critical power

Pnu Power has combined a diesel engine, with an ultra-capacitor and lead-acid battery for its range of plug and go backup power from 10kVA up to 200kVA. The Extended Power Series range ensures seamless power in event of a power outage as well as up to 100 hours of run time.

Andrew Goodwin, Product Manager, Pnu Power, said: "It made sense for us to use commercially available products, such as UPS systems and generators, which are relatively low cost and combine them with battery-free technology.  We could make an ultra-cap only product however, there are only four batteries in each one to add redundancy and a comfort factor for the customers that are used to batteries."

Ultracapacitors are maintenance free and have a long product life while working in any environmental conditions.

The 200kVA unit comes in a weather proof casing for use in any environment, while the small units are supplied with plugs and sockets to ‘plug and go’.

Mid-sized offices can now protect their IT with a new series of surge protection from energy intelligence and power protection provider, ESP. Called SurgeX Defender Series, it does the job of a power distribution unit (PDU) and UPS in one by distributing power and safeguarding IT equipment from damaging power anomalies.

ESP claims the system, which protects against surges, spikes, over voltage, EMI/RFI noise, and wiring faults, is more effective than a UPS or PDU alone because it offers system-wide power protection and increases uptime, while offering longer lifespan for components.

It features multi-stage power protection, filtration, and noise elimination inside a traditional PDU casing – a combination that offers defense against server damage and business downtime.

The system was developed with engineers at Dell to ensure it is the most suitable option for office IT systems.

The SurgeX Defender Series Surge + PDU is available in four variations, each with six C13 output connections, including a model with an IEC332 input for global markets.

Climate-KIC – Europe's largest public-private innovation partnership that addresses climate change – is running a competition that helps applicants develop and build products that reduce and manage electricity demand in the UK.

£125 000 is offered to develop ideas in the project, which involves the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Imperial College London, as well as the National Grid, to reduce electricity demand and increase use of renewable energy.

Entrants to the competition will receive support to develop ideas into market-ready products. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to test their ideas test their ideas at facilities at NPL and receive assistance from experts to build a prototype at Imperial College’s engineering and design facilities.

All entrants will then be assessed and a prize of £50 000 will be awarded to the business plan and design that demonstrates the greatest impact at reducing energy demand.

It is hoped investors and buyers will be interested in further developing in the near-market ready ideas and prototypes from the project to make them a reality.

The challenge is open to entries from anyone across the European Union, but the solution must be applied within a UK context, applications must be submitted by 9 September 2013. See dynamicdemand.nesta.org.uk for more information.

Cape Town’s "landmark in the making" Silo 1 building is receiving custom engineered generators from Zest WEG Group’s Genset Division.

Zest WEG will be responsible for the design, assembly, installation and commissioning of the gensets. The engines are Tier 3 emission-compliant, the highest level for production engines. The contract was won on both technical and commercial grounds.

The contract is for three 350 kVA and two 500 kVA generator sets. Bruce McCracken, from Zest WEG Group’s Genset Division’s Cape Town offices, said: “These units operate in parallel as the load demand dictates. In addition, we will supply one 500 kVA genset as a standalone unit for emergency backup for the residential complex."

A combination of commercial and residential space means sound levels must adhere to residential limits.

The Silo 1 building comprises nine storeys, three at basement levels, and will provide office, retail and residential space.

The smart grid market will be worth over US$400 billion by 2020, according to a report by market analysts GTM Research. The paper, called Global Smart Grid Technologies and Growth Markets 2013 – 2020 says the global smart grid industry will experience 8% annual compound growth.

With many of the world’s power grids in need of upgrading or, for less developed areas, need implementing, smart grids have become a hot topic, and an area of accelerated growth. This is reflected in the report, which analyses the smart grid industry by geographic region, divided into five continents, plus China as a stand-alone region that has been identified as expected to have the greatest growth – accounting for 24% of the global market.

Individual market segments such as distribution, advanced metering, data analytics and network operations software are examined for growth potential and anticipated market share of each.