Power Management
SEL powerMAX Power Management and Control System use a suite of proven SEL products and technologies to prevent blackouts and make your electrical power system more reliable, resilient, and secure.
powerMAX: The SEL Advantage
Designed for Reliability
Field-proven, multifunction SEL relays—the most reliable in the electric power industry—are the essential building blocks of our power management and control systems. By coordinating their functions and operation with our powerMAX control logic, we create systems that help you efficiently meet control, protection, monitoring, and grid connection requirements.
At the core of every powerMAX solution is our powerful programmable logic controller—the SEL Real-Time Automation Controller (RTAC). It responds to both external data (such as real-time pricing signals) and to fast-changing system dynamics, as measured by the relays, to optimize the system’s operation.
The SEL RTAC operates at near-relay speeds, allowing it to reliably balance load with generation, provide seamless islanding, resynchronize your system, and keep critical processes online.
Stability and Flexibility for Lower Cost of Operation
The relay-based powerMAX architecture ensures system stability and flexibility with comprehensive, intelligent management of generation and load. This gives you the ability to reduce operating expenses and meet fluctuating demands.
Generation Control
- Automatic generation control maintains balanced generation and nominal frequency under all scenarios.
- Dynamic capability curve calculation constantly monitors the maximum capability of DERs.
- Voltage control balances reactive power and maintains system voltage under all scenarios.
Load Management
- Prioritized high-speed contingency- and frequency-based load shedding responds to the system configuration and operation, reducing load intelligently and keeping critical loads connected.
- Peak shaving reduces the amount of energy purchased during hours when charges are the highest.
- Load shifting eliminates demand peaks by precharging energy management systems or precooling a building to offset anticipated charges.
Our Support
Quality and Security You Can Rely On
All of our products are designed, tested, and manufactured in SEL-owned and -operated facilities in North America.
The SEL Engineering Services team follows rigorous engineering procedures for design, development, testing, and commissioning of electric power systems. We continually identify, monitor, and improve best practices to ensure your satisfaction.
We practice secure supply chain management, including verified chains of custody, responsible sourcing, and keeping quantities of critical parts in reserve. Our quality management system is certified to ISO 9001 Quality Management System requirements.
Unbeatable Support
When you choose SEL, you get more than products and services—you get a partnership. Our customer support teams are experts in power system products and applications, and they’re available for the entire life of your SEL solution.
Engineering Services project engineers are ready to assist you in various project stages from planning through final commissioning of the system. Afterward, you have access to technical support from SEL application engineers, at no charge, as long as SEL products remain in service.