Eaton Corporation


		Was this e-mail forwarded to you? If you like what you read, become a subscriber here. Read September's Issue Links Eaton's U.S. Economic Stimulus Recovery site Green Switching Green Building Tour Hydro Plant Solutions Did You Know? • SF₆ has been widely used as an insulator in electrical equipment since the 1950s • One pound of SF₆ has the same global warming impact as 11 metric tons of CO₂ • SF₆ has an atmospheric life of 3,200 years • The electrical industry uses roughly 80 percent of all SF₆ produced worldwide
IN THIS ISSUE Engineering Better Electrical Solutions for Renewable Energy Green Building Tour Hydropower Upgrades Did You Know? Events

	Engineering better electrical solutions for renewable energy In generating clean, renewable energy by wind power, there are many challenges that the electrical sector must overcome. For example: Electrical equipment used in wind farm applications must be able to operate in extreme conditions and requirements The equipment must withstand the surrounding environment with little to no routine maintenance The equipment must be extremely reliable Distribution system components must be compact due to limited space in the base of a windmill To address the need for compact electrical systems, many installations include gas-insulated electrical equipment. These systems use sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) gas as their primary means for electrical insulation, because this type of insulation allows the equipment to be extremely compact in size. However, gas-insulated switchgear are not without problems. Click here to read more. Green building tour Click here to view a green tour of Cherrington, Eaton’s Electrical Sector headquarters, and see how our electrical products helped us earn LEED Gold certification. Hydropower upgrades In November, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced up to $30.6 million in Recovery Act funding for hydropower projects to modernize hydropower infrastructure by increasing energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact. Chu said, “With this investment, we can create jobs, help our environment and give more renewable power to our economy without building a single new dam.” These renovations will include innovative technologies such as: High-efficiency turbines Improved water intakes Advanced control systems To learn more about upgrading hydro technologies, click here.