Continuous PoE Technology Fuels Expanded Energy Conservation Initiatives
The introduction of a disruptive technology known as Continuous PoE, has dramatically expanded Power Engineers’ ability to design inherently redundant power for ethernet-level devices. Once cost prohibitive, “Constant and Redundant Video Surveillance” is now likewise, affordable and efficient.
This article provides an overview of an Internet of Things (IoT) world made stable and robust by virtue of recent developments in Uninterruptable Power Over Ethernet Supply™ (UPS) and sophisticated battery technology.
Powering the Edge –
“For want of a nail the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe the horse was lost. For want of a horse the rider was lost. For want of a rider the message was lost. For want of a message the battle was lost. For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.”
The proverb describes a situation in which a failure to anticipate or correct some initially small measure results in an egregious outcome. No one ever lamented, upon seeing his unshod horse, that the kingdom would eventually fall because of it. [1]
Such chains of causality are visible only in hindsight. They need not be, as relates to the very predictable nature of unstable power. Powerinterruptions and outages are not unlike the weather. Sure enough, you’re going to have some.
Traditional design considerations for primary and secondary power at the head-end, do not directly address Edge Devices. The equivalent of a horse shoe lost.
Switching from utility grid power to stationary power such as generators and or massive lead acid battery banks, is neither glitch-free, nor seamless.
The transfer of power from source to source, results in sufficient interruption in power to take IP devices off-line.
Perhaps they will come back on-line when the power transfer is complete, perhaps not. Best case scenario, cameras, radios, wireless access points, emergency call boxes are off-line temporarily. (about 5 minutes).
An entirely avoidable event with a potentially egregious outcome. All video stream looks the same when the cameras are off-line.
Energy & Power Design changes in 2019 and beyond –
Global Wholesale Distributors of Security, Life Safety and Communications Products are fully focused on the exploding Internet of City Things (IoCT). Seminar topics are concentric around “Vertical Real Estate”. Light Poles serve as a delivery point for wireless access points, LED lighting, security, monitoring, public safety communication and media forums. [2] Sidewalk furniture are hosts to Edge Devices: Speakers, Lighting, LAN Connections and much more.
Smart City / Safe City initiatives represent a disproportionate amount of Electronic Security revenues. Informed Integrators are affectively establishing that an absence of Continuous PoE local to critical devices, is neither smart, nor safe.
Select Uninterruptable Power Over Ethernet Supply™ models are IP Addressable, and enabled to receive automatic firmware updates. Available with Full Layer 3 PoE Network Switch attributes. An advanced Graphic User Interface (GUI) is kept current, the Switch with built-in PoE UPS is never off-line.
It has become paramount that the Security, Life Safety and Communications spaces plan, prepare, conform to the global migration to the omnipresent ethernet, as a common power platform.
National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) [3] is among those who have decided to, ‘not do nothing’, about the threat America’s School Students face each day.
Efforts are current and active, to change language that relates to Life Safety for all.
Heretofore, the Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP) was the only public building system designed, installed, commissioned, maintained and routinely inspected.
A system so important to Life Safety, that it has its own dedicated, secondary power source, local to the FACP.
State Licensed Officials conduct frequent tests to insure the system will operate normally in the absence of AC power.
That Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) is empowered to vacate and evacuate any building within his/her jurisdiction, deemed to be non- compliant with local, state or county Codes.
Imminent releases of Life Safety language will be published in a manner that includes, “Powered Devices” (PD) and “Power Sourcing Equipment” (PSE).
Examples of PDs may include, IP Cameras, Access Control, FACP devices. Examples of PSEs may include, PoE Network Switches, NVRs and PoE Injectors.
Cameras, VOIP, Door Controllers, Microphones, Speakers, remote view capability serve the same essential role in Life Safety, as the FACP.
Perhaps more so, as the number of school violence incidents dwarfs the number of school fires. The former is accelerating, the latter is not.
A student has not perished in a school fire in over 65 years. [4] Largely, because the FACP is always powered. It’s that important.
