After months of wrangling between themselves and the auto industry, it seems USA Congress just can’t reach an agreement over its proposed Energy Bill. Happily, though, the centrepiece was agreed this weekend and it is the first meaningful increase in fuel efficiency standards for cars, light trucks, SUVs and minivans in the USA for over 30 years. The provision raises average fuel economy standards from 25 to 35 miles/gallon by 2020, thus saving 1.1 million barrels of oil a day (equating to half of current imports from the Persian Gulf).

Not everyone is happy about the Bill, however. The utility and oil industries - Washington’s most powerful lobbyists - are firmly holding out against a measure requiring them to obtain at least 15% of their electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar power. Some have said it will cause a dramatic increase in power prices in some areas of the country and that it will slow economic output by 4% by 2030.

I worry more about the definition of the word ‘renewable’ and the danger of having a federal renewable energy standard based on a politically determined definition of that word. Is a municipal waste burning plant renewable, for example? Or a power plant that burns timber waste? Both of these are counted by the Energy Information Administration as renewable. My view is that their environmental benefits are questionable and a definition of what is a renewable source of alternative energy should be debated and determined outside of politics.

What do you think?

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I read in the press that the South Gare lighthouse, at the mouth of the River Tees in North East England, is now being powered solely by a hydrogen fuel cell. The technology was developed by the Centre for Process Innovation at Wilton. The lighthouse is 120 years old and is regularly lashed by high winds and rough seas. The fuel cell has been developed to withstand such conditions. Another development comes from USA-based Protonex Technology who, in partnership with AeroVironment, have developed a fuel cell system that has kept an unmanned aerial vehicle in the air for several hours – a significant improvement on the two hours so far achieved by earlier technologies. 

Fossil fuels are running low, we know that, so alternatives have to be sourced but are fuel cells really in the running?  First invented by Sir William Robert Grove in 1839, in recent years their development has centred primarily on military applications, although the last few years has seen a rash of activity in the leisure industry with companies, such as Voller Energy, developing fuel cells that run on natural gas, which can then be used by caravan and boat enthusiasts.  Replacing generators as an alternative source of back-up power still seems a long way off. Fuel cells are expensive to manufacture and run plus their environmental credentials are questionable. They run on hydrogen, hydrocarbons, alcohol and chlorine or chlorine dioxide, which are pretty potent chemicals that have to be sourced, stored and disposed of.  Conversely, a fuel cell can be compact, lightweight and, as it has no major moving parts, extremely reliable.  

Where the normal mains power supply is unreliable and there is a suitable supply of natural gas, fuel cells can be advantageous as an alternative source of ac power although a battery set will still be required. It will be a while before they enter the mainstream UPS market. For more information on fuel cells and alternative power sources, see The Power Protection Guide

Fullton Innovation offer a very interesting technology - wireless power - that could bring an end to power cords and extension leads. The ecoupled technology works by transfering electrical power through a magnetic field between a power source and the device to be powered. Used in conjunction with Bluetooth wireless connectivity the technology offers a platform for the development of portable and remotely controlled electrical devices with reduced installation and cabling costs. My thanks to Daryl Davies of Riello UPS for passing me this information.

This has got to be one of the most amazing gagdets for any computer techie - a fuel cell laptop battery. Powered from methanol this could be one of the first real applications for fuel cell technology aimed at mass market users. Riello UPS is involved in a number of fuel cell projects where it is applying its expertise in inverter and power technologies. Replacements for the traditional sealed lead acid battery could be just round the corner - perhaps within 5 to 10 years we will see easily affordable solutions in the market place.

Between March 22nd and 23rd 2006, VoIP for Business is running at the Olympia Conference centre. Technologies such as VoIP and its adoption are helping to drive forward the power protection market. Applications running VoIP require a more sophisticated approach to business continuity - see our Telecoms UPS Guide. I am sure that when we see a £10 handset for VoIP systems there will be a massive adoption of this technology.

The latest development in UPS that could herald a big move away from traditional lead acid batteries is that of the fuel cell. Palcan Fuel Cell Co Ltd does nothing but develop fuel cell technologies and applications. They have a nifty 500W UPS with a fuel cell that will last 5 hours. The only catch may be the 1,800 liters of hydrogen from 6 canisters required to run it and off course the costs. Fuel celled power protection is definitely on the horizon and all it takes is some of the economic barriers to fall before we may well see such products used every day.

Chris in our sales team just sent me this for the blog - Avaya Dummies Guide to Voice over IP. This is ideal for people who need to understand the options and benefits of IP Telephony. It is a free downloadable book in PDF format which shows how converging your traditional voice and data networks can save money and increase efficiency and productivity throughout your organization. (PDF, 517 kB).

We have also produced a UPS related white paper The Vulnerabilities of Power Over Ethernet cabling which may be interesting for those needing further information on this related topic.