PECM Issue 16 2015 | Page 53

Control & Automation Greater Systems Security for Solar Energy Rittal’s infrastructure solutions are playing a vital part in the development of renewable energy as solar energy generation expands into more extreme environments. D ecentralised energy generation, where power is generated both at home and in local communities, is growing in size and importance across the globe as fossil fuel resources dwindle. Reliable infrastructure such as enclosures, power distribution and climate control systems help support the security of the energy generated by solar technology. But as the focus for solar generation shifts to Asia and North and South America, there is a growing requirement for robust enclosure systems and reliable cooling techniques that can also be installed outdoors in marine environments (contamination from salt), in the desert (sand/dust) or in harsh industrial settings (smog) to ensure safe operation. At the recent Intersolar Europe 2015, Rittal showcased innovations from inverters, low-voltage switchgear to energy storage systems. Among the key products in the range on display were Rittal’s TS 8 double-walled outdoor enclosures with liquid-based, IT INFRASTRUCTURE high-performance cooling for central inverters, the new, energy-efficient Blue e+ series of cooling units for enclosure climate control, and DC busbars systems which are increasingly being deployed in converter buses, DC power backup nd photovoltaics systems, as well as in energy storage technology. Furthermore, the company’s “YourHome4Energy” is a modular system designed to meet all the infrastructure requirements of energy storage. All this technological know-how is backed up by Rittal’s technical teams who can provide expert advice on design and planning systems infrastructure for extreme environments. Further information at www.rittal.co.uk and www.friedhelm-loh-group.com, or on twitter @rittal_ltd. SOFTWARE & SERVICES www.rittal.co.uk