Grid reliability a prominent concern

Quality of living across the globe has been steadily on the rise, and one of the key factors in studying this phenomenon is a nation's electrical system and its vulnerabilities. As power grids age they become more susceptible to outages caused by weather, natural disasters and even human acts such as nearby construction. The key to eliminating these risks from power reliability and reducing the effect that extreme weather has on the country's electricity infrastructure lies in smart grid adoption.

Of course, instances of extreme weather are also steadily on the rise, increasing the threats to power grids and quality of living, according to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. From 2011 to 2012 alone, there were at least 25 events that caused nearly $188 billion in damages to infrastructure across the United States and claimed over 1,100 lives. As both the number of instances of extreme weather and the dollar value attached to the damage they cause increase, utilities have to start investing in solutions to enhance their grid stability and reliability.

With smart grid solutions, firms can optimize communication along their power infrastructure, helping to identify problems, address outages and improve overall service faster. Serial to Ethernet converters and terminal servers will help companies establish stronger operational integrity while making the grid itself more resilient as they promote increased energy efficiency.

According to the SACE, by investing in smart grid solutions and focusing on the advantages they support, such as integration of renewable energy sources, companies will be able to minimize risks despite growing risks across the globe. The right cabling, serial to Ethernet converter hardware and related tools will make the infrastructure more flexible, less vulnerable and more effective. In addition to the promotion of clean energy strategies, these efforts will lead utilities and their customers into the future of electrical production and help improve the quality of living for everyone in the affected service areas.

Perle offers a range of cost effective serial-to-Ethernet converters to help meet NERC-CIP compliance for the protection of critical cyberassets in substations. The IOLAN SDS HV/LDC Terminal Server is designed to meet harsh environments associated with Power Substations with attributes such as support for substation AC and DC voltage ranges, extended operating temperatures and meeting emission, immunity and safety approvals associated with substation IT equipment.