Intelec: Power management comes to the forefront

MONTREAL - Power network management was a hot topic at Intelec’s International Telecommunications Energy Conference this week. Several vendors including Emerson Energy Systems, Marconi Communications and APC featured network management solutions designed to help carriers more intelligently monitor and control their power infrastructure.

Marconi’s LMS1000 remote power system--which monitors all AC- and DC-based equipment including generators, rectifiers and batteries--can be installed in large central offices or smaller huts at the edge of the network. “We’re networking all of the pieces together,” said David Michlovic, product manager with Marconi. “It’s compatible with all types and brands of power equipment.”

The LMS1000 is IP-compatible so that users can access it via an SNMP output. Some of its main capabilities include alarm mediation, energy management and rectifier sequencing. In addition, the system will automatically send an e-mail to a preconfigured user when a problem occurs in the network.

The monitoring tool, which has been in field trials since late spring, also will feature a Web-hosting capability in about a month.

Emerson Energy Systems unveiled the new Actura C Series power system at Intelec 2002 that features remote monitoring capabilities. The intelligent supervision system features both basic and advanced monitoring functions that enable users to manage all power equipment from a remote location, according to Barry Papermaster, vice president of sales and marketing for EES.

“Site visits are expensive, and expansions are expensive,” Papermaster said. For that reason, the C Series is designed to conserve costs by providing users with a complete view of their power infrastructure so that they can intelligently add capacity and prioritize site visits.

The Actura C Series, which includes 1200 W high-density rectifiers, is configurable for smaller power applications such as wireless base stations and smaller branch exchanges.

Meanwhile, APC featured its own network management capabilities as part of its PowerStruXure power architecture. The monitoring and control platform enables carriers to manage every element of the power network including AC and DC equipment as well as all types of batteries, said Roger Iannetta, worldwide product marketing manager for APC’s DC network solutions. “It literally monitors each cell of the battery,” Iannetta said.