fatal.
Specialist manufacturer CPS, who has been producing standard control solutions for diesel engines and water turbines for many years, decided to diversify into solar panel and wind turbine generator monitoring following an approach from a green energy producer earlier this year.
Sales director Stuart Noble explains: “The decision to move into designing the unit followed an approach from a wind turbine installer to manufacture a suitable unit. With the help of word of mouth, highly competitive pricing and the internet, news seems to have quickly spread and demand for our green control panels has really taken off.”
Suitable for three-phase and single phase production, CPS is now manufacturing a range of eight different green control panels ranging from small standard 30kw units which measures 400 x 400mm x 210mm deep to panels capable of handling up to 500kw. Very simple to install, the equipment can be supplied for wall-mounting or freestanding, depending on the power rating.
Optional add-ons include third party monitoring to alert operators to power transfer breakdowns or potential problems. CPS also offers an optional field testing service or simulated factory testing using our own secondary injection testing equipment in order to comply with current DNO regulations.
The biggest buyer of the control panels are electrical contractors, who will typically wire in the cable connections from the invertor (steps the solar or turbine voltage up) into the CPS control panel for onward power transit to the grid.
Control and Power Systems
01723 879043
www.controlandpower.co.uk