Welcome to a simplified, more cost-effective alternative to traditional AC power installation.
By Ronna Davis
Getting AC power where it needs to go can be a challenge, especially in environments that call for flexibility and minimal disruption to operations.
Using Digital Electricity™ (DE)—a fault-managed power system—to meet these demands, VoltServer’s Digital Edge Solutions efficiently distribute kilowatts of power over thousands of feet at 336VDC through thin cables, allowing fiber and power to be deployed through the same cable and data pathway.
Here are four examples of how and where Digital Edge Solutions can be deployed as a cost-effective alternative to traditional AC power installation. Get power where it needs to go more efficiently.
1. Powering Up Parking Lots
A few decades ago, a parking lot was nothing more than a concrete pad with painted lines to indicate where cars should park. Today, however, parking lots need access to power just as much as the buildings they support.
For example, these spaces need reliable power sources to connect systems like:
- Lighting for safety and security
- Charging stations to connect electric vehicles
- Surveillance systems to monitor activity in the area
- Payment and/or ticketing/access control systems for gated lots
- Smart parking that provides real-time updates about space availability
- Wireless access points for device connectivity
Depending on the parking lot location, tapping into existing or building new local power infrastructure can be unreliable, impractical, or impossible.
Digital Edge Solutions decrease power installation costs, as well as the amount of infrastructure required to connect parking lot devices to the electricity they need. As parking lots expand or new systems are added that require access to power, the solution can easily scale to meet growing power demands. Centralized maintenance and monitoring capabilities also help owners quickly identify and address power issues with parking systems to minimize downtime.
2. Transforming Extended Campuses and Outdoor Spaces
Sometimes a change of scenery is all it takes to finish a project, start a big assignment, or come up with your next new idea. That’s why outdoor meeting and study spaces, patios and courtyards, recreational areas, and parks can be found on many of today’s corporate and college campuses.
These outdoor areas need to be well-lit and monitored for safety, and the people using these spaces expect to be able to connect to their devices. But bringing local power to outdoor areas can be difficult due to obstacles like:
- Existing infrastructure that can’t extend to these spaces
- Costly and significant upgrades or new installations that take lots of time
- Weather and environmental factors
- The need to balance power availability with the beauty and usability of a space
Installing Digital Edge Solutions can be more affordable than extending existing electrical infrastructure. They can more easily support flexibility so campuses can reconfigure spaces as needed (barbecues and picnics in the summer and a holiday market in the winter, for example). They can also be deployed without disrupting existing activities or landscaping.
3. Enhancing Airport Security
Airport security environments demand reliable power sources. To maintain safety protocols, systems like cameras, scanners, access control, and alarms must always be operational—even during emergency events that take power down.
Digital Edge Solutions allow new power sources to be seamlessly integrated to maintain operations and security. They also support a centralized backup power architecture that is economical and easy to manage.
These solutions can also help offer better monitoring, management, and control of energy use to help airports better control emissions and minimize environmental impact.
4. Futureproofing Warehouses and Distribution Centers
Distribution centers and warehouses often operate around the clock, consuming lots of power as they run systems like:
- Lighting
- HVAC
- Conveyors
- Automated guided vehicles
- Automated mobile robots
Distribution centers and warehouses can reduce deployment time and expenses with Digital Edge Solutions. They decrease power installation costs and infrastructure, often eliminating the need for conduit or electrical separation.
Built on Digital Electricity
VoltServer’s Digital Edge Solutions are built on Digital Electricity. Although DE uses high-voltage distribution, it can be installed using low-voltage wiring methods and implemented without conduit, subpanels, or relay panels. It can also be installed by the same low-voltage technicians who install Ethernet cabling systems.
VoltServer’s Digital Edge Solutions also support co-installation of power distribution with various power-limited circuits. This means the cables can be installed in the same enclosures or raceways as Class 2 circuits.
Welcome to a simplified, more cost-effective alternative to traditional AC power installation. Learn more about VoltServer’s Digital Edge Solutions.
Ronna Davis is the vice president of business and market development at VoltServer.
