• Emergency Preparedness o Planning o Training o Spare inventory
POWER STORAGE New architectures of power storage directly affect ICT system installation and operational considerations. Taken as a lesson from modern information systems, storage and memory provide several key capabilities to any system. Ranging from the smallest unit of storage, a bit, to the largest assembly of packeted bits into yotta- bytes, the functions of storage/memory run the gamut of supporting functionality in the constantly advancing digital data world. However, in electrical systems, storage has for decades been limited to the use of dc systems, as dc is the only practical form of electricity that can be stored in batteries and other capacitive devices. Modern power electronic conversion technologies are more recently allowing ac to be converted to dc for storage, and back again to ac for use, albeit somewhat wasteful and with additional equipment complexity, size, weight, and reliability burdens.
alternating current (ac) wiring methods combined with wireless or optical fiber data. When power is converted from dc to ac, the expectation is a loss of roughly 5–15% of the power. The energy efficiency of a complete dc-based system is easy to grasp. Traditional systems for delivering on-site generated dc power involve loss of power due to the conversion from dc at generation to ac for distribution and back to dc at device. In addition, with FMPS, less electrical equipment is required for distribution than traditional ac. By using smaller, intrinsically safe FMP cables, flexibility for reconfiguring a data center and moving power is as easy as moving optical fiber. There are many influencers of power surety to consider, including: • Power Sourcing o Generation type: electromechanical versus solid state versus hybrid o Scale: large/concentrated versus small/distributed
The current focus of electricity storage advancements is largely on the storage of undispatched power gen- eration. As bulk storage, it can be called upon to fill in gaps in otherwise intermittent generation and to supplement the supply of a power system to meet high demand. It should be noted that double conversion (ac-dc-ac) battery-stored electricity can be slow in responding to fast and highly unpredictable demand. For this purpose, solid-state storage is necessary. This is generally accomplished with storage capacitors. Dep- ending on the speed required to articulate (switch or adjust) the power flow, some combination of dis- patchable generation, battery, and solid-state storage will be employed. In fast-acting, highly distributed power systems, double conversion architectures can limit system articulation speeds. This is why more systems are arch- itected around dc power, non-synchronous dc device coupling, dc-dc conversions, and high-speed digital control. As the demand for smarter buildings increases, the demand for clean, reliable power is also increasing. Computing speeds, data efficiency, and system integration for both internal and external devices are putting extreme demand on typical electrical power transmission and storage methods. New methods of power convergence enable the ICT and power industries to work together and reach new renewable energy goals.
With so many influences on power surety, the level of complexity could become overwhelming to the unaided human capacity to monitor, manage, control, and optimize system operation. In addition to paying careful attention to the architecture and technology employed to address many of these challenges, comp- utationally supported AI is also required. In any case, system simplification must be a major goal of any effort towards power surety. The complexities of multi-phase, synchronous analog power technology is no longer useful in a world of digital semiconductor- based technology. This is especially true for information gathering, communication, control (particularly high- speed system articulation for safety and precision), and highly distributed power generation, storage, and distribution of work. In other words, it is critical to prioritize transitioning to the primary use of dc electricity and move away from the more complex ac electricity.
…it is critical to prioritize transitioning to the primary use of dc electricity and move away from the more complex ac electricity.
o Architecture: unistructural versus holonic o Source articulation: simple versus complex operational profile
• Power Transport o Physical type: single cable versus multi-cable
o Exposure: open versus protected o Distance: local versus long distance o System architecture: point-to-point versus networked o Monitoring and control: hierarchical versus distributed
• Power Storage
o Type: physical versus electrical o Scale: large/concentrated versus small/distributed o Location: front-of-the-meter (FTM) utility grid versus behind-the-meter (BTM) virtual power plant or distributed energy resource (DER) • Power Use o Life safety/critical/equipment (convenience) o Time of use: fixed versus flexible o Location: indoor versus outdoor o Load articulation (shifting/demand response)
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