The Integration Of Surge Protection Into Photovoltaic Systems

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The development of solar power and other green energy production techniques over the past few decades has been slower than one would expect. This is due to a push back from the companies that produce power using the traditional fossil fuel methods, generally relying upon the burning of a fuel source in order to produce the same product that the new methods do. This push back is not as a result of a desire to evolve and find alternative sources of energy in case of emergency, but instead is due to the potential lost revenues that these companies would sustain if their methods were phased out. There is also the threat of losses as a result of the population having the potential to more effectively generate their own power, ultimately removing paying customers from the system as it stands. The desire to keep the current systems in place at all costs in order to protect revenues has caused a slowing of development of new innovations and techniques within the green energy sector, as the combined potential monetary investments into technology by governmental sectors is lacking. As a result, the majority of innovations within the green energy sector come from private entities.

The desire to create more efficient methods of power production is both a money and a production discussion. Innovation within the sector will produce more power using those systems, providing the more reliable ability to fully satisfy customer needs using those systems alone. As the efficiency of the green energy systems improves, we as consumers can rely more heavily on the amounts of power produced to not run out for us during heavy-use times. Additionally, technological innovation will make these methods cheaper, producing the same units of power for less cost than the traditional methods. Fossil-fuel producers realize this is the death knell of their industry, and are doing everything they can to stop its progress. One example of how technology can intervene to make green energy a more viable source than fossil fuel energy is through the integration of surge protection devices into the photovoltaic systems, as well as other forms of production. Green energy production methods all rely upon an “end unit” in the form of exposed machinery or devices. These devices in the form of solar panels and windmills are positioned in completely vulnerable areas because of the necessity for them to be unobstructed to be more efficient. This makes them perfect targets for lightning strikes, and while the damage at a strike point is not good, it is complicated by the subsequent damage. This happens when a power surge moves along connectivity lines from those end units to the machinery used in the process downstream. As a result, damage occurs at the strike point as well as further into the system. The integration of surge protection devices along the pathways electricity can travel can ultimately save downstream equipment, and make the entire system cheaper to maintain over time. The result is cheaper and cleaner power.

Wind Turbine Lightning Protection

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The ever-expanding popularity of wind generated power in order to satisfy both needs and desires for cleaner production methods is hindered and slowed by issues that have no absolute solutions. In these circumstances, the best solutions provided are technologically advanced avoidance mechanisms in order to prevent issues from happening. What we are primarily discussing is a major cause of both damage repair cost as well as outages with respect to wind towers as a result of lightning.  This issue only grows more severe as the technology used in the wind power generation field grows more sophisticated, and the reliance upon each individual tower to perform becomes more critical. There is no way to assure a total prevention of damage that comes as a result of lightning strikes, so the industry has turned to the most evolved avoidance mechanisms to step in and salvage as much as possible when the inevitable occurs. A “wind tower” is an isolated structure that is physically tall and unobstructed in order to harness the full potential of wind blowing across its blades. Each tower utilizes sophisticated electronic equipment to perform their function. And that equipment is at constant risk of damage as a result of the physical makeup of the tower. Since lightning strikes to the tower or blades is not only commonplace but essentially unavoidable, methods to stop the subsequent power surge and conduct it safely to earth have been the primary method of equipment damage avoidance. These systems will usually cost less than 1% of the operational cost of the tower itself and can improve reliability as well as increase the cost effectiveness of operations to a far larger degree than that 1%.

Research suggests that during the first year of operation of a typical wind tower, once it is installed, more than 85% of downtime is lightning strike related. These studies have also shown that not only are 80% of insurance claims in this field lightning-related, the average totals for lightning damage after a strike exceed $250,000. As a result of these risks, there has been a push within the insurance industry to deny lightning-related coverage. The typical damages that are seen that have high costs are to the control systems and electronics, even though when the strikes happen to the structure and blades they are often destroyed. The blades DO represent the most costly and disruptive damage, but the electronics like the sensors, actuators and motors as well as the transformer stations, frequency converters and switchgear elements represent combined costs that combined can rival blade replacement costs. This electronic gear is generally not completely damaged as a result of the strike but instead suffers due to the surge, and these damages can be avoided through the installation of lightning protection devices on strategic areas of the wind turbine system. Combined with grounding to an existing rod, this setup can avoid a significant amount of damage typically associated with a strike, isolating that damage to the blades and exposed structure. This avoidance technique can save millions of dollars in repair costs every year, increasing productivity and creating a more viable electrical source.

