• IMI announces Series 176 Pressure Sensors for Gas Turbines
• Control Station Introduces PlantESP PID Control Loop Monitor
• CygNet enhances Enterprise Operations Platform for oil and gas
• COSCOM Computer releases KPI module
• Powercast announces TX91501 Powercaster Transmitter
• Libelium announces Waspmote Smart Metering Sensor board
• MAG adds inline inspection to solar module production lines
• EPS adds carbon management to xChange Point energy software

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Integrating Distributed Energy Resources into the Smart Grid
By Gary Frederich & Patric Dove, Advantech
Integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) into the local distribution system and ultimately into the entire utility generation, transmission and distribution system is problematic for a number of reasons.

Using Embedded Computers to Manage Your Solar Power System
By Ella Liao, Moxa
Computers play an essential role in solar power systems, particularly when it comes to maximizing energy efficiency. Here are three examples.

Wind Turbines Today
By Dataforth
For wind turbines to remain both operable and in safe condition, components must be accurately monitored and assessed while being continuously protected. Sensors are used to measure as many as 500 parameters in a modern wind turbine.

Browse more white papers on the Power & Energy portal.

McCrometer offers Oil & Gas Flow Meter CD  
CD explains V-Cone and Wafer-Cone flow measurement technology, details specific flow measurement applications and provides technical reports, approvals, white papers, articles and more.

Moore Industries publishes Interactive Line Card for Power Plant Applications  
The interactive line card includes pop-up “Selection Hints” that link to technical product information on Moore Industries’ web site.

PID Tutor publishes Cascade Control book  
“Mastering Cascade Control” is designed to help technicians and engineers implement and troubleshoot split-range control applications.

Industrial Controls publishes controls catalog  
The 1,200 page full color catalog covers HVAC Controls, Actuators, Pressure Gauges, Humidity Sensors, Temperature Assemblies, Analytical Instruments, Combustion Controls, and Automation Systems.

PAS Publishes 2nd Edition of Alarm Management Handbook  
PAS updated the book to incorporate ideas presented in the ANSI/ISA-18.2-2009 standard, including a summary of the standard’s scope, regulatory impact, requirements and other details. Price: $89.95

Browse more resources and literature on the Power & Energy portal.

Retrofitting BWR Recirculation Pumps with Adjustable-Speed Drives  
Power, November 2010
By James W. Morgan, ILD, and Timothy Gode, Exelon Nuclear
Exelon Nuclear recently replaced the original motor-generator sets for its boiling water reactor (BWR) recirculation pumps at its Quad Cities Generating Station Unit 1 with adjustable-speed drives. Here are the actual energy savings, motor-starting characteristics, control accuracy and stability, and motor and cable thermal behavior of this retrofit project.

Breaker Maintenance Is More Than a Tool  
Transmission and Distribution World, November 2010
By James Haufler, et al
Con Edison realizes $3 million annual savings with EPRI condition-based circuit breaker maintenance ranking system. The program uses a three-pronged approach to determine the need for maintenance or replacement of a particular circuit breaker or class of circuit breakers.

Voltage Optimization  
Transmission and Distribution World, November 2010
By K.C. Fagen, et al
Clark Public Utilities' participation in BPA's ESUE program included an evaluation of three substations around Vancouver. The scoping study determined that two of the substations showed very positive results while the third substation required significant capital investments to meet the ESUE M&V protocols.

Company Carries SCADA, Voice, Video and Internet Traffic with Exalt Backhaul Systems  
Utility Products, October 2010
Wheatland Electric Cooperative in Scott City, Kan, is not only a power distributor, it also supplies customers with water and wireless Internet. Wheatland uses a single backhaul network to carry traffic for all three businesses.

A Powerful Case For Infrared Windows  
Maintenance Technology, November 2010
By Martin Robinson, IRISS
An unnamed power plant installed IR windows to allow thermographic inspection of its switchgear. The facility's 95 applications with 147 inspection compartments required 203 infrared inspection windows. After five inspection cycles, the savings were over $153,829.

Browse more application stories on the Power & Energy portal.

Renewable Energy Solutions with GEO SCADA Webcast
December 21, 2010
10:00 AM - (GMT -5:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada), Bogota, Lima Time Zone
With increasing legislation and demand for energy, renewable energy solutions are becoming more commonplace across the globe. ICONICS understands the growing needs of renewable energy suppliers and has developed EarthWorX™, part of ICONICS GENESIS64™ HMI/SCADA suite.

Web Seminar: Cyber Security Risk Assessment for Automation Systems
March 30, 2011
2:30 PM - (GMT -5:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada), Bogota, Lima Time Zone
This seminar introduces you to the concepts of risk analysis and how they are applied to industrial manufacturing and control systems. This seminar is also valuable for IT professionals who wish to learn the special considerations of automation systems in performing risk analysis.

Online Courses for Smart Grid and Renewable Energy  
The Energy Providers Coalition for Education (EPCE) offers an online course to provide training for electric power industry workers in the areas of clean energy solutions and smart grid deployment.

