MicroPlanet Technology has completed a product deployment of the Company's High Voltage Regulators (HVR) at the Douglas County PUD.
Douglas County PUD, a US Pacific Northwest utility serving 16,000 customers, completed the installation phase of 50 MicroPlanet HVRs to maximize efficiency of its distribution system by regulating voltage to homes. The HVR is a point-of-consumption voltage regulator that is installed at the delivery interface between the electric grid and the utilities customer.
The installation is part of a multi-year initiative to improve the efficiency of the Pacific Northwest electric distribution system through a technology transfer program conducted by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance. The Alliance program - called the Distribution Efficiency Initiative overseeing the installation, is a non-profit group of electric utilities, state governments, public interest groups, and efficiency industry representatives.
MicroPlanet's High Voltage Regulator provides an energy efficiency tool that can be rapidly deployed for peak load reduction, conservation and an interface for distributed generation such as fuel cells, wind turbines, solar devices or microturbines. The HVR reduces energy consumption by improving the efficiency of the existing connection to the utility distribution infrastructure and can help reduce operating and capital expenditures for electric utilities by reducing exposure to the spot market for power and offering a significantly lower cost alternative to traditional generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure. HVR is the fastest and cheapest way to increase grid capacity, with no environmental impact.