“The challenges affect all grid levels,” says Robert Vary, CEO and President of Reinhausen Manufacturing, adding: "From private solar systems on rooftops to large offshore wind farms and solar parks, more and more electricity will have to be fed into the grid in the future. Delays in grid connection, high costs for retrofitting existing plants, and inefficiencies are hurdles that stand in the way of growth targets for renewable energies." However, power grids also face challenges in terms of demand: According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the power consumption of data centers in the US is set to almost triple from around 97 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2022 to up to 260 TWh in 2030. The boom in artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a major role in this. According to media reports, Microsoft alone plans to invest over US$100 billion in AI data centers. The state of Virginia – the “Silicon Valley of data centers” – expects regional electricity consumption to double by 2035.

In order to meet the challenges of the future, the grids, some of which date back to the 1950s and 1960s, must be modernized. The focus here is on increasing grid capacity and resilience – exclusively through the modernization of existing infrastructure and using modern technology such as grid-improving technologies. The goal is to double the transmission capacity of the existing power grid without adding new lines. The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) agree that digitalized transformers and regulating transformers will play a key role in the modernization of infrastructure in the future.

Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen is responding to these challenges with innovative products and its own production facility in the USA. At its plant in Humboldt, Tennessee, the company manufactures the ETOS® MD-IV motor-drive unit for regulated transformers. Over US$ 3.5 million has been invested in setting up a dedicated production line for this product. Within the next three years, the company aims to deliver around 2,500 units to the US market – true to the motto: “Made in the USA and powered by German technology.”

What makes the new motor-drive unit for on-load tap-changers so special is that it comes with the Embedded Transformer Operating System (ETOS®). ETOS® is the world's first open operating system for smart transformers. It enables the monitoring, control, and digitalization of transformers regardless of the sensor manufacturer. All relevant data is collected in a control cabinet and evaluated using complex algorithms based on decades of experience. “With ETOS®, we offer a solution to many challenges faced by grid operators. It significantly extends maintenance intervals, increases the service life of transformers and optimizes capacities. ETOS® gives operators greater efficiency, improved grid stability and reduces their dependence on the expertise of individual employees – a decisive advantage in view of the shortage of skilled workers,” explains Robert Vary. 

Digital and regulated transformers are therefore a key component in making the US power grid fit for the future. They support the integration of renewable energies, increase the flexibility and resilience of the grids, and help to achieve ambitious climate targets. Local production and Reinhausen technology enable solutions that are specifically tailored to the requirements of the complex US electricity market – and thus make an important contribution to the sustainable transformation of the energy system.