APRIL 17, 2017 (Exton, PA)—Cable telecommunications providers can address headend cooling power consumption by utilizing lessons learned in the data center and applying them to headend usage, according to a case study that will presented this week at an Energy 2020® plenary session hosted by the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) and its global arm, the International Society of Broadband Experts™ (ISBE).
The case study will discuss several of the “top 12” opportunities for energy savings identified by Energy Star. These include technological advances such as using smaller fiber-optic interconnects rather than larger copper interconnects, and opportunities through back-up powering.
In the case study, the cost of heat removal is discussed in detail from an air handling perspective, as well as by removing heat from the headend to other distributed portions of the plant.
Handling hot and cold air properly by preventing the two from mixing can significantly improve cooling efficiency. As discussed in the case study, reducing air flow impediments is beneficial.
“While the continuing evolution of data center equipment has greatly improved capacity and performance, there has been an accompanying significant increase in power requirements and, therefore, the need to efficiently remove the resulting heat,” said David Kozischek, manager, Applications and Market, Corning Optical Communications, who prepared the case study for the Energy 2020 plenary session. “Service providers are facing the reality that a new cooling architecture is required to extend the life of existing facilities and infrastructure, while enabling continued growth.”
The Energy 2020 meeting and plenary will be conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 18-19, at Comcast’s Chesterbrook, Pa., facility. The facility is located about 15 minutes from Exton (suburban Philadelphia), Pa., home to SCTE•ISBE headquarters.
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.
