The expansion and integration of solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and other renewable sources are at the heart of the global energy transition. Global renewable energy capacity needs to triple by 2030 to reach net-zero emissions targets by 2050.
Electrification technologies are key in safely and reliably connecting renewable energy sources to power grids. Brian Nelson, renewables segment lead for ABB Electrification in the U.S., shares insights into the fast-moving renewables space.
What is driving the accelerated adoption of renewables?
We're seeing a shift to renewables not only because it’s the right thing for the environment – it’s also less expensive and more effective. Sustainability targets are challenging customers like data centers to meet growing electrical demands with clean energy. This is an incredibly exciting time thanks to policy advancements and technology innovation driving the energy transition at a fast pace.
In my 15 years at ABB, I’ve seen an incredible shift. In 2012, I visited a coal-fired power plant in Indiana. We did a major electrical upgrade to reduce the plant’s emissions and make the power system as clean as possible. Fast forward to today: that coal plant is set to sunset by 2035 with the transition to renewables.
ABB is on the frontlines of this transition, partnering to solve our customers’ challenges. We are involved across the entire electrical balance of system for solar, wind and battery energy storage systems. We help OEMs and end users maintain productivity, lower costs, and reduce environmental impact through smart electrification and digitalization.
What is one of the top challenges customers face with renewable integration?
Number one is speed. Customers want to know how quickly they can get renewables onto the grid. That's a difficult question because the rules are different everywhere.
Where ABB can help is on standardization. We've seen this from some of our big battery OEMs that are looking to deploy hundreds of megawatts at once. We work together to find solutions, for example, a switchboard to interface with multiple transformer configurations. We quickly develop optimized options for the customers’ sites – streamlining the variety of products. It becomes a standardized approach that we can build and repeat. The payoff is that customers can get equipment faster, and it’s also easier for technicians to maintain.
What trends are you seeing in terms of power capacity?
Wind turbines have gotten bigger and bigger, and so have solar collection system voltages. To increase energy density in solar or wind, you need devices inside your equipment that can safely handle these power increases.
ABB’s breaker and switchgear technology enables energy density to continue to grow. We're ensuring there are solutions to meet the growing demand for higher power densities. We’re focused on staying ahead of where the industry is going and developing solutions that meet our customers’ needs and defined standards.
For example, one of our key OEM partners is using our VD4-CS breaker for capacitor switching in wind farm substations. They're able to package the entire solution with this breaker, which we developed in collaboration with them based on the rapidly growing capacitor bank market.
How can digitalization help?
Our digital substation technology is a critical solution for connecting renewables to the grid. Traditional substations have a computer relay at every breaker, transformer and major device, which is costly. Our digital substation technology uses one device which sends information back to the central computer.
In addition to lifetime cost savings of up to 15%, digital substations enhance safety and uptime. They deliver the data needed to diagnose and fix faults. Our collaborations with progressive customers have given us first-mover advantage in the digital substation space.
What excites you, personally, about renewable energy?
One of my professors at Purdue University told me to find a segment or industry that's in demand. I feel fortunate to have landed at ABB. Electricity is so important to our daily lives.
It’s exciting to partner with customers as we renew our outlook on energy together. We're already putting more renewables on the grid than we ever have before. I’m proud to contribute to this energy transition – doing what’s right for industry and our planet.
