OREANDA-NEWS. GE (NYSE: GE) announced the availability of its MultilinTM DGCM Field Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) to help utilities improve network efficiency and reliability by monitoring and automating distribution assets. With the world's demand for electricity growing almost twice as fast as its total energy consumption[1], power grids are under more stress than ever before-not only is more energy being pulled from the grid, distributed technologies, such as wind and solar, are pushing energy back onto the grid, making energy management more complex. Utilities need tools to help effectively manage the load on the grid to improve efficiency and reliability.

GE's Multilin DGCM Field RTU monitors distribution assets to determine load constraints and overloading conditions in the network, helping utilities better understand grid conditions to reduce outages and equipment damage. If faults do occur, utilities can use customizable control schemes to reduce the time required to bring the lights back on, lowering repair costs and helping improve customer satisfaction. Visual fault detection, communicated by operators to field crews, helps locate failed equipment faster making power restoration quicker.

“With demand on electrical grids continuing to increase, effective network planning and the ability to remotely manage the network becomes a key factor in ensuring grid reliability,” said Juan Macias, general manager, Grid Automation. “The Multilin DGCM Field RTU minimizes the total installed cost of monitoring and automating distribution assets so that utilities can cost-effectively deploy network reliability and efficiency improvement strategies.”

GE's RTU can log equipment operating parameters so that power system engineers can make immediate and long term planning decisions. It also helps to identify feeders that are exposed to electricity theft. Applicable to both new equipment and retrofit applications, GE's Multilin Field RTU also supports most wired and wireless communication architectures. Integration into SCADA, OMS and DMS systems is a seamless and straightforward process.

GE's Digital Energy business is a global leader in transmission and distribution solutions that manage and move power from the power plant to the consumer. 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 delivering analytic tools to help manage the power grid, and providing uninterruptible power, GE's Digital Energy business delivers industry-leading technologies to solve the unique challenges of each customer.