The government’s Carbon Plan of December 2011 sets out the roadmap for achieving the emissions targets in the UK’s first four carbon budgets. The plan includes direct-acting electric heating as part of the portfolio of technologies that will achieve carbon reduction targets, since electricity is set to become de-carbonised as renewable energy sources become more widespread.

The UK’s housing stock is one of the oldest in Europe and many homes are too large, old or poorly insulated to be energy efficient with panel heaters alone. In these types of buildings, combining the instant response of direct-acting panels with storage heaters for a comfortable level of background heat using off-peak tariffs is extremely effective, combining economy with efficiency.

But in the right type of installation, with the control and timer options available today, panel heaters are able to deliver high levels of energy efficiency. They remain popular with housing developers, since there’s no need for a gas supply, no flueing issues, and they can be installed anywhere. They are cost-effective, take up little wall space, and are stylish and attractive. In fact, panels are ideal in this type of housing.

Control is key

Today’s panels offer high levels of control. Not surprising when you consider that 70% of gas centrally heated homes have no form of temperature control other than a crude centrally mounted thermostat. A ‘must’ for advanced control is a highly accurate thermostat; accurate to 0.1°C.

This level of accuracy may seem excessive bearing in mind the human body cannot detect a change in temperature of less than 1°C, but accurate temperature control on a room by room basis can contribute substantially to reducing a home’s energy bills. With each 1°C reduction in temperature, running costs can be reduced by as much as 10% over the course of a year.

An accurate thermostat can constantly monitor not just room temperature but also the speed of temperature changes, reducing the power used as temperature nears the desired level. This avoids wasteful overshoot of the target temperature and room temperature drift, resulting in better energy efficiency and user comfort.

The consumer’s choice

Consumers want design alternatives when it comes to panels, and with today’s wide range of designs and functionality there’s a panel heater for every installation. The instant response of panel heaters means that warmth is felt and maximum output is reached just seconds after switch on, which has great user appeal.

But there are some curious marketing claims being made on the efficiencies to be had from electric heating. In common with all appliances of this type, panel heaters are 100% efficient at the point of use, with 1kW energy input giving 1kW output of heat. Claiming greater efficiencies than this defies the laws of physics! So make sure that your customers have their eyes open when they ask you about direct acting convector or radiant heaters.

Perfect for today’s homes

The latest figures from DECC show that out of around 2.4 million homes heated by electric heating, only a small minority – around 340,000 – are heated exclusively by panel convector heaters of any make or style, so it’s clear that relatively few homes are suited for panels alone for their heating. Studies have shown that a combination of storage heaters and panel heaters is more cost-effective. But in smaller, new build, modern housing – well insulated, airtight and usually with a smaller footprint – panel convector heaters are the perfect choice.

Understanding testing requirements is a pre-requisite for designing or installing an emergency lighting scheme. Testing involves a mandatory programme of daily, monthly and annual testing of every luminaire in the system, and accurate records of each inspection and test must be recorded. Maintained luminaires and exit signs must be checked daily, all emergency luminaires tested typically for less than 10 minutes every month and for their rated duration every year.

Property managers, building occupants or installers should already be familiar with the British Standard “Code of Practice for the emergency escape lighting of premises” BS5266 Part 1 when planning or considering an installation. If not, this is required reading. But they should also note a revised version that has just been published, replacing BS5266 – 1:2005 and BS5266:-10:2008.

The requirements set out in BS5266: Part 10 are to be incorporated into the new version of Part 1, but this clause is dispersed into several references to testing in the revised version of Part 1.However the requirements to test and maintain the emergency lighting installation are clearly stated in the Regulatory (Fire) Order.

You should also note that BSEN62034, first published in 2005, which covers “automatic test systems for battery powered emergency escape lighting”, is also under review. It is expected to be republished in its new form in mid-2012. Reference is also made in the new version of BS5266 Part 1 to the need to determine whether automatic testing systems comply with this standard.

Manual or automatic?

A testing regime can be either manual or automatic. Manual testing requires one or a team of reliable and experienced technicians or trained staff. In larger buildings this can be a very costly and labour-intensive exercise. Note that the new BS5266 Part 1 states under 12.3: “Routine inspections and tests: Emergency lighting systems should be inspected and tested at regular intervals. The testing should be performed either manually or, if the responsible person is unable to ensure that this will be done, by using an automatic test system.”

