Advanced current transformer technology can help boost utilities’ revenues

ABB’s AccuRange™ current transformers offer improved accuracy beyond that of traditional current transformers, providing savings through higher accuracy metering.

Imagine if the fuel gauge in your car was inaccurate. While driving down the road with a quarter tank of gas, you suddenly ran out of fuel.  This would cost you time, money, and aggravation.  A similar problem exists with electric utilities and it costs them millions in missed revenues every year.  The root of the problem is the inaccuracies that exist with standard current transformers.

Current transformers (CTs) are devices that reduce dangerous electrical currents to lower levels so they can be measured properly.  Electric utilities use them to measure currents and energy used.  They are a critical component in the metering and revenue generation side of a utility.  So if the CTs are inaccurate, utilities will not properly measure the energy used and miss out on the opportunity to charge their customers.

Standard CTs have a built-in problem. When current levels fall below their rated levels, the accuracy actually drops in half.  This means that as the energy levels fall to a low level or fluctuate, utilities will miss the opportunity to measure and charge their customers properly.  This means lost revenues for the utility.

ABB has long been a pioneer in introducing new technology to bring higher accuracy to current transformers.  The new AccuRange™ family of current transformers is the latest addition to the ABB portfolio which brings this technology to the 600 Volt CT class.  Designed specifically for secondary revenue metering applications, these new CTs deliver high accuracy and stable performance over wide load conditions, making them a perfect fit for metering low or variable loads.

The significance of this development is the wide range and high accuracy the AccuRange™ CT can provide.   The AccuRange™ CTs are designed to operate at 0.15% accuracy over a wide operating range making them the first 600 Volt CTs in the industry to meet this accuracy. They are rated as a Special Class 0.15S, the best in the industry.  This means an AccuRange™ CT can deliver an accuracy two to four times better than a standard Class 0.15 or Class 0.3 CT.

While the accuracy of CTs from other manufacturers will vary depending on the loads being measured, the AccuRange™ CTs provide a rock-steady 0.15% high accuracy. This is extremely important for Utilities in maximizing metering revenue in variable or low load applications.  ABB has also created a simple worksheet that can be used to determine the amount of additional revenue that can be generated by switching to AccuRange™ CTs.

So don’t be left on the side of the road wishing you had better accuracy, get the AccuRange™ CTs from ABB and maximize your revenues and minimize your aggravation!