January 13, 2010

Current Group and Beckwith Electric are working to integrate Current's volt/VAR control and dynamic voltage optimization solutions with Beckwith Electric's load tap changer, voltage regulator and capacitor controls, Brian Deaver, vice president of product management at Current Group, told us yesterday.  Current's sensors and software combined with Beckwith Electric's hardware control devices will let utilities manage the distribution system dynamically and in real-time, said Deaver.

          The combination is meant to help electric utilities cut technical losses via power-factor correction, optimizing feeder voltage profiles during normal operating conditions and cutting load demand through voltage optimization.

          “From a technical perspective, Beckwith's devices have a lot of distributed intelligence,” while Current has applications with “a lot of centralized intelligence,” he added.  “Beckwith and Current realized that the right answer for any automation system is a combination of distributed intelligence and centralized intelligence.  We see products in the [smart grid] market that go completely in one direction or the other.  But both companies really believe the right answer is a combination.”

          In the end, utilities may well see a reduced need for new power plants, Beckwith CEO Tom Beckwith said in a prepared statement.

          Utility customers that go with the duo should experience a “rapid return on investment” in part because “you don't have to do a system-wide deployment,” Deaver said.  “You can start out targeting substations where you have the maximum opportunity to create benefit.” After seeing returns in incremental investments, such as the deployment of SCADA in the '80s and '90s, less critical substations can be addressed, he added.

          The new relationship sets the stage for future joint development opportunities between the decade-old Current, a Maryland-based PLC technology maker and smart grid integrator/operator, and 43-year-old, Florida-based Beckwith, Deaver said.

          So how will this partnership work?

          On a “couple of levels,” said Deaver.  “The official level is the integration of devices and the cooperation on deploying projects at utilities.  The product lines have almost no overlap.  Between our products, you essentially have the full suite of applications for volt/VAR and for dynamic voltage optimization.

          “Future plans are to work closely together on a product development level -- to look for ways to … enable additional functionality.”

          Current Group is “open to having these kinds of relationships with other manufacturers of capacitor controllers and tap changer controllers,” said Deaver.