SustainableHybridACUPS

By
JimHeidenreich/MarkAlrutz
AlphaTechnologiesInc./CommScopeInc.

TheNextGenerationCriticalFacility
IncreasedReliabilitywithRenewableEnergy
WhileMaintainingBestCostPractices

ReferenceID#0070000318

DerekDiGiacomo
SCTECorporate,6105947310,ddigiacomo@scte.org
SeniorDirector,InformationSystems&EnergyManagementPrograms

MerleSeeman
CommScopeEnergySolutions,6103636888,mseeman@commscope.com
ProductLineManager

JimHeidenreich
AlphaTechnologies,3603922672,jheidenreich@alpha.com
VPProductManagement&CustomerFulfillment

3767AlphaWay
BellinghamWA98226
3606472360
www.alpha.com

140PhilipsRd
Exton,PA19341
6103636888
www.scte.org

1100CommScopePlSE
Hickory,NC28602
8283242200
www.commscope.com

SCTEispositionedasthegotoresourcefortechnicaloperationssurroundingpowerand
availability.Werealizetheimportanceofhardeningournetworktoensurecommunication
availability.Takingthesixsigmaapproachofstrivingtoachievethe"59's"ofavailabilityfor
website,network,communicationsandservicesavailability;SCTEbeganwiththefoundationof
availabilitypower.Takingtheforwardthinkingapproachwhileperformingatotalcostof
ownershipanalysis,SCTEselectedtopioneerahybridpowersysteminlieuoftraditionaldiesel
generatorbackuppower.CasestudiespresentedduringSCTE'sSmartEnergyManagement
Initiative(SEMI)meetingsprovidedoverwhelmingevidencethatforthecriticalloadlevelofless
than2kW;solar,batteryandahydrogenfuelcellwouldbethesimplest,mostreliableand
certainlymostsustainableselectionforcriticalpowerbackupneeds.Thefollowingwhitepaper
reviewstheengineeringconceptsofhowthesystemsupportsthecriticalloadinbothdayto
dayoperationsaswellasduringagridoutage.

Overview:
TheSCTEisleadingtheindustrybyimplementingaSustainableHybridACGridtiedemergency
poweringsystemtosimultaneouslyservedualpurposes

(1)toprovideRedundantpowerforDisasterRecovery
(2)tooffsetUtilityCostsusingRenewableEnergy.

ThisparticularsolutionisappropriateforSmalltoMediumsized1kWto3.5kWCriticalLoads
andTelecommunicationsDataCenters.ThePoweringSystemutilizesmultipleintegrated
backupsubsystemsasdescribedbelow.OthersystemdesignscanbesizedwithlargerACUPS
GridTieinvertersupto8kWtotakefulladvantageofthe8kWFuelCellsystem.

ThisHybridACUPSsystemaddressesdisasterpreparednessbyprovidingatotalautonomyof
96hours(4Days)+SolarAssisttimeduringdaylighthours.TheSolarAssisttimevarieswith
seasonsandsolaravailabilitysoitshouldnotbereliedupontoextendedruntimesbutdoes
offerupsidetothe4Dayautonomy.

TheHybridACUPSsystemreducesoperationsexpensesbysupportingthecriticalloadwiththe
2.88kWsolararrayshowninthephotobelow.Sharp235WattpanelsxQty12.

PVmodulesconvertlighttoelectricityatanatomiclevel,therearenomovingparts.Solar
Panels(PVmodules)aredesignedtogenerateelectricityforthirtyyearsormore.

HybridGridTieACUPSwithFuelCell,BatteryandPhotoVoltaic(PV)Subsystems

NormalUtilityNoPVPresent
PowerFlowYellowBlue


PhotoVoltaic(PV)PanelsusinganadvancedMPPT(MaximumPowerPointTracking)Charge
Controllertechnologywhichprovides97%solarharvestefficiencytoprovidearenewable
energyoutputof48VoltDCpowertofeedtheGridTied/DCBackedInverter.

NormalUtilitywithPVOffset

PowerFlow=GreenBlue(feedstheinvertersupportingtheload)

GreenYellow(excessPVbackfeedstheUtilityMeter)

2.88kWArrayproduces
12.67kW/DayintheSummer
8.04kW/DayintheWinter


Incasesofanextendedgridpoweroutage,SCTEhasinstalledaCommScopehydrogenfuelcell
toprovideyetanotherlayerofreliableandcosteffectivebackuppower.Thissolutionoffers
manybenefitstoboththesocietyandtheenvironmentquiet,cleanandsustainableenergy.

Hydrogenfuelcellsaredevicesthatenableadirectelectrochemicalreaction,without
mechanicalconversionsooftenassociatedwithelectricalgeneration.TheCommScopefuelcell
deployedbySCTEutilizesProtonExchangeMembrane(PEM)fuelcelltechnology.Hydrogenis
appliedtotheanodicsideofacatalystlayerwhereitisionized,allowingtheprotonstopass
throughthemembranewhiletheelectronstraveltothecathode,completingacircuit.Onthe
cathodicside,thehydrogeniscombinedwithoxygenfromtheair,formingpurewaterasaby
product.

ThehydrogenfuelcelldeployedislocatedinanoutdoorCommScopecabinet,soitdoesnot
consumevaluableenvironmentallycontrolledindoorarea.InthecaseofMSOfacilities,the
fuelcellcanreplacelargeandcostlyUPSsystems,freeingspaceforrevenuegenerating
equipmentorsimplyreducingtheHVACloadoncriticalfacilities.