By contrast, automatic testing provides a reliable method of regularly checking that the battery is connected and receiving charge, that the lamp will strike correctly when required and that the battery capacity is sufficient to run the lamp for the rated duration period.

You would therefore be advised to familiarise yourself with the various automatic testing systems designed to suit every eventuality and operational requirement. The simplest system is the stand-alone form of automatic test emergency lighting, not connected to any other device. Here the results of automatic tests are typically indicated using a single bi-colour LED on luminaires. The results of tests carried out by stand-alone automatic test emergency lighting need to be recorded manually and entered into a logbook.

To avoid manual recording of test results, there are ranges of automatic test emergency lighting, which interconnect to a control panel where the results are collected. The interconnection may be through data cabling or could be by radio link. More complex systems allow the programming of tests from the control panel, or more often connection to a PC, offering a visual display of the installation, including connected luminaires in test and faulty luminaires.

BS5266-Part 1 proposes the use of automatic test systems to BS EN 62034, which specifies the basic performance and safety requirements for individual products and components for use with emergency lighting systems on supply voltages not exceeding 1000V.

Having a fully addressable emergency lighting installation that also carries out regular luminaire testing can offer considerable cost benefits, meeting legal obligations and allowing facilities staff to concentrate on other maintenance work.

Consider LEDs…

An important consideration when designing your emergency system is the amount of energy it will use. LED emergency luminaires have the advantage of requiring less power than fluorescent equivalents, not least because the batteries operating the LEDs can also be smaller and require less power to charge them. This represents a significant reduction in energy required over the life of an installation.

Further benefits of using LEDs in emergency lighting is that they are virtually unbreakable, have a long life and are unaffected by extremely low temperatures. The design of the LED luminaires has dramatically improved in recent times – bulkhead lamps, which have done the job effectively but are obtrusive and out of place, have been superseded by LED equivalents such as P4’s Quatrum LED range, providing a lower cost and more aesthetically pleasing design. LEDs offer a smaller footprint and superior energy efficient performance for specific locations and for safer evacuation along escape routes and open areas.

Consult an expert

Modern emergency lighting has truly come of age. But as ever, do not take any risks and make sure that you consult an expert or ICEL (Industry Committee for Emergency Lighting) member company when planning and specifying a scheme.

The wide spread of CCA cables across the UK and European markets is doubtless causing considerable concern. This is mainly being caused by a knowledge gap across the supply chain, with low cost distribution own-brand products unknowingly supplying CCA patch cords and solid core horizontal cable stated as being ISO11801, TIA-568C or EN50173-1 standards compliant.

In some instances, component compliant certificates are provided, so misrepresenting the nature of the actual product supplied.

It is vital that all parties understand the limitations and the underlining risks associated with the use of CCA cables. It is often the case that lower cost cable may present a (deceiving) opportunity for higher margins and reduced capital expenditure. However, the potential for serious problems with such cable could easily overwrite any perceived benefits gained – for both installers and end users.

CCA conductor features

CCA conductors generally feature an aluminium central core of around 80% of the conductor diameter, with the remaining outer 20% being a copper cladding. Figure 1 shows a cross-section of a typical CCA cable as sold across the UK.

As opposed to copper conductors, aluminium conductors possess inferior electrical and mechanical properties. As a direct consequence, this may yield poor signal transmission (particularly at low frequencies), and restricted flexing capability leading to poor physical contact of the end-points.

Furthermore, there are major concerns with CCA cables as their use tends to produce a higher temperature rise when employed in growing modern applications such Power over Ethernet (POE).

Possible problems

With that in mind, it is important that users deciding to purchase low cost cable and patch cords take into account the fact that their current and/or future applications may not be adequately supported.

Business continuity is a key factor for the success of any organisation dealing in the modern world. As technology evolves over time, a network infrastructure must be able to constantly adjust to changes and meet current business requirements. It has often been shown that, because of their limitations, CCA cables are unable to withstand such challenges and replacement of the entire installation may be the only available solution.

A recognition?

