UPS

Cummins Power Generation is to provide solar hybrid, battery hybrid and diesel generator systems to Myanmar’s Irrawaddy Green Towers (IGT).

The products will be delivered to over 750 mobile-tower sites that IGT will install during the next year. Two-thirds of the sites will be off the country’s primitive power grid and located in remote locations.

Cummins Power Generation’s hybrid power systems are designed to decrease capital expenditure while lowering the cost of ownership and ensuring uninterrupted operations. According to the critical power provider, the integrated battery storage allows the operators to reduce generator run time and save fuel costs. Myanmar’s poor road infrastructure makes refueling the generators more difficult and expensive.

"While there are no shortages of renewable hybrid solution providers, we chose Cummins Power Generation for their technical expertise as well as their local service capability and coverage," said Charbel Abou-Jaoude, CEO of IGT.

Telecom provider Telenor Myanmar, who won a license along with Ooredoo to roll out a mobile network in Myanmar in 2013, contracted IGT. Cummins Power Generation also has a supply agreement with telecom startup Ooredoo.

French critical power supplier Schneider Electric is to build a production facility for its Latvian subsidiary Lexel Fabrika for $13m.

Lexel Fabrika manufactures electromechanical and electrical equipment for Schneider Electric’s product. It also serves the Scandinavian and German market with electronic appliances. The new plant is aimed to produce new product lines.

Lexel Fabrika had a turnover of $50m in 2013, placing the company among Latvia’s top-earning businesses. “The success factors that have been driving business growth in previous years included launch of new production lines and taking over additional production lines from other companies of the Schneider Electric group,” said Schneider Electric Latvia spokeswoman Santa Rutka.

Schneider Electric Latvian CEO Kaspars Rokens noted that the launch of the new plant's construction is a significant investment project and asserts confidence in Latvia's economic growth.

The construction of the new plant started in July and should be finished in the first half of 2015. Lexel Fabrika is Schneider Electric’s only producing enterprise in the Baltic States.

Schneider Electric has introduced two models of its next-generation uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) to Southern Africa markets.

The UPS models, standard SMT and extended run SMX, are designed to handle low, medium as well as high load levels and to protect equipment against blackouts and spikes.

The models are equipped with features such as an intuitive LCD user interface, switched outlet groups, battery management indicator and an emergency power off option.

“The enhanced intelligent battery ensures that the temperature compensated charger extends battery life and advanced algorithms recommend replacement date,” said Schneider Electric distribution account manager Christelle Larkins.

A “green” mode enables efficiencies of more than 97% and saves utility and cooling costs without compromising performance or reliability, according to the UPS supplier.

“It is a trusted product to protect critical data and equipment from power problems as the UPS supplies clean and reliable network-grade power,” said Larkins and added that the models have already been introduced to European, US and Australian markets.

The UPS units come with a three-year warranty and can be used in the telecom sector, banks, retail stores, laboratories, medical sectors and areas with security devices.

Power management specialist Eaton has launched an app that aims to predict and manage power outages at data centres.

The “Blackout and Power Outage Tracker” is designed to enable data centre managers to check their susceptibility to grid outages, claimed Eaton.

The app works on the state of the power grid locally and across the national coverage of the UK and Ireland.

The system can identify causes, duration and number of people affected by power outages. It calculates the regional impact and gives data centres background information for submitting damage claims against their utility provider, according to Eaton.

Blackouts caused by accidents, grid over-demands or natural disasters are unpredictable, but Eaton wants to focus on prevention.

“Although some of these causes may be unpreventable, with the right power protection a company can help protect its data and equipment during any blackout,” said Steve Spicer, sales manager at Eaton.

Eaton claimed it uses the app to draw awareness to the need of uninterruptible power supplies.

The company recently introduced its power management system, which is integrated with EMC’s VSPEX infrastructure system.

Toshiba has added a 1000kVA UPS for data centres and other mission-critical facilities to its G9000 product line.

The double-conversion system has a capacity of 1000kVA/1000kW and provides reliable power at up to 97% AC/DC/AC efficiency at loads from 50 to 100%, according to the company. At 20% load, it should still have an efficiency of 95%. The input power factor is greater than 0.99, the input voltage ranges is from 15% to -20% and the output power factor is rated at unity. The company claimed that the UPS is the largest unit yet of its G9000 products.

The UPS was developed at Toshiba’s Houston facility in the US and is designed for stand-alone or parallel use in up to eight unit configurations without requiring paralleling or load sharing intelligence in the switchgear cabinet. The UPS aims further to support 100% step-load changes without battery discharge. The dynamic response of the inverter shall eliminate the need for an output transformer.

The UPS comes with a three-year onsite warranty. Other units of G9000 line have a capacity ranging from 100 to 750kVA.