KoCoS Blog

Share of renewable energy is constantly increasing

In Germany, the share of renewable energies in 2019 was about 43% of gross electricity consumption. In total, about 242.5 billion kWh of electricity were generated from renewable energy sources. 

The aim is to increase the share to 65% by 2030.

The rapid expansion of renewable energy sources in the electricity sector worldwide is definitely the right way forward. However, it also generates undesirable side effects. For example, the structure of the electricity grid, which has grown over decades, is in many parts not designed for decentralized power generation. Many sections of the grid are already operated at the limits of their capacity. The more the decentralized expansion progresses, the more demanding and more difficult it becomes to monitor and ensure Power Quality .

Factors that accelerate the expansion of PQ measurements

The increased demand for PQ measuring points is a direct consequence of the expansion of renewable energy sources and the associated changes to the basic architecture of power supply networks.

There is a continuous and increasing change from a centralized generation model to a decentralized model in order to be able to integrate more and more renewable energy sources - often in smaller power categories and in highly distributed design.

This new model fundamentally changes the characteristics and the electrical signatures flowing in the system.  A change that creates an increasing and urgent need for accurate measurements of power quality at more and more locations within the distribution network. These measurements are not only used to record and monitor quality parameters, but also to detect undesired interactions between network components, which often occur only under certain operating conditions and can lead to shutdowns, unstable operating conditions or a reduction in performance.  

The fundamental changes in our power generation and distribution systems make it necessary to take the monitoring of power quality and the complete recording of all network processes even more seriously in the future.

Conclusion

The aim of developing the ARTES RC3 was to take into account the special requirements of these service providers or service companies. The new RC3 is also suitable for almost all other protection tests in the field of electrical power supply.

But what are the criteria that are especially important to service companies? Due to the number of test systems required, price is certainly a very important criterion for many customers. What they are looking for is a cost-effective solution that provides all the necessary functions but does not contain additional, expensive features that are not required for the specific application.

Another important point is the robustness of the device. The environment in which the tests are carried out often does not meet that of many conventional plants. Harsh environmental conditions are often encountered in regenerative energy generation plants. The high demands on robustness, reliability and durability were particularly taken into account in the development of the ARTES RC3. The RC3 is very well protected due to its design in an extremely robust hard-shell case.

The ARTES RC3 should therefore not be seen primarily as a replacement for the ARTES 460 or ARTES 600. Rather, it complements the product line in a meaningful way and offers exactly what a large customer base specifically needs.

At first glance, it seems that the ARTES RC3 is the little brother of the ARTES 460 because of the smaller number of inputs and outputs, just extremely robustly packed. It would therefore be expected that the RC3 would also be more compact and lighter than the ARTES 460. According to the specification, however, this is not so.

During the development of the ARTES RC3, high demands were placed on its robustness, reliability and durability. The basis for these requirements was already given with the 4th ARTES hardware generation. This has already proven itself in the ARTES 460/600 and is considered one of the most robust, if not the most robust hardware platform of all relay test systems on the market.

For the integration of the components into the RC3, a specially stable mechanical construction has also been developed inside a hard-shell case. Due to the construction and the robust and resistant hard-shell case, even hard shocks and vibrations have little effect on the RC3.

The dimensions and weight are higher for the first time.  In practice, however, this looks quite different. A relay test system is rarely used in the laboratory or in the workshop. Rather it is transported to the application site. And especially during the transportation the size and the weight are very important. Later during work the test system is moved rather less.

For safe transport, ARTES 460 is equipped with a robust transport box specially designed for this purpose. Inside the box there is a hard foam insert which fits the device and the cable set perfectly and which determines the external dimensions of the box.

Due to its construction in a robust hard-shell case, no additional transport box is required for the ARTES RC3. In comparison, it is a very compact and lightweight system which is very easy to handle in practice. This also makes the ARTES RC3 ideal for demanding outdoor use in rough environmental conditions. Larger and heavier than expected? Rather not.