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GE's HardFiber(TM) System Dramatically Reduces Protection and Control Installation and Maintenance Costs By Up to 50% Through Eliminating Copper Wiring

Posted on: Wednesday, 16 July 2008, 12:00 CDT

GE Digital Energy announces the Multilin HardFiber System which eliminates the need for thousands of copper wires in a substation and replaces them with a few fiber optic cables. By eliminating the need to install and maintain thousands of copper wires, used for signaling and monitoring in electrical substations, utilities can save up to 50% of protection and control installation and maintenance costs, while at the same time increasing worker safety and power system reliability.

The HardFiber System, based on IEC 61850, the international standard for substation communications, is made up of four key elements: the HardFiber Brick, the HardFiber Cross Connect Panel, the rugged HardFiber Outdoor Fiber Cables, and the Universal Relay IEC 61850 Process Card. The system's single, pre-terminated fiber optic connections drastically reduce the multitude of copper wires that need to be pulled, spliced and terminated. It provides an identical interface to all primary system equipment, eliminating custom designs. Its standardized components reduce chances for error and minimize costly and labor intensive testing and troubleshooting.

"The Multilin HardFiber System is a breakthrough in the installation and ownership of protection and control systems," said Claudio Cargnelli, Global Marketing Manager, GE Digital Energy. "It directly addresses the challenges utilities face by delivering significant installation and maintenance cost savings and improving system security, reliability and safety."

"Customers who have previewed the HardFiber System are impressed by its ruggedness and simplicity and have already identified how it will save them time and money," stated Cargnelli.

The HardFiber System is a complete IEC 61850 system available for a wide variety of protection applications, including generator, transformer, transmission line, bus, feeder, capacitor bank, and motor protection.

About GE Digital Energy:

GE Digital Energy is part of GE Enterprise Solutions, a $5 billion business helping customers compete and win in a changing global environment by combining the power of GE's unique expertise and intelligent technology to drive customers' productivity and profitability. GE Digital Energy is a global leader in protection and control, communications, power sensing and power quality solutions. Its products and services increase the reliability of electrical power networks and critical equipment for utility, industrial and large commercial customers. From protecting and optimizing assets such as generators, transmission lines and motors, to ensuring secure wireless data transmission and providing uninterruptible power, GE Digital Energy delivers industry-leading technologies to solve the unique challenges of each customer. For more information, visit http://www.gedigitalenergy.com.

For more information on the Multilin HardFiber System, visit www.gemultilin.com

Source: Business Wire

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