Yuba Water Agency (YWA), which owns and operates the fifth tallest dam in the United States, will be connecting its renewable energy assets to the California grid.
US-based Dispersive Networks will provide a fully managed SaaS connectivity solution based on its Dispersive Critical Infrastructure Software-Defined Network (CI-SDN) in partnership with Pacific Power Engineers.
The partners said the solution will be used to securely transport SCADA data to the California grid.
CI-SDN enables resource owners to connect to the grid over a range of connection types, including private circuits, wireless, and broadband to the Internet, with a 100 percent software-defined network.
“Renewables are transforming the energy sector and at the same time driving the need for new networking models,” said Edward J. Wood, President and CEO, Dispersive Networks. “Our work with YWA demonstrates the value that secure, real-time connectivity can deliver for energy businesses of all kinds and shows how networking can be a driver for optimizing the energy grid.”
David DeVore, Information Systems Manager at YWA, affirmed that the legacy approach to networking directly impacts the company’s bottom line and could not deliver the uptime we required.
“We needed a new approach that better matched our needs and could evolve with our operations,” he said.
YWA joins Humboldt Redwood Company and Greenleaf Power LLC as the third renewable energy generator to switch to Dispersive CI-SDN since the regional grid operator approved it as an option.
Christian Arechavaleta, Systems Integration Engineer at Pacific Power Engineers, said, “Since Dispersive CI-SDN requires only a standard broadband connection to the Internet, it’s much easier and less expensive to install than a T-1 line.
“The network can be deployed in days rather than weeks, enabling utilities and renewable energy facilities to generate electricity – and income – much faster,” she said.
