APRIL 4, 2017 (Exton, PA)—Cable telecommunications providers can address power density and cost issues associated with delivery of new services by shifting from 48VDC to 380VDC powering, according to a case study that will be presented at an Energy 2020® meeting to be hosted this month by the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) and its global arm, the International Society of Broadband Experts™ (ISBE).
The case study will discuss the current situation facing service providers: the need to address anticipated 10X or more increases in power requirements for server racks in coming years; the inability of traditional 48V systems to meet that demand because of cable congestion that restricts power delivery into server areas; and the cost barriers to relocating data centers to new facilities that could be served by 48V power.
At the meeting, Energy 2020 members will learn how implementation of a 380V system enabled a service provider to extend the useful life of its facilities and to raise facility average power density from <50W/ft2 to >100W/ft2. In this case, the cost of the 380V approach was 27% less than the 48V alternative. The Energy 2020 meeting and plenary will be conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 18-19, at Comcast’s Chesterbrook, Pa., facility.
“While the continuing evolution of data center equipment has greatly improved capacity and performance, there has been an accompanying significant increase in power requirements,” said Robert Ambriz, business development director for Eltek, which prepared the case study for the Energy 2020 meeting. “The reality that service providers are facing is that a new powering architecture is required to extend the life of existing facilities and infrastructure, while enabling continued growth.”
Energy 2020 brings together cable operator and vendor expertise to create alignment on standards and operational practices, to drive design and implementation of equipment, and to create SCTE•ISBE training resources that will enable workforce teams to optimize technology for maximum efficiency. More information on Energy 2020 and the SCTE•ISBE Energy Management Program is available at http://www.scte.org/energy/ or by e-mailing energy@scte.org.