Moving forward, the ability for PoE devices to operate normally during extended periods of off-grid run times, will be imperative for those who participate in Education and Safer Buildings spaces.
Most simply and efficiently achieved with Continuous PoE Technology. There are currently over 5.6 million Commercial Buildings in the U.S. [5]
PSEs with onboard PoE UPS will serve as a catalyst for the Life Safety space to migrate from lead acid battery, to Lithium Ion Technology.
Re-writing Energy and Maintenance: Energy Conservation Initiatives (electricity only used at night for parking lot lights also recharges Power Paks)
During the development of this article, an unexpected trend in power conservation was discovered by early adopters of Continuous PoE Technology. Primarily within the Education and Theme Parks Industries/[6]
Proof of Concepts were established with Unconditional Money Back Guarantees from BTU Research, a Manufacturer of Uninterruptable Power Over Ethernet Supply™, resulting in broad deployments across Theme Parks, the most eventual of Terrorism targeting. This is evidenced by the fact that perimeter security hardening / expansion Projects for most Theme Parks are funded by The Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Prior to installing BTU Products, AC power was present at parking lot poles, continuously. No secondary power local to poles.
Upon installing BTU, electricity need not be present until dark, at which time AC power is needed for lighting. The same AC power then recharges BTU’s Lithium Ion Power Paks at night.
During daylight hours, the AC power is discontinued. BTU delivers Continuous PoE, local to Axis License Plate Recognition Cameras, Siklu Radios, Code Blue Emergency Call Boxes, WAPs and the fan shown inside the enclosure below.
Significant reduction in utility power cost to End User.
Perimeter Security may also be expanded without the need for disruptive, costly trenching. Lithium Ion Packs are often recharged using alternative energy solutions such as solar and wind.
The same Products are currently specified by Global Defense Contractors for insuring the continuous operation of Radar Security Technology (Magos) [11] and Anti-Drone Systems with unique “no fly” features (Convexum)[12] – Systems and operations that must not be jeopardized by something so widely anticipated as periods of unstable power conditions.
To Gain an Immediate Advantage Over the Target, Interrupt Power and Communications
Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport recently experienced and 11 hour power outage.
[7] Continuous PoE allos users in such facilities to login to BTU’s SolidSwitch Command Post and Battery Maintenance System. Run-times can be remotely managed to extend off-grid power to Mission Critical devices, by shutting down those that may not be considered Mission Critical. The Command Post is accessed through a web GUI and allows access to a full complement of Layer 3 feature sets along with a sophisticated to each port, the number of batteries installed, current charge capacity of each and their active state. From this screen, the device may be placed in storage mode, putting the Power Paks into hibernation. Discharge profile, remaining battery based on the current configuration, time stamp of power interruptions and record of devices that were powered fr0m SolidSwitch during outages, are all standard feature sets.
There are over 1200 Commercial Airports in the world who are seemingly unaware that Continuous PoE is available.
Rapid Deployment of Emergency Communications made possible by virtue of a portable, mobile, compact source of Continuous PoE Technology was immediately adopted by First Responders, and made available for purchase via The Interagency Board for Emergency Preparedness & Response – Authorized Equipment List (AEL) / Standardized Equipment List (SEL) [8]
Distributed Recipient Mass Notification Systems (DRMNS) [9] plays an essential role in a comprehensive Emergency Operations Procedure (EOP). Manufacturers of paging speakers, microphones, radios, transmitters, VOIP products have moved to ethernet as the preferred power platform. Legacy UPS Suppliers continue to manufacture lead-acid based, AC to DC switching products.
What could possibly go wrong…
National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) [10] now provides IoT webinars to address the challenges and opportunities posed by increased connectivity and automation in the workplace, in the electric grid, and in smart cities. The IoTNOW webinars include practical guidance on how to develop a systems-based approach to energy efficiency in buildings and how a modernized electric grid can save consumers money.
Conclusion
A power design specifically to insure the constant operation of all things IoT, is now simple and cost-effective to achieve.
PoE devices become inpervious to power interruptions / outages.