Combo Disconnect Enclosures From Raycap

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The need for standardization of electrified equipment that is in proximity to the public is paramount. This is being driven home recently in the explosion of 5G microsites or “small cell sites” happening across the globe. There were 154,000 small cell sites in 2019 according to CTIA, and that number is expected to balloon to more than 800,000 by 2026. This is simply because the demand for 5G connectivity is strong, causing a land grab by competing carriers to create 5G coverage within their networks. The issues arise not from the desire or need for the service itself, but from the drawbacks involving the equipment used in the process. 4G macro sites can be positioned on tall cell towers upwards of a mile from the device connecting to the network via that site. They can also be positioned this distance apart while still maintaining a reliable network that will not lose coverage or drop calls. This enables 4G macro sites to be installed farther distances from the users than 5G allows. A 5G small cell site will be smaller in size and scope, but still requires several electronic components to be installed within around one-tenth of a mile from the user or other sites. This poses the issue of overwhelming the landscape with equipment mounted to poles and structures, ultimately hurting the aesthetic beauty of a region in the name of technological advancement. Because of the desire for both 5G coverage and aesthetic beauty, there has been a significant push over the past few years to create new materials which will allow better concealment without blocking signals coming from and to  antennas or radios. Creative installation methods and placements have hidden equipment where it can be concealed, but this equipment still remains exposed in many situations, and externally mounted enclosures found on telephone poles and streetlights can create an unsightly jumble of boxes and wires that actually could become dangerous for the public and utility workers. In order to interact with these installations, utility workers must have a basic understanding of the ways that each equipment piece is connected to the power supply. Because of the different components and the unique setup of almost every installation, dangers can present themselves as a result of the wiring and live electricity. Raycap has designed a streamlined presentation for use in these small cell applications, where a combination disconnect enclosure will house both the metering equipment as well as the main breaker that supplies all telecom equipment that is connected in the system. This presentation is aesthetically pleasing, replacing the number of visually exposed boxes and wiring into a single unit, while also assuring a single and easy method of completely shutting off power for maintenance, with optional surge protection as well. Providing the standardization that prevents accidents through understanding of the system as well as the streamlined visual approach to the equipment that is mounted within view of the public is an elegant solution to a growing issue that will continue to be needed more and more as more sites are rolled out by carriers to satisfy demand for 5G. The future can be both technologically advanced and beautiful.

Combo AC Disconnect Enclosures Keep Workers Safe And Cities Beautiful

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The phrase “combination AC disconnect enclosure” describes a specialized box that can be used to standardize the installation of 5G microsite or “small cell” electrical equipment. This enclosure provides several benefits to the public, and mainly these will be noticed as a way to conceal the array of wires and boxes into needed in the process into one single slim elegant enclosure, away from public view. While there is no denying that 5G technology is coming to an area around you, the way that it will impact the aesthetics of the area is debatable. A 5G microsite is smaller than a 3G or 4G macro site or cell tower, but there must be many more of them in place in order to maintain network functionality. While the 5G network signals are faster, they degrade far more quickly than previous generation cellular signals, meaning that the typical mile apart needed to maintain connectivity is reduced to one-tenth of a mile with 5G small cell mmWave sites. This results in 5G equipment in densely packed urban environments being positioned closer to users instead of far away on building tops or cell towers. To function properly, 5G mmWave small cell sites must be in close proximity to one another, and at or near street level. The means that you are going to be noticing far more boxes and wires all over utility poles and streetlights as you move through the area you live or work. Many people are resistant to change because of the side effects that change will have on the environment. With regards to 5G rollouts, which are expected to go from 180,000 currently to more than 800,000 over the next few years, this will mean that you will be seeing different looking poles, and poles hosting enclosures that can contain all types of electronical equipment needed for the small cell site, plus radio receivers and antennas mounted to the tops of them. These installations require the support of local utilities to hook them up to the main power, and with this comes expense and also potential danger. Each piece of equipment is powered by an electrical connection, and the possibility of accidentally encountering a live electrical feed is possible when workers are seeing different typese of connectivity setups each time. Raycap’s solution to this is its new “combination AC disconnect enclosure” which consolidates the electrical equipment necessary into one streamlined box complete with an easy to see and use AC power disconnect. After the installation of these systems on a small cell site the utility can easily disconnect the AC power going to the pole equipment before making any necessary repairs.

