backup power

Around 250 petrol stations in upstate New York, US are to receive federal funding to purchase emergency backup power capacity.

The funding was approved as part of the state budget.

Grants from NYSERDA, the state’s energy and development authority, will give participating petrol stations either $10,000 to offset the cost of a transfer switch to connect portable generators in times of need, or $13,000 toward the cost of both a transfer switch and permanent generator.

An additional $3.1m will be made available through federal funding related to Superstorm Sandy.

According to the state a list of petrol stations eligible for the scheme is still in the works, but it will likely include about 250 stations.

In 2013 New York passed the Fuel NY initiative, which required most petrol stations in the heavily populated downstate areas of New York City, Long Island, and Westchester and Rockland counties to install backup power systems by 1 April, 2014 and to deploy and install a generator within 24 hours of losing power during a fuel supply or energy emergency. The move came after 2012’s Hurricane Sandy caused significant fuel shortages in the NYC area.

This year’s state budget creates an additional voluntary backup power scheme for petrol stations in the more rural upstate region if they are within one half-mile of a highway exit or a hurricane evacuation route. Petrol stations can opt into the scheme until October 2015.  

James Calvin, president of the New York Association of Convenience Stores, said, “This plan will provide incentives to gas stations on or within a half mile of exits of interstate highways to voluntarily equip their facilities to remain capable of pumping fuel in the event of a prolonged power outage.”

New York is the first US state to make such a strategy into law.

As part of a European project, power systems firm Emerson Network Power is to develop ‘greener’ UPS backup power systems for data centres.

The European Commission’s Product Environment Footprint (PEF) project aims to develop standards for environmentally friendly data centres. It will define a method for gauging the facilities’ environmental impact and track the energy used and wasted during operations.  The project’s larger aim is a single European market for green products.

The PEF was adopted by the Commission last year and is undergoing a three-year trial, which entered its second phase in late March.

According to Franco Costa, Emerson’s vice president and general manager for power systems in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the company will be submitting products to PEF for testing with performance benchmarks, and working with partners and stakeholders to validate compliance and verification. He added that Emerson’s next-generation UPS systems will be committed to the new standards.

In another forward-looking move, in January Emerson launched its ‘Data Centre 2025’ initiative, with the goal of engaging industry thought leaders worldwide to develop a vision for the data centre of the future.

Energetix subsidiary Energetix Pnu Power has received a UK patent for an important method relating to the core technology within its compressed air uninterruptible power supply products.

The patent - titled 'Lubrication of Positive Displacement Expanders' - describes the method by which efficiency of the conversion of compressed air into electrical power can be optimised with minimal lubrication of mechanical components. Pnu Power produces back-up power solutions, using compressed air, for utility switching, telecommunications, data centres and other mission critical industrial operations.

Energetix says the grant of this patent provides additional protection to the company's core product platform and builds on the company's intellectual property portfolio relating to its Pnu Power technology.

The company has a core patent granted in 20 countries which protects its compressed air driven UPS system as well as two further patents providing additional protection. 

Quick Cable Corporation has launched a targeted DC power programme including an online catalogue of products for stationary battery dealers, installers and OEM suppliers.

This is in response to the growing market for backup power in fields such as telecom centres, financial institutions, manufacturers and distribution centres requiring DC power from battery systems.

The new catalogue expands Quick Cable’s product portfolio of battery connectors, cables and accessories for DC power requirements.

The power programme brings in UL listed cable options up to 777 MCM, battery containment systems and additional chemical and maintenance products specific to the stationary battery market.

The battery containment systems have been designed around a flexible, model to make it easy to design a system based on battery rack dimensions using the Quick Cable online configuration tool.

Chinese portable power company Powerocks has an ever growing range of mobile phone power boosting accessories. The high capacity portable batteries provide additional power for mobile and tablet devices that are compatible with USB ports.

The lithium-ion batteries can be charged form a mains power supply and then provide several re-charges for smart phones and tablet devices. The slim-line design of iPhones and the like mean the battery cannot be swapped with a spare, it must be recharged, resulting in companies coming up with novel ways to help users re-charge when travelling or away from mains charging.

The range includes the Stone series of portable batteries that offer between 5800mAh and 7800mAh capacity, which provide an additional three times power for devices; The Magicstick is the size of an AA cell and offers 2600mAH power on the go for phone devices. 

The ultimate in portable battery is built into the phone cover. The interestingly named Cheese Crystal is a protective case for the iPhone4 that has an 1800mAH lithium-ion battery incorporated in it to double potential battery life.

When charged, Powerocks range can power up to two devices, dependant on model, two or three times. The designs are complimentary to Apple style and show these chargers can be sleek and elegant but still pack a lot of power.