S&C Technology Helps Reduce Power Outages from Hours to a Minute or Less

  • The EdgeRestore® Underground Distribution Restoration System is the industry’s first automated restoration solution for underground residential distribution circuits.
  •  The EdgeRestore system modernizes the last mile of underground power distribution to quickly identify and isolate faults, restore power, and improve reliability and resilience by reducing sustained power outages.
  • The system is easy to deploy with smart communication and fits inside the transformer enclosures on new or existing underground residential loop circuits with no changes to protection schemes.

CHICAGO, February 1, 2023 – S&C Electric Company, a leader in grid modernization, will launch its new EdgeRestore® Underground Distribution Restoration System at the DISTRIBUTECH International conference in San Diego next week. The EdgeRestore system dramatically improves customer power reliability by mitigating outages and eliminating emergency truck rolls on underground residential distribution systems.

“The EdgeRestore system truly modernizes the last mile of the underground power distribution system, reducing sustained power outages to momentary interruptions and making the grid safer, smarter, and more resilient throughout weather challenges and growing electricity demands,” said Anders Sjoelin, S&C president and CEO. “S&C’s long history of grid innovation and customer focus helps us deliver solutions that address the challenges utilities face today and anticipate the challenges they will face tomorrow.”

“For nearly two decades, Florida Power & Light has been on a journey to build a stronger, smarter, and more storm-resilient energy grid to better serve our customers,” said Manny Miranda, executive vice president of power delivery for Florida Power & Light Company. “We’re pleased to work with S&C, with whom we’ve had a long relationship, to help develop modern solutions that advance the grid and have a positive impact for our customers by keeping the power on now and in the decades to come.”

When an underground fault occurs on an underground residential loop, the EdgeRestore system automatically locates and isolates the fault and reroutes power from an alternate source—all within 60 seconds. This intelligent system reduces the impact of sustained outages that commonly last for hours and eliminates the need for immediate crew intervention, keeping power on until the underlying issue can be resolved. Automatic fault isolation also greatly simplifies the process for locating faults on underground residential circuits and reduces medium-voltage exposure for crews.

The EdgeRestore system is easy to deploy, with smart communication across existing power cables. It fits inside the transformer enclosures on new or existing underground residential loop circuits, with no changes to the normal protection scheme. The devices do not need any programming, firmware updates, computers, Internet connectivity, batteries, radios, or antennas.

S&C will have this innovation and several of its other grid-modernization solutions on display at the DISTRIBUTECH conference in booth 3213.

Learn more about the S&C EdgeRestore Underground Distribution Restoration System here: sandc.com/edgerestore

Expert

S&C Electric Company

Publication Date

February 1, 2023