Power Management

SEL powerMAX is a scalable, integrated system composed of relay and control hardware, software, and logic processing—all designed by our expert power system engineers.

powerMAX advantages include:

• Energy assurance—A reliable, resilient, and secure system that maintains uninterrupted energy delivery.
• System stability—Deterministic control that operates at subcycle speed to preserve the load and generation balance.
• Safety and efficiency—Seamlessly island and recouple managed grids with the bulk electric system.
• Distributed energy resource (DER) integration—SEL intelligent relays protect generation sources and safely control DER intertie points.

powerMAX solutions are successfully managing electric power systems right now in installations ranging from small mobile microgrids (kilowatts) to country-level macrogrids (gigawatts). Industrial plants, water and wastewater plants, microgrids, campuses, commercial buildings, and electric generation, transmission, and distribution systems are all within our scope.

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.