The vast array of boxes and wires that are involved in the 5G microsite are often not very pleasing to the eyes. The AC combo disconnect enclosures manufactured by Raycap conceal and combine the equipment and wiring involved in the process, reducing it to a slimline and standardized presentation in a single enclosure. The power supply feeds an integrated metering device, which then moves to a single breaker which enables power shut off to the entire array of equipment. This standardization in combination with concealment keeps access to the dangerous power supplies away from the public, and makes the setups easier to work with for utilities and others who would need to interact with the site for repair and maintenance. As 5G rolls out across the world and more microsites impact the daily lives of citizens and workers alike, the choice to use a combination AC disconnect enclosure or not may be the difference between a beautiful and smart city, or just a smart city.

Indoor 5G And Effective Concealment

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The first rollouts of 5G technology have been met with great excitement by those desiring faster speeds for download and connectivity. After only a short period, the pushback began with criticism of the amounts of equipment necessary for the infrastructure. The tradeoff between the faster 5G speeds and connectivity and older 4G and 3G networks is the amount of equipment that must be in proximity to the user of the network, and the distance necessary to the user’s device. With distances of upwards of a mile possible for cell towers comprising 4G networks to function effectively, much of the telecom infrastructure equipment used in the process could be installed far enough away from people to not have them notice. Because 5G mmWave small cell sites must be around one-tenth of a mile from the user, the visual impact is often noticed and sometimes less than desirable. For these reasons, the concealment industry has shifted its focus from mainly doing concealments for macro sites, to the concealment of 5G network equipment, often within challenging urban environments.

A “challenging environment” is a way to describe a multitude of urban areas that might not be accepting of the installation of new network infr4astructure, especially if it will be readily seen by the public and have an impact on the aesthetics of a particular region. While the availability of 5G signals and services within that area would be met with positivity most certainly, the “destruction of the landscape” in the name of technology is often not very well received by City planners and residential bodies. In an urban environment where densely packed people interact every moment, we find that these constituents can view the efforts to bring in 5G via small cell installations as counter-productive. These environments have been more receptive to 5G rollouts if the equipment can be concealed inside new street poles or hidden on existing poles that would already be there providing street light. Additional creative methods have produced a wide variety of custom solutions ranging from church steeples to side mounted shrouds designed to blend into the building on which they are placed, and into the surrounding landscape. At the core of the ability to conceal equipment within challenging landscapes is the materials used in the process. To this end Raycap has developed a technologically advanced material called InvisiWave®, as well as other materials, that will enable the rollout of 5G infrastructure by the wireless carriers. This material allows for 5G signals, whether mmWave or in the C-band spectrum, from antennas and radios to pass through it effectively, without degrading the signal. This allows the small cell equipment to be installed closer to ground levels while also concealing it, without upsetting the beauty of the region. Within indoor areas like stadiums or airports, the same philosophy of creative solutions is being used. Within the Tampa International Airport for example, 5G mmWave small cell sites allow connectivity for all major carriers, these sites being installed into walls and ceilings, or inside shrouds tastefully mounted or hung where necessary. This has allowed the Tampa Airport to provide 5G connectivity in its most high traffic areas and also to provide compensating 4G and 3G signals within areas that are lesser trafficked. Through additional optional features that can be built into the installations themselves, these sites can be maintained by airport personnel, all while also having the public present. Through the combined efforts to provide safety and beauty, large indoor installations as well as hidden outdoor installations are bringing 5G to a wider population, and in areas where it was not available before.

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The rollout of 5G networks relies upon “small cell” installations of network equipment at relatively specific distances apart. This differs from previous iterations of 4G and 3G with regards to the amount of space between equipment installations that can be covered before areas of dropped coverage form. Macrocell tower sites were able to be much farther away from the devices accessing the network, as well as from each other. Distances of nearly a mile between equipment installations were possible without a loss of coverage between them.

5G microsites or “small cell sites” offer far faster speeds with regards to data transfer across the network, but do so at the expense of distances that can be placed between network nodes. This translates to far more equipment being placed within the regions that people physically interact within, with equipment being placed at street level and within about one-tenth of the distances that 3G/4G allows. The increased speeds are welcomed, but the increased amount of telecom infrastructure equipment installed within an already packed visual landscape is not. The result is an effort towards effective concealment, blending equipment in with existing structures or shrouding it all together to avoid a cluttered look.

Within urban areas, this is especially important as many push to keep the architectural and oftentimes historical integrity of the region above all progress. While exterior installations of 5G microsites are challenging, even more, challenging can be the installation of 5G networks within large enclosed spaces. In areas like airports, stadiums, arenas, malls, or other venues, the offering of 5G network speeds to customers is highly desired and often expected by the patrons. The problem is figuring out ways to install the equipment in the regions where people are physically interacting without creating visual blights.