But what do the standards say in regards to CCA cable? European and International Standards EN 50288-3-2 and ISO/IEC 61156 simply do not recognise CCA cable as a suitable media. There is no ambiguity when it comes to the standard requirements as the details in the specification are comprehensive with reference to the cable conductor.

Having said that, the final decision should be based on the specific application concerned, along with the customer’s expectations. For instance, customers who are seeking category-based performance requirements, optimum system availability, lowest capital expenditure and the ability to migrate towards future technologies, should only consider the deployment of pure copper cables.

On the other hand, CCA cables may be an alternative option for the lowest-end of the LAN market – provided that none of the above considerations need to be met. However, customers should be informed as to whether the products they are purchasing are compliant or not.

By far the most important lighting development of recent times is LEDs for general lighting. As a result, we are now experiencing a real lighting revolution – it is not often that we say that with real conviction, but this is one of those occasions.

Energy saving and climate change are part of the increasingly urgent drive to reduce energy consumption and our reliance on fossil fuel reserves, and to save money. With lighting representing up to 25% of a household’s electricity consumption, it contributes greatly to overall energy consumption and CO₂ emission.

In many parts of the world, the highly inefficient incandescent (GLS) lamp bulb is now effectively banned. The main modern energy saving lamp types that replace incandescents are linear fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), High intensity discharge (HID) lamps and LEDs. It is the latter that are providing a real revolution in general lighting.

LED manufacturing

LEDs are essentially microchips made not from silicone but from crystals derived from combinations of inorganic substances. They are ‘cooked’ as wafers in a reactor under high pressures and temperatures. These substances are arranged in layers such that light is emitted when an electric current is applied. This is ‘electro luminescence’.

LEDs produce instant bright, pure deeply saturated colours, depending upon the precise mix of materials. Red, green, blue, ultraviolet, orange and yellow colours are all attainable, as is white with different colour temperatures. Other colours are near ultraviolet (UV) and infrared.

The wavelength, colour and brightness of the emitted light varies according the combinations of substances used, and it is in the chemistry of these combinations that great progress has been made in recent years. There are two main methods of producing high intensity white-light LEDs:

The first is to use red, green and blue LEDs, mixing them to produce white light. However, the method requires electronic control of different colour blending and diffusion, so is relatively rarely used.

The second method is to use phosphors to change monochromatic light from a blue or UV to broad-spectrum white light. The technique means coating an LED of a single colour with phosphor of different colours to form white light. Such devices are phosphor-based white LEDs. Depending upon the colour of the original LED, phosphors of different colours can be used. If the LED is coated with several phosphor layers, the colour-rendering index is raised. This is the most widely used technique for manufacturing high intensity white LEDs.

A higher luminous efficiency will typically trade off with lower colour rendering, so white LEDs having the best luminous efficacy (typically 120 lm/W) have the lowest colour rendering capability, while those that possess very good colour rendering often show a poor luminous efficiency (perhaps less than 70 lm/W).

LED lighting benefits

There are many highly significant benefits of using white light LEDs for general lighting. These can be summarised as:

• LEDs can be waterproofed and are very robust and reliable.
• LEDs are easily digitally controlled.
• LEDs use Safety Extra Low Voltages (SELV).
• LEDs can be integrated into building materials and pathways.
• LEDs are ideal for sharply delineating architectural objects.
• LEDs can provide colourful dynamic lighting with minimal spill.
• LEDs present no irritating flicker and illumination is instant.
• LED lamps can be dimmed over a wide range.
• LEDs are very energy efficient.
• LED lighting has an extremely long life.

Note that LED lighting may not always be the most efficient available, because LEDs are usually clustered. The reason is that LEDs are extremely compact, and their light beams are highly directional, so to produce enough light for general lighting applications they have to be made in clusters – usually called ‘arrays’. Although LEDs are highly efficient, some heat is still produced, and in arrays, this needs to be conducted away. Even so, the energy consumption is typically reduced by around 50% or more compared with equivalent CFLs.

