A Solution for Utilities Looking to Affordably Upgrade Their Capacitor Bank Controllers to Include Ami Features and Benefits.

Nighthawk’s new CCU960 Cellular AMI Capacitor Bank controller plugs into any standard capacitor bank controller socket.  It provides an affordable upgrade for advanced distribution automation technology and is meant to be a plug-in replacement for older pager based or manual control boxes. The controller offers full two way reporting and control capabilities as well as the ability to work as a self-contained fully automated device. It is incrementally deployable because of its cellular communications and lack of dependence on proprietary communications systems or other utility IT expenses.

It can be programmed with preset sag and swell voltage and temperature limits for fully autonomous operation. In addition to this you can graphically map your grid and see under or over voltage conditions as they develop.  Onsite utility personnel can engage the manual controls which have a safety feature that temporarily locks out remote commands. Nighthawk’s CCU960 comes with an externally attached neutral to ground fault current sensing feature which provides protection and alerts when any of the three relays on top of the pole have failed to close properly in a timely manner.

The CCU960 Capacitor Bank Controller is used in three-phase electrical distribution networks to buffer reactive current and boost line voltage during sags from: excessive loading, reactive current, or heat resistance on hot weather days.  Nighthawk’s Cellular AMI Capacitor Bank solution provides two way communications and logs all local, remote, or automated commands providing confirmation and direct alerts to utility personnel when alarming conditions occur.

By Chad Bowers, Marketing Manager at Nighthawk