Crystal Group, Inc., a leading designer and manufacturer of rugged computer hardware, has been selected as a charter member of the vPAC (Virtual Protection Automation and Control) Alliance to advise and provide the compute hardware required as utilities transition to the Smart Grid and use of virtual protection relays.

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The vPAC (Virtual Protection Automation and Control) Alliance is a technical consortium of 13 members with demonstrated success in the utilities market. (Graphic: Business Wire)

According to the alliance’s website, the purpose of the group is to drive standards-based, open, interoperable and secure software-defined architecture to host protection, automation, and control solutions for power system substations. The outcome is cost savings, improved reliability, enhanced functionality and increased flexibility for electrical power systems.

The global move to a sustainable energy infrastructure places stress on the power grid as weather-dependent renewable energy sources are deployed at all layers. At the same time, new loads are being added to the grid, dramatically increasing our dependence on electricity. To combat this looming threat to the U.S. power grid, Crystal Group and the 12 other members of the vPAC Alliance were designated as industry trailblazers with the capability to provide the necessary technology.

“As a charter member of the vPAC Alliance, our solutions for the energy industry are tested and held to a higher standard than most,” said Lindsay Palma, industrial business development manager at Crystal Group. “We know the value that Crystal Group brings and are proud that technology leaders see this too.”

Through this newly formed alliance, ABB, a technology leader in electrification and automation, and Crystal Group have collaborated on a live demonstration on Crystal Group’s ES3604L24 substation server in booth 5326 at DISTRIBUTECH International 2023. This joint effort showcases Crystal Group’s ability to provide ready-now solutions to seamlessly run ABB’s IEC 61850-compliant centralized protection and control solution virtually using the company’s SSC600 SW (software) on VMware vSphere and the potential for future collaboration among members of the vPAC Alliance.

About Crystal Group, Inc.

Crystal Group, Inc. is a technology leader in rugged computer hardware, specializing in the design and manufacture of custom and commercial rugged servers, embedded computing, networking devices, displays and data storage for high reliability in harsh environments. A small, employee-owned business founded in 1987, Crystal Group provides defense, government and industrial markets with integrated solutions that bring seamless, real-time artificial intelligence, autonomy, compute power and cybersecurity to demanding edge applications.

Crystal Group products meet or exceed IEEE 61850-3 and IEEE 1613 as necessary and are backed by a five-plus-year warranty. All products are manufactured in the company’s facility, certified to ISO 9001:2015/AS9100D quality management standards.

©2023 Crystal Group, Inc. All rights reserved. All marks are property of their respective owners. Design and specifications are subject to change.

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