In areas like Tampa International Airport, this goal has been effectively achieved through the use of both creativity and technologically advanced materials. Deploying 5G mmWave small cells inside an enclosed space is similar yet different from the methods used for external applications like poles and rooftops. In these specialized installations, the equipment must be incorporated into walls and ceilings up above where people walk and converge. The small cell concealments must be not only visually appealing but also provide safety aspects for airport workers who may need to access them directly for maintenance, all the while with throngs of customers.

Through the use of optional power disconnect devices integrated within the small cell setups, maintenance can be done without the potential mishaps that might come with working with electricity inside of areas that are accessed by the public. The use of Raycap’s InvisiWave^® technology also allows for the 5G mmWave equipment and antennas to be mounted behind the concealments yet within proximity to customer traffic, presenting no visual clues that it is there. This specialized material allows 5G signals to move through it without disruption, yet provides enough stability to be used in the construction of small-scale concealments. The result has been the integration of 5G services through high-traffic areas of the airport, accessible to customers without showing itself to them. The new wave of 5G small cell concealment is possible with Raycap’s InvisiWave material and its other Stealth concealment product line

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There is a land grab happening all across the world as cellular carriers attempt to build the fastest new networks possible for their customers. The intense competition among the major players in this industry is legendary and leads to a situation where the companies offering the fastest speeds and best coverage are the ones who stand to gain the lion’s share of new customers, with the competition being left behind. For the most part, right now this relies upon new 5G technology, which allows significantly faster download speeds, as well as more seamless video play, gaming, and clarity of call reception. The difference between 5G speeds and 4G is noticeable, so it is not like customers are debating the switch if they have experienced it.

Simply put, if one network offers 5G speeds in a region and another does not, there is a good chance there will be many consumers switching to cell phone providers. For this reason, networks are aggressively rolling out as many 5G microsites or “small cell sites” as possible, in an attempt to be first to the table to offer 5G speeds in a region. This means that there will continue to be a significant increase in noticeable infrastructure equipment positioned on utility poles, street light poles, and other structures in the urban right of way shortly, with estimates predicting an increase from 180,000 to more than 800,000 of these microsites within the next few years. The microsites must be positioned around one-tenth of a mile apart, unlike the 3G/4G network nodes that can have a mile or more between them while still providing excellent coverage. The increase in the amount of new telecom infrastructure equipment that will need to be mounted all around people, and the need for it to quickly be brought online by the utility once installed, calls for standardization and streamlining of equipment both for beauty and for safety.

Raycap’s new connectivity and protection device made to streamline equipment wiring of 5G microsites is the combination AC disconnect enclosure. This device brings together a number of the existing disparate boxes that had been installed to a pole into just one slim line enclosure, replacing the need for many ugly boxes to be attached to a single small cell pole site.  The units improve the ease of installation and serve to clean up and streamline the jumble of wires, and electrical equipment that’s necessary for functionality. The product also acts to help standardize not only the look and feel of externally mounted boxes but also the power connectivity, providing a routing for AC power to move first through a metering device and then to a single disconnect or circuit breaker before going on to other equipment in or on the small cell pole.

This method enables the utility whose workers will need to power up the equipment once installed, or maintain it should that become necessary, to work around or with the small cell equipment safely. Through this kind of product standardization, utility workers can cut the power to an entire small cell site with a single breaker, being confident that they have eliminated exposure to live lines that may be providing power to the site. The units also add a layer of protection for the public, who will be in far closer proximity to these installations than ever before, due to the necessity for them to be so close to the devices themselves. The combination AC disconnect enclosure is an elegant solution that furthers the carrier’s desire for a 5G rollout that blends into the landscape while also providing electrical protection and safety.

Read More: https://www.raycap.com/streamline-your-rollout/

5G mmWave small cell installations are a challenge for operators who face pressures from both city planners and the public with regard to equipment placement and aesthetics. The understanding that 5G networks must utilize more equipment packed into more dense spaces to provide full functionality without dead regions is being pushed back by those who wish to keep their cityscapes looking as they did in the past. All progress in the technological arena involves equipment, and without that equipment mounted and positioned as necessary, the technological forward motion cannot happen. There must be a balance between the technology and the living spaces of human beings to create a pleasant environment, and the modern “smart city” is designed to be more functional than ever while also hiding the necessary equipment from public view to maintain the look and feel of the region. Few people want to live in an area that is overly dominated by industrial equipment, so 5G rollouts have been punctuated by the need to also create concealment possibilities that are technologically advanced as well as pleasing