Wed, December 7, 2011
The Switch came to the market five years ago on a mission to bring better drive train technology to wind power generation that allows more energy per turbine. Our idea was to push the permanent magnet generator (PMG) as the technology of choice because it maximizes energy yields, especially at partial loads. The full-power converter (FPC) too offers the highest-level performance by assuring utility-grade power.
What has happened during these first five years in the market? Practically all of the top 10 turbine manufacturers have selected PMG for their turbines. And the drivers have remained the same: better quality power, more energy and more robust, compact design for PMGs.
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Thu, October 27, 2011
The Chinese wind power market had been developing extremely fast, surpassing all the other markets in the world. Over the past 12 months, the market has run into various problems: rising rare-earth material costs, connectivity due to lack of fault ride-through (FRT) capability and a new governmental financial policy.
The Switch gives its perspective on whether the Chinese market can recover by solving its current challenges and moving forward.
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Mon, August 15, 2011
As large wind parks pop up around the world in the race to meet renewable energy regulations, the rapid need for high-quality turbines and components for gigawatt energy generation puts an enormous strain on conventional production systems and the supply chain.
That’s why The Switch chose to implement a Model Factory concept to be able to flexibly respond to customer needs for volume production ramp ups and, if necessary, ramp downs. All production steps are tested and systematized in the Model Factory. Once perfected, the system is ready to be replicated at any location around the world, quickly enabling multi-site rollout for volume growth with repeatable and standardized quality, according to customer demand.
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Fri, May 27, 2011
Although tapping into the immense resources of the sun still remains relatively illusive, the speed at which solar power is gaining acceptance has been astonishing. Large megawatt-scale utility installations in particular are enjoying the greatest growth. Yet, this is where the inverters have typically been the weakest, because they have been designed to operate in environments very different from that of harsh utility-scale solar generation. Therefore, reliability and performance have been less than optimal. Existing solar solutions are not yet as commercially efficient as other forms of renewable energy, such as wind.
To overcome such cloudy performance, The Switch made a strategic commitment to call on its wind power achievements and revolutionize the generation of solar power. The result is a solution compatible for utility-scale solar, 100% purpose-built for the sun, that boasts a lower cost structure borrowed from the wind industry.
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Wed, April 6, 2011
Power electronic converters used in wind turbines are a well-known source of harmonic distortion, which can cause all types of negative effects, such as overheating, equipment failure, motor losses and network tripping. Therefore, harmonic current emissions are becoming an increasing area of interest for power system operators and those responsible for defining international standards.
The Switch has been studying this problem in depth and offers various correction measures to ensure that the wind turbine’s output power matches the strictest regulations.
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