Solutions for smart power grids

Reliable power supply thanks to highly available distribution grids

In the future, the structures for power generation, transmission and distribution in high, medium and low-voltage systems will be more complex and flexible than today. New topics such as smart grid, smart metering and smart home require innovative solutions. But also the increasing share in energies from decentralised, renewable resources in combination with centralised power stations as well as energy storage systems and intelligent technologies require a reliable and coordinated overall system. Such a crosslinked energy market is also referred to as smart energy.

The energy landscape is becoming increasingly complex and thus the probability of damage to electronic equipment caused by lightning strikes and surges or electromagnetic interference is also considerably increased. This is due to the wide introduction of electronic devices and systems, decreasing signal level and the resulting increasing sensitivity as well as increasing large-area networking.

DEHN protects Smart Power Grids | Brochure DS 243 | 1.9 MB

Power generation and distribution systems

Power grid of the future

While the traditional energy landscape is characterised by centralised power generation, unidirectional energy flow and load dependency, future grid operation will face new challenges:

Multidirectional energy flow
Volatile and distributed power generation
Increasing number of electronic components for smart telecontrol, information and communication systems

This particularly affects distribution grids in rural areas which are supplied with green electricity from photovoltaic systems and wind turbines and transport it into all directions.

Solutions for surge protection, lightning protection and safety equipment from a single source

Destruction of electrical and electronic devices and systems is often invisible, however, it frequently leads to long operational interruptions. Consequential damage is sometimes considerably higher than the actual hardware damage.

To achieve high system availability and the resulting security of supply, a comprehensive protection concept is required which must include lightning protection and surge protection for power supply systems as well as surge protection for information technology systems. This is the only way to ensure safe and stable power supply.

Another important aspect is the protection of people working on e.g. transformer stations who must be protected by personal protective equipment. If required, arc fault protection systems should also be used.