Con Edison contracts Zenergy for smart grid device

Con Edison contracts Zenergy for smart grid device

Associated Press, 04.20.09, 02:57 PM EDT

Zenergy Power Inc. on Monday said it has been hired by Consolidated Edison Inc. to build and test a "Smart Grid" device for improving the stability of New York City's electrical system.

Con Edison ( ED - news - people ), a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, authorized Zenergy Power to design, build and test a single-phase Fault Current Limiter (FCL), which instantly detects and absorbs spikes in power that, left unmanaged, could damage electrical equipment or trigger power outages.

The device connects to the grid it protects, allowing normal current to pass through freely but, when it senses a fault current, instantly counters the electrical flow.

"This reaction, created in part by the superconductor in the device, chokes off a potentially damaging electrical spike," Zenergy explained in a statement. "Once the fault current subsides, the FCL again allows standard levels of current to flow, protecting the electrical system automatically without human intervention."

Pat Duggan, a Con Edison project manager and specialist in fault current limiters said this development is crucial as the load grows, with electricity becoming a preferred source for many products such as plug-in hybrids.

Under a mandate to lead modernization of the electric grid, the Department of Energy partially funded Zenergy's development of an FCL, the company said.

Zenergy said it expects to deliver the prototype by the end of August. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.