Eaton Integrates Micatu Gridview Optical Sensor Platform into Smart Grid Portfolio

Eaton expands smart grid portfolio with new optical sensor platform to help global utilities advance intelligent power and grid modernization

Date: April 17, 2018

PITTSBURGH, PA — Power management company Eaton today announced it is integrating next-generation optical sensing technology, provided by Micatu GridView Optical Solutions into its portfolio of grid monitoring solutions for utility customers. Eaton’s agreement with Micatu helps global utility customers enhance voltage and current sensing precision to improve grid monitoring. Eaton’s solutions for utility customers, including the new highly accurate sensing platform, support precise, real-time data acquisition for utility transmission and distribution system monitoring to increase efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

“There is a growing demand for cost-effective sensing solutions that provide the real-time and precise power quality data needed to advance grid reliability and quality of service,” said Bennett Wallace, general manager of Eaton’s energy automation solutions. “Integrating optical sensing technologies into our expansive portfolio of smart grid solutions will help utility customers more efficiently leverage grid intelligence, yielding data-driven and actionable insights to support dramatic improvements in grid performance.” 

Eaton is offering the sensing solutions to provide utilities with an “all optical” measurement platform along with turnkey engineering support that provides a new level of accuracy and precision of both voltage and current sensing across multiple system voltages. The real-time analysis provided through the optical sensing platform can help predict outages, locate faults prior to grid disruption and provide a high value solution for distributed energy resources integration. The optical sensors can also help utilities more accurately monitor difficult to access, underground networks and more cost-effectively provide primary metering for substations. 

The Micatu optical sensing technology provides next generation measurement capabilities for smart grid, wind, power distribution and condition monitoring. Each sensor is capable of monitoring multiple voltage classes via multiple digital, analog, relay and communication port inputs and outputs to reduce overhead cost and installation complexity. 

To learn more about Eaton’s comprehensive portfolio of solutions and services for electrical transmission and distribution applications, visit www.eaton.com/utility.

Eaton’s electrical business is a global leader with expertise in power distribution and circuit protection; backup power protection; control and automation; lighting and security; structural solutions and wiring devices; solutions for harsh and hazardous environments; and engineering services. Eaton is positioned through its global solutions to answer today’s most critical electrical power management challenges.

Eaton is a power management company with 2017 sales of $20.4 billion. We provide energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more efficiently, safely and sustainably. Eaton is dedicated to improving the quality of life and the environment through the use of power management technologies and services. Eaton has approximately 96,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 175 countries. For more information, visit Eaton.com.