SME and Purdue start Green Manufacturing Specialist Certificate Program  
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) has partnered with Purdue University Technical Assistance Program (TAP) on a Green Manufacturing Specialist Certificate Program.

Securing your industrial network webinar  
Phoenix Contact’s webinar discusses the increasing importance of cyber security in the industrial world, and how a defense-in-depth solution can protect an industrial network.

Browse more training and seminar opportunities on the Power & Energy portal.

Russia Powers On, Boosting Nuclear Reactor Sales  
Power, November 2010
By Sonal Patel
Kiriyenko says the Russian nuclear company plans to boost sales from the current $15 billion to $50 billion by 2030, the bulk of which will be from developing countries. This could be because Russia offers a competitive price to build new reactors: a 1,000-MW plant in Russia costs US$2.9 billion on average.

EPA Rules Pose a Concern for Peaking Diesel Generators  
Power Engineering, November 2010
By Bruce Labno and Ryan Birkenholz, Golder Associates
The one-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), came into effect in April 2010 and may greatly transform the environment for peaking power diesel generators as new generator installations will have to show compliance with the more rigorous standard.

Small-scale Hydro Gets BIG  
Power Engineering, November 2010
By Lindsay Morris
Instead of producers attempting to build Hoover Dam 2, the focus has been on reviving small scale. Thanks to new tax credits, grants and initiatives to reduce gas emissions for small-scale hydro plants, requests to build projects are flooding into the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the principal federal permitting agency.

Yucca Directive Prompts Calls for Justification, Investigation  
Power, October 2010
The fight to keep the Yucca Mountain alive intensified last week as members of Congress demanded justification for an order by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chair Gregory Jaczko that seeks to halt review of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) application to build the long-term nuclear waste repository in Nevada.

North American Utility Industry Needs Reputation Makeover  
Electric Light & Power, October 2010
By John Patterson, Reputation Institute
Despite investing billions in smart meters, renewable energy and customer service improvements, utilities still have an average reputation with consumers, a global study shows.

Browse more company and organizational news on the Power & Energy portal.

Dresser to supply steam safety valves to Westinghouse nukes
Dresser 3700 Maxiflow main steam safety valves will be delivered to AP1000 nuclear power plant sites in Georgia and South Carolina between 2012 and 2014.

Invensys to upgrade controls on Bluewater offshore platform  
Invensys will update the legacy distributed control system (DCS) and safety systems aboard the Glas Dowr floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit.

ABB software to manage power plant assets in China
ABB will implement software and training programs at CNNP nuclear power plants in partnership with the Research Institute of Nuclear Power Operation and Computer Application Institute Nuclear Industry.

Flowserve to supply valves to China Nuclear plants
Flowserve main steam isolation valves will be used at the CPR-1000 design Fuqing Units 3 and 4, and Tianwan Units 5 and 6. Valves in the order will be manufactured at the Flowserve facility in Raleigh, N.C.

Honeywell to control power plant in Turkey
Honeywell’s Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) will be used to expand production at Zorlu’s Lüleburgaz power plant in Turkey.

Browse more project news on the Power & Energy portal.

Electric Energy Storage Conference
January 12, 2011 - January 13, 2011
Location: Phoenix, AZ
This conference is a meeting of senior level executives working in Electric Utility Companies and Renewable Development with responsibilities in strategic initiatives, corporate strategy, research and development, new technologies, renewable strategy and planning and engineering.

The Sixth International Conference on Systems
January 23, 2011 - January 28, 2011
Location: St. Maarten, The Netherlands Antilles
Covers Systems design methodologies and techniques; Formal methods to specify systems’ behavior; Online and offline systems; Open and closed systems; Centralized and distributed systems; Proactive and reactive systems; System robustness; Systems scalability; Fault-tolerant systems; Feedback systems; High-speed systems; Delay tolerant systems; Real-time systems

Smart Energy Canada 2011
February 13, 2011 - February 15, 2011
Location: Toronto, Canada
Smart Energy Canada 2011 will assist those from across Canada on the potential and real impacts of the movement towards a green energy economy, with perspectives on changes brought about by the Green Energy Act. Delegates will benefit from engaging with/learning from smart energy thought leaders from across Canada.

PHOTON's Solar Terawatt-hours Conference Series 2011 USA
February 15, 2011 - February 17, 2011
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
PHOTON - the world's leading PV publisher - is offering a top-notch conference program moderated by experts from the PHOTON editorial team. If PV is your business, PHOTON Academy's Solar Terawatt-hours Conference Series 2011 USA is the place to be.

EWEA 2011
March 14, 2011 - March 17, 2011
Location: Brussels, Belgium
The EWEA Annual Event is widely regarded as the most professional and informative wind energy event by the international wind community and is “un-missable” for any business serious about its future.

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I hope you enjoyed this Power & Energy update. If you have any comments or suggestions regarding the content in this e-newsletter or on Automation.com, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Rick Zabel
Vice President, Publisher
Automation.com

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