GE is anticipating the energy challenges of tomorrow by providing Smart Grid products and services today. From generation to transmission and end use, GE products optimize the efficiency, reliability, and security of the electrical grid. We have the vision, experience, and resources needed to realize the Smart Grid quickly and cost-effectively.
Digital Energy provides smart grid solutions beginning at the electrical energy generation sites. From protecting and controlling small to large utility generators, to ensuring safe interconnection of wind and solar generation, and facilitating seamless transfer to backup power systems, Digital Energy provides solutions that increase power grid reliability.
Many remote communities need to produce and manage all of the power required to support their
loads. Providing the means to monitor the load of the entire system and optimize and dispatch the different
types of generation available to meet load requirements is needed to reduce the overall electricity operating
costs. The GE Microgrid Control System uses power generation information to select the most cost effective
method of providing uninterrupted supply, while also providing the ability to control and optimize generation,
storage and delivery of cleaner power.
Connecting Distributed Generation (DG) to the grid is required to meet the growing demand for power,
while reducing carbon emissions produced by traditional coal generating stations. GE Digital Energy’s DGT enables the safe connection of Distributed Generation to the grid. Our fast, 2-way wireless network sends
emergency disconnect signals from the utility to distributed generation sites. Trip confirmation status is
returned back to the utility control center. This wireless infrastructure reduces communications costs while ensuring safe interconnection to the grid.
Our solutions increase reliability and optimization allowing utilities to monitor synchrophasor information, providing demand response initiatives to manage the overall power system. Digital Energy enables remedial action schemes, wide area protection, and fault and disturbance analysis tools which increase utility system reliability and customer service.
Smart transmission networks require a self-healing grid that identifies blackouts in the network and automatically re-routs power to the effected areas. GE Digital Energy’s solution detects
outages and automatically reconfigures the network in real-time. GE’s JungleMux multiplexers create the communications backbone with a secure high-speed network. Over this network GE’s Multilin N60s share real-time information and intelligently shed load, or identify if additional generation is available elsewhere in the system and re-rout this available power to the blacked out areas.
The HardFiber Process Bus System represents a true breakthrough in the installation and ownership of
protection and control systems, by reducing the overall labor required for substation design, construction,
and testing. This solutions eliminates miles of expensive copper wires and thousands of individual
terminations by using fiber optic cables. This reduces the labor required to upgrade or construct power
substations by up to 50%.
Digital Energy enables the efficient recovery of distribution system networks via fault isolation, sectionalization and power system restoration schemes. Digital Energy improves safety through the detection of fallen power lines and damaged underground cables with the use of Downed Conductor (Hi-Z) Detection and Incipient Cable Fault Detection.
Detecting live downed power lines, which can cause fires and safety hazards, is a key requirement
for a safer smart grid. GE Multilin’s Hi-Impedance Fault detection technology, developed over the
past 20 years, provide utilities with the ability to detect when power lines have been knocked loose
by falling trees branches or had their supporting poles knocked down by storms or vehicle accidents.
Using a Safety-first approach, distribution utilities have the ability to detect and shut down
these power lines before emergency and repair personnel approach these dangerous zones.
URC Controller
Digital Energy enables the efficient recovery of distribution system networks via fault isolation,
sectionalization and power system restoration schemes. GE’s Recloser Control System (URC)
provides an intelligent, high speed and reliable DAS solution that enables fast service restoration
and reduces customer outages. Our high speed, wireless capability provides peer to peer
communications, enabling each URC to make intelligent decisions and respond quickly and
efficiently to interruptions.
Digital Energy provides solutions for Industrial, Commercial and Microgrid applications featuring communications that enable efficient control of the electrical protection system. Digital Energy enables demand side management in order to maximize overall plant efficiency, and delivers in-depth system analysis via Asset Monitoring.
Digital Energy’s Load Shedding solution keeps critical processes running. The system utilizes C90 Automation Logic Controllers and the PMCS Energy Management System to identify when there are
disruptions to the utility power supply, resulting in a shortage of power required to supply loads. Then, the system dynamically and safely sheds the least critical loads. This ensures that processes essential to production are unaffected, thereby reducing the costs associated with downtime.
Protection & Control 