TheCommScopefuelcelloutputis48VDC.ThisoutputfeedstheDCbackedinverterwhich
supportsthecriticalACload.WhentheCommScopefuelcellssystemcontrollerdetectsa
batteryvoltagedropcombinedwiththeabsenceofgridpower,thefuelcellswitchesonby
openingthesupplyofhydrogentothefuelcellstack.

Givenasteadysupplyofhydrogen,thefuelcellcanruncontinuouslyforaslongasanoutage
occurs.Foran8kWload,8cylindersofhydrogenwilllast8hours.Inthiscase,SCTEhasa
lowerloadrequirementof1.5kW,thefuelcellwith(16)hydrogencylindersrunningwithout
solarassistwilllastapproximately85hours.Giventhepresenceofsolarassistandbatteries,
theavailabilityofthesystemismuchlonger.

PowerOutagewithFuelCellBackup

PowerFlow=PurpleBlue**
**RedshownasBridgefor90secondsuntilFuelCellstarts

ADual48VStringofAlphaCellREbatteriesprovidesa90secondbridgefortheHydrogenFuel
Celltostart.(PowerFlow=Purple+RedBlue).OncestartedtheHydrogenFuelCellsupplies
thefirststageemergencybackupinunisonwithsolarassistifpresent(PowerFlow=Green+
PurpleBlue).IftheHydrogensourceisexhaustedthenthebatteriesprovideanadditional
lastlineofruntimedefenseprovidinganadditional11hoursofemergencybackupruntime
(PowerFlow=Green+RedBlue).

PowerOutagewithFuelCellBackupandPVOffset

PowerFlow=PurpleBlue**

**Redshownas90secondBridgeforFuelCellstarts

=GreenBlue(PVAssisttoAugmentRuntime)


PowerOutagewithBatteryBackupOnly

PowerFlow=RedBlue

QQty248VDCStringsofAlphaCell170REBatteries
provide11hoursbackuptimetothe1.5kWCriticalLoad

PowerOutagewithBatteryBackupandPVAssistAddedRuntime

PowerFlow=RedBlue

=GreenBlue

=GreenRed(PVfeedsloadandcouldrechargebatteries)

2.88kWArrayGenerates:
Summer12.32kWh/Day
=+7.8HoursRuntime@1.5kW
Winter7.97kWh/Day
=+5.2HoursRuntime@1.5kW

Qty248VDCStringsofAlphaCell170REBatteries
provide11hoursbackuptimetothe1.5kWCriticalLoad


ACommScopeCabinetbasedHydrogenFuelCellsubsystemlocatedoutsideofthebuilding
whichprovidesemergencybackuppowerduringACUtilityMainsfailurebyconverting
Hydrogentoa48VoltDC.ThisoutputfeedstheDCBackedInverterwhichsupportsthecritical
load.Thecurrentloadof1.5kWwillbesupportedfor85hourswithfullyfilledHydrogentanks
andnosolarassist.TheBatterybackupadds11hoursforatotalof96hours4Daysbackup.

PowerOutagewithFuelCellandBatteryBackup

PowerFlow=PurpleBlue

=RedBlue

Qty248VDCStringsofAlphaCell170REBatteries
provide11hoursbackuptimetothe1.5kWCriticalLoad

ACommScopeCabinetbasedHydrogenFuelCellsubsystemlocatedoutsideofthebuilding
whichprovidesemergencybackuppowerduringACUtilityMainsfailurebyconverting
Hydrogentoa48VoltDC.ThisoutputfeedstheDCBackedInverterwhichsupportsthecritical
load.Thecurrentloadof1.5kWwillbesupportedfor85hourswithfullyfilledHydrogentanks
andnosolarassist.TheBatterybackupadds11hoursforatotalof96hours4Daysbackup.
DuringtheSummerthe2.88kWPVsystemwilladdapproximately19.8hours.
DuringtheWinterthe2.88kWPVsystemwilladdapproximately8.34hours.

PowerOutagewithFuelCell,BatteryBackupandPVAssist

PowerFlow=PurpleBlue

=RedBlue

=GreenBlue

SustainableHybridACUPS

ThissystemaddressDisasterPreparednessbyprovidingatotalautonomyof96hours(4Days)+
SolarAssisttimeduringdaylighthoursanditreducesOperationExpenses(OpEx)byutilizing
renewableenergysourcesintheprimarypoweringinfrastructure.Longerruntimeisachievable
ifsolarassistand/orhydrogensupplyremainavailable.

Summary

CommScope8kWHydrogenFuelCell(upto85hoursofruntimeunder1.5kWload)

2.8kWPhotoVoltaicSharpPanelsprovideoffsettoutilitycostsandaugmentsbackupruntime

3.5(kW)OutbackDCtoACGridTiedInvertersupportscriticalload

FM80(80Amp)OutbackChargeControllerregulatesPVinputtotheDCbus

Qty8AlphaCell170AHREBatteriesproviding11hoursofruntimeunder1.5kWload

3767AlphaWay
BellinghamWA98226
3606472360
www.alpha.com

140PhilipsRd
Exton,PA19341
6103636888
www.scte.org

1100CommScopePlSE
Hickory,NC28602
8283242200
www.commscope.com