The long working life of LED lighting also needs some explanation. For example, modern LEDs will run 60,000 hours (or more), but that doesn’t mean that they fail after this time. What does happen is that the light output slowly decreases over life, so that after (say) 60,000 hours, only around 70% of the original light output remains. LEDs can last longer still with less light output. This is an amazingly lengthy working life, so LEDs are ideal where lamp replacement is difficult or expensive.

Note also that LED manufacturers sometimes quote life estimates based on the average life of a single LED measured under specific laboratory conditions (100,000 hours may be claimed). In reality, LEDs degrade significantly faster when packaged in a luminaire, which is one reason why dedicated LED luminaires are essential. However, this can provide significant benefits in other ways, as there are exciting possibilities open to lighting designers and architects, as well as for end-users.

Take care!

Among the main lighting industry designers and manufacturers of white LEDs for general lighting are Philips Lumileds, Cree, GE and Osram Opto Semiconductors. All provide latest generation high quality white LEDs, but there has been debate about certain other manufacturers claiming that their LED products are the brightest or the longest lasting, based upon test results.

The testing may have been carried out using only the LED sources, not their performance when installed in a luminaire. This can make a significant difference, so architects and lighting designers, as well as installers, should be aware of the possibility that some performance statements might be inaccurate in a real-life situation.

LED lighting applications

Traffic lights have been using LED lighting for some years, while LED road, street and amenity lighting applications are fast increasing. For example, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors’ streetlights with Golden Dragon Oval LEDs have special oval lenses, and just 12 LEDs for each streetlight are sufficient to illuminate footpaths.

LEDs’ SELV and low operating temperature make them ideal for hazardous areas. In offices, LEDs are now suitable for task lighting. Indeed, a couple of years ago, Philips lit the Generali-owned office building in Paris entirely by LEDs – a world first at the time. Now, Newcastle Building Society’s new flagship branch office in Newcastle city centre is using a fully integrated lighting scheme from Philips. The Luxspace, Spot LED III, and eW Cove products offer the Society a cost effective LED alternative combined with beauty and high design. This makes it one of the first organisations in the city to use all LED technology to illuminate the entire retail premises.

LED decorative lighting is increasingly being used in hotels, for decorative, bar / restaurant and wall lighting, plus bedside lighting and standing lamps. In supermarkets, LED shelf and retail freezer lighting is now common, as there is no toxic mercury to contaminate foodstuffs, as can happen with broken fluorescent lamps. In shops, LEDs are finding ever more applications in display lighting, décor, signage and logos.

LEDs are also now suitable for exit signs and other emergency lighting luminaires. Compared with equivalent fluorescents, good quality LED emergency luminaires and exit signs often show energy savings of 30% or more, resulting in significant cost savings over the installation’s life.

LEDs typically have a 60-degree beam, so when correctly installed at 3m mounting height at recommended spacings, emergency lighting luminaires should have no trouble achieving the required 1 lux at the floor, using just two 1W LEDs, plus LED control gear (driver), inverter and a three-hour non-maintained 3.6V battery.

Exit signs must be sufficiently well lit to be clear even at maximum viewing distances, according to application standard EN1838 and the luminaire construction standard EN60598-2-22, which define minimum luminance levels that signs must achieve. LEDs are most effective in ‘edge light’ signs. Maintained emergency lighting and exit signs provide best building safety, but maintenance costs will be higher than for a non-maintained installation because of (conventional) lamp aging. However, LED lamps have a much longer life in these applications and will significantly reduce maintenance costs and disruption to offices etc.

As a safeguard, purchasers could check that the proposed supplier is an Industry Committee for Emergency Lighting (ICEL – www.icel.co.uk) member.

Domestic lighting is different. Homeowners have only recently taken up CFLs, despite their significant benefits over the now banned incandescents. Most LED applications so far are mainly replacements for low-end halogen garden spotlights, or purely decorative. This is changing. A good early example is Thorn’s Base LED downlighter, while the author uses excellent Philips LED Econic ‘light bulbs’. Even so, CFLs will be domestic mainstays for some time to come.

LED developments

Current development in conventional white light LEDs is mainly concerned with optimising them to provide higher light output and operational temperatures, and luminous efficiencies are improving all the time. Some developments are aimed at optimisation whereby although more energy is converted into wasteful heat, the light produced will show better colour rendering. Other research aims to raise efficiency through better phosphors or more careful package design. This can result in a more homogeneous white light. Research is also being carried out into a third method of producing white light from LEDs that are not coated with any phosphors.

