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.
It is important to note that SF6 is the most highly potent greenhouse gas classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Ideally, none of this gas would be emitted to the atmosphere; however, in reality significant leaking occurs from aging equipment, as well as during equipment maintenance and servicing.
Therefore, while wind-generated power can have great impact on the quality of the atmosphere by the reduction of CO2 emissions, the use of SF6-insulated electrical equipment in wind installations can be counterproductive to that goal.
To this end, Eaton is committed to providing the most compact medium voltage electrical products in the market without the use of any materials that could have potentially harmful side effects to the environment. Eaton has a full range of medium voltage electrical distribution products that provide ideal space-saving solutions for wind farm applications without the use of SF6 gas as an insulator that conform to both International Electric Code (IEC) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards.
To learn more about Eaton’s SF6-free product offerings, read more about Green Switching and visit www.eaton.com/sf6free.
