Quantas Awards Contract to Emerson for Inverters and Plant Controls
Emerson has been awarded a contract to supply power inverters and plant-wide controls for what will be California’s largest photovoltaic power generation facility and one of the largest in the world.
Quanta Services awarded the contract to Emerson for the zero-emission solar projects in Kings County, Calif. Quanta will provide the engineering, procurement, and construction services for the facilities. The projects were developed by Eurus Energy America and are owned jointly by Eurus and NRG Solar, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, Inc. Once completed in mid-2011, the facility will generate 45 megawatts of renewable energy, which is enough to power 36,000 homes when operating at full capacity.
Offered by Emerson Industrial Automation’s Control Techniques business, the inverters and software convert DC power from photovoltaic arrays into AC power that is placed on the electric grid and used in homes and businesses. The inverters are controlled through the company's state-of-the-art Inverter Management System, with overall plant control and interconnection with the electric grid provided by Emerson Process Management’s Ovation™ distributed control system.
“Emerson’s unique architecture and software platform will enable us to maximize energy yield, improve inverter life, and increase reliability,” said Mark E. Anderson, president and chief executive officer of Eurus Energy America. “Those technologies, paired with Emerson’s financial stability and dependable, long-term inverter warranty, provided a uniquely attractive package well-suited to this large-scale PV facility.”
“As the system integrator, Quanta looks for suppliers that have a flexible design, a reputation for meeting delivery commitments, and a willingness to stand behind their product,” said Chris Laursen, chief executive officer of Quanta Renewable Energy Services. “Emerson met these criteria, which are critical to timely project completion.”
Based in St. Louis, Mo., Emerson brings technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial, and consumer markets through its network power, process management, industrial automation, climate technologies, and appliance and tools businesses. Sales in fiscal 2009 were $20.9 billion.