Summarising, current LED lighting technological developments include improving the following:

• LEDs in more complex packages for efficient heat dissipation
• LED light quality
• LED luminous efficiency
• LED driver solutions (controlgear etc)
• LED light source modularity
• LED optical design.

Organic light-emitting diodes

There is another type of LED entirely that promises much for the future. This is the organic light emitting diode (OLED). In terms of design, construction and application, OLEDs are very different from conventional white light LEDs. With this type, the electroluminescent material comprising the diode emissive layer is an electrically conductive organic compound.

OLED advantages include a low driving voltage, being able to be formed into very thin displays that provide a wide viewing angle with high contrast and colour range (as well as white). Note that polymer OLEDs can be printed or made flexible, so the already huge range of exciting lighting design possibilities provided by LEDs is further extended.

As a result, as Osram Opto Semiconductors says, ‘OLEDs are more than just light sources – they are design elements. Even when switched off they look very different from conventional light sources. They are very thin, very flat, very light and attractive. They can be transparent, diffused or mirrored, so offering a completely new look. Luminaire designers can, therefore, look forward to enormous freedom’.

OLEDs have been used to make visual displays for portable electronic devices and TVs, as well as for highly innovative lighting schemes. In fact, for lighting designers and architects, the available designs are really only limited by imagination. For example, Osram has developed a transparent white high-performance OLED. The large-scale prototype is transparent either ‘on’ or ‘off’. Under laboratory conditions it has achieved a luminous efficacy of more than 20 lm/W at a brightness of 1000 cd/m². This opens up possible applications such as partitions that are almost invisible by day and then provide a pleasant diffused light at night.

Current OLED lighting technological developments include improving the following:

• OLED luminous efficiency
• Phosphorescent OLEDs
• The optimisation of OLED device structure and materials
• White OLEDs for general lighting.

And finally…

Costs are still coming down fast, while LED performance is improving all the time, so there is no reason why electrical contractors and installers cannot benefit from the massive potential business opportunities presented, although suitable training may be required in some cases.

Most lighting engineers and designers have embraced LEDs for general lighting already, as have many architects – why not you too?

Historically the UK’s approach to electrical installation relied on traditional hard wired system design. Modular wiring systems have really taken off more recently and most large scale capital projects now use modular solutions. The technology, using advanced quality-controlled manufacturing techniques and materials, provides a factory assembled and fully tested cabling system which replaces the traditional on-site wiring of electrical sub circuits.

Modular systems remove the need for on site electrical connections. The modular system is designed and produced off-site in a quality controlled environment and supplied pre-assembled and fully tested to site, rather than the more traditional conduit, trunking and hard wired system. This eliminates the need for onsite electrical connections and cuts the number of qualified electricians required at an installation, reducing installation time.

Advantages of the modular approach

Modular wiring systems offer a high degree of flexibility and versatility for both the installer and end-user. Risks for the installer, installation time and on-site skilled electrical man-hours are reduced. Cable snagging and site waste are also reduced while offering improvements in site safety. Because product is factory assembled in a highly controlled production environment, quality levels are assured.

A typical system might feature pre-wired factory tested pluggable distribution boards for supplying lighting and power over a large industrial site or multi-storey office complex. The use of prefabricated connectors and preassembled cables can provide a high performance, reliable and flexible wiring solution which offers significant improvements over alternative systems, reducing onsite installation times by up to 70%.

The great advantage of modular wiring is simplicity and versatility, and so any installation regardless of size and complexity can be converted to a modular system. This includes projects within the residential, retail, healthcare, commercial and education sectors. From single room solutions to the largest multi-million pound new build hospitals, systems can be either retro-fitted or newly installed to provide users with safe, reliable and convenient power and lighting services.

Specify and install

The majority of specifications come through a combination of mechanical and electrical contractors and consultants, but building engineers and project managers on some of the large new build and PFI developments have begun to specify product. Qualified and skilled electricians are generally required to oversee projects but, because components are easy to install and preassembled offsite, the amount of skilled labour needed onsite to actually install is reduced, so low-skilled operatives, with minimal training, can be used during the installation process.

Market development

The electrical wiring and accessories sector is evolving to meet the challenges placed on it by the introduction of new technologies, the availability of affordable skilled labour and the latest methods of construction such as off-site pre-fabrication, green and lean. During tough economic times there’s more pressure on everybody within the supply chain to deliver projects on time and within budget, and achieving cost savings in the process wherever possible.

The UK has often led the way in pioneering new electrical wiring technologies and solutions. Modular wiring is no different – we are already leading the way in Europe and moving rapidly towards fully integrated systems similar to those found in the more mature markets of North America. Elsewhere, there are developing markets in the Middle East, Asia and Australia, where mechanical and electrical specifiers are now looking seriously at the benefits of the modular approach with the adoption of some form of pluggable system.

Lack of early planning by the industry to accommodate a pluggable system at the design stage is a major issue for modular. Specifiers need to plan modular systems early if the benefits of the approach are to be fully realised.

The future?

Awareness of the benefits of modular wiring systems is growing quickly, enabling electrical contractors to complete even the most complex installations quicker and more efficiently than ever before. We will see modular wiring become more and more the norm with less input required by product suppliers as the contractor becomes increasingly familiar with the concept and systems.

Buildings today can have any number of systems installed to control security, heating, lighting and ventilation. Particularly in larger scale buildings, these different elements will often be combined into a single, integrated building management system (BMS).

However, one essential building service has, to date, resisted full integration – fire detection. This is set to change with the evolution of a new off-the shelf product that takes the information from a fire alarm control panel and connects it to a building management system. But, to understand why this development is so significant in terms of integration, it is first necessary to understand the reasons why fire detection systems have historically been kept separate and explore why integration has become so desirable.

Fire detection is deemed safety-critical and although there may be some advantage in several systems sharing information, there are risks involved should, for example, a fault in the heating system knock out the fire detection system. Fire detection systems are generally subject to much stricter standards than other systems, however there is no legislation on integration as such, only recommendations. The code of practice for system design, installation, commissioning and maintenance in the UK – BS5839-1:2002 – implies that the fire system should always stand alone. Full integration would therefore negate this code. However, there is no law to enforce the code and building regulations refer to, but do not insist upon, compliance with the British Standard.

Practicalities of integration

So, while regulations may appear to discourage fire system integration, in practical terms, closer interaction between the building management systems is not only desirable but necessary if safety-critical procedures are to be effective. For example, the ability for a fire signal to tell a security system to release certain access doors for use as escape routes is highly desirable.

Interfaces and complex bespoke integration have enabled some degree of fire detection integration, but there are some restrictions because this entails the use of multiple additional devices to facilitate even simple levels of integration between fire devices and other building services equipment.

As commercial buildings become larger and more complex, and the expectations of occupants become more sophisticated, continually adding more physical devices to link building services together becomes impractical. It is therefore important to step back and reconsider what it is we are trying to achieve.

Reaping integration rewards

Communication is key to successful integration. The benefits of having diverse building products and systems co-operating with each other are self-evident. Faster response times, co-ordinated strategies in case of emergency or failure, and pre-planned and pre-programmed evacuation procedures are among the most effective results of inter-system communication.

A solution to these requirements is now available – the result is a simple, off-the shelf product that takes the information from a fire alarm control panel and connects it to a building management system using standard protocols such as BACnet, Modbus or LonWorks. The device is effectively a ‘plug and play’ concept that offers many practical and cost benefits to panel manufacturers, installers and end users.

Opportunity for the taking

Fire detection systems evolved for the purpose of protecting lives and property. For this reason they should always be classed as safety-critical, which means that fire detection devices should be physically separate from other building services equipment. That said, there is no reason why closer information integration should not be pursued if it brings practical benefits such as reduced time and cost without compromising the integrity of the fire system. Developments in technology have made it possible to achieve successful integration using a single device rather than dozens of individual interfaces or bespoke solutions.

Under current manufacturing conditions in China, 32% of the lead used in the lead-acid battery manufacturing process is allowed to be lost to the environment. This is in stark contrast to the US, where the figure is less than 1%. It should therefore be no surprise that battery production is having a negative effect on the environment, and on the people living close to the factories.

According to state media, over 4,000 people have suffered from lead poisoning since 2009. Most recently over 300 people, including 99 children, were poisoned by one factory in Zhejiang. Since the scandal came to light, this province alone has witnessed 250 factory closures and lost 90% of its battery production.

Since March 2011, therefore, China has shut down more than 70% of its 2,000 lead-acid battery factories, so data centre managers may well be asking themselves whether the resulting global shortage will really affect them. To answer that, it’s worth considering the bigger picture – the role of batteries in providing standby power for the data centre. Some recent real-life examples of the consequences of battery failure in data centres also serve to illustrate the seriousness of the situation.

Data centre power needs

According to the 2011 DataCentreDynamics Industry Census, the UK has 7.59 million square meters of dedicated data centre space consuming 6.44GW of power – enough electricity to run six million homes.

Each data centre represents a significant power burden in its own right. The total power requirement of a typical data centre includes lighting, air conditioning and the extra IT equipment to provide redundancy, as well as electricity to operate the core network and communications equipment, desktops and servers. Increasingly, data centres will require even more power for security systems such as access control, CCTV surveillance and fire alarms.

A data centre’s standby power system will always include an online UPS, often a modular system, with separate power and battery modules for greater reliability. Redundancy will typically be built in to enable planned maintenance to take place without having to power down the whole room.

Data centre equipment can be severely damaged if the power fails even for a fraction of a second. An unstable power supply (one that is subject to surges and sags) can also cause problems. An online UPS can protect against both power failure and power instability, but it needs a source of stored energy to balance out disturbances and assure a clean supply to the load, and to provide power bridging i.e. assuring consistent power when switching from grid power to generator power. For power bridging, the stored energy may be required for a matter of a few seconds (for example, while a generator starts up), or even several hours.

Today, batteries are the technology chosen by most data centre managers to store the energy that will give power continuity for the data centre, so that the equipment doesn’t miss a beat. The storage capacity of the battery bank must be sufficient to meet the power bridging demands of the system.

Battery failure consequences

Many data centres host operations on behalf of major businesses, particularly within the finance and telecoms sectors. Hundreds of thousands of small businesses are becoming increasingly dependent on hosted services for their basic IT and telephony needs. When data centres experience a power outage, it frequently has disastrous consequences for the operator’s customers – and their customers too.

Unfortunately, high-profile data centre failures tend to make the headlines. A standby power system is only as good as its weakest link, as the following examples show:

Telecity’s data centres experienced a severe power failure because its UPS had exhausted its backup batteries, bringing down its servers and damaging much of its customers’ equipment.

The servers went down in Tata’s London-based data centre when the standby power system failed during a power outage. The visiting engineer discovered that poor system maintenance had left the batteries flat, and three generators unable to start.

So it’s not enough to simply install a standby power system. Data centre managers need to ensure that it is maintained and serviced on a regular basis. The UPS must be able to support the load, the generator must be able to provide sufficient backup power, and the batteries must remain at full capacity to provide the bridging power that will ensure business continuity in the event of a mains failure.

The state of the market

According to Wang Jingzhong, vice director of the China Battery Industry Association, the Chinese battery industry has grown by 20% each year for the last six years. Moreover, Hu Yongda, an analyst at Antaike, forecast 2011 consumption at 4.19 million tonnes – up from 3.7 million tonnes the previous year.

However, by June, three months after the first factory closure, Barclays reported that lead inventories had dropped by nearly 4% and that in the second half of 2011, factory closures will push the global lead market into an 82,000 million tonne deficit. Furthermore, MF Global analyst, Edward Meir, believes that lead prices will hit $3,000 per tonne in 2012.

The factories in China will remain closed until manufacturing conditions improve and Government representatives can fully assess each factory. Zeng Jian-jun, vice general secretary of the China Lead-Acid Battery Association, predicts that within three months, China’s battery factories will be reduced to 400 sites, which could theoretically result in a fall in production of 75%.

The consensus from battery suppliers is that UK battery prices will increase by 25% and that lead times will increase by up to seven months for larger batteries – those suitable for data centres. Doing nothing should not be an option:

Data centre managers should perform a health check on their batteries now to ensure they are in good working order. This will help to identify any potential problems and enable them to plan ahead for the replacement of any sudden failures, as well as scheduling planned replacements.

Put in a system to continuously monitor battery state. By measuring some of the vital signs, data centre managers will be better able to predict battery failures and take action earlier. Remote monitoring equipment makes this approach easy and affordable today.

Over the medium term, data centre managers may want to review their energy storage options. Storage capacitors, flywheels and fuel cells are viable alternatives for power bridging applications. These alternatives will become increasingly attractive if the shortage of lead-acid batteries continues.

And finally…

Power failure can be disastrous for many organisations, but the problem is magnified for data centres because of the knock-on effect for their customers and their customers’ customers. Data centre managers should use the opportunity created by the current worldwide battery shortage to make their standby power systems even more robust.

Recent incidents have highlighted a misunderstanding and potential dangers of mixing devices/components of one manufacturer with the system infrastructure of another manufacturer.

The most common example of this practice is when an installer tries to fit MCBs from manufacturer ‘A’ into the consumer unit of manufacturer ‘B’. Assemblies such as consumer units, distribution boards and panel boards are tested with specific devices installed, invariably those of the same manufacturer. The testing and certification for the assembly (i.e. consumer unit plus devices) is undertaken to BS EN60439-3, formerly BS5486. Although devices may appear similar, their dimensions, technical performance and termination features are not necessarily compatible.

Assembly/system manufacturer’s instructions will always state quite clearly that their product is fully compliant when used in conjunction with their specified devices/components.

If the installer does decide to mix components and assemblies, he/she should be aware that any testing, certification and warranty originally supplied by the manufacturer will be invalidated, and that the installer is responsible for testing and conformity with BSEN 60439, and is also accountable under health & safety regulation in the event of damage.

This issue applies also to cable tray systems and flexible conduit/fittings.

Distributors and wholesalers also have a responsibility under the General Product Safety Regulations to act ‘with due care’. They should be able to substantiate any advice related to interchangeability of devices/components in assemblies/systems. If the installer acts on a distributor’s advice, and in so doing produces a non-compliant assembly, then both the distributor and installer may be liable for any resulting consequences.

The only safe way to guarantee compliance, retain warranties and access support services is to select based on the assembly / system manufacturer’s advice, says BEAMA.

After discussing the relative merits of shielded and unshielded cable with ODEON, it was decided that the former would be most suitable, owing to its ability to provide an added layer of protection against electromagnetic interference. The project was run to a rigid schedule and being able to carry out the installations quickly and accurately was incredibly important in order to make the best use of its time on-site,

Brand-Rex’s partner company J Brand’s engineers also used innovations such as the Brand-Rex tool-free RJ45 Snap-In Jack for fast and efficient termination. As a result, all the ODEON conversions have opened on schedule.

Over 90km of cable and 3,200 links within 112 cinemas were installed as part of the project, which was considered a great success by the customer. ODEON now boasts 884 digital screens in the UK and Eire.

The research in ‘Electric Underfloor Heating Market’ finds that whilst the market recovered somewhat in 2010, sales in 2011 have since suffered as a result of a decline in domestic refurbishment projects, declining consumer confidence and a host of other negative issues dampening market prospects for the underfloor heating industry. However, the report identifies a number of key strengths and opportunities in the UK electric underfloor heating market in late 2011, with future prospects more positive for the market in the medium term.

MTW forecast modest growth in 2012, followed by above inflationary growth from the first half of 2013 onwards with the market likely to rise by around 4% on annualised terms. Stronger growth from 2014 onwards should occur as inflation eases and more tangible volume demand returns to the market. By 2015, sales of electric underfloor heating are expected to experience buoyant growth with the report also forecasting healthy shares for foil mats, carbon mats, single cable systems, thermostats and cable mat underfloor heating.

The 100 page report, which reviews market and product trends, suggests that price competition is likely to remain a key dampener of growth in the low-mid market sectors near term. Nevertheless, MTW also identifies positive factors and opportunities for growth of underfloor heating sales in the medium to longer term, including rising consumer awareness of the many benefits.  Go to www.marketresearchreports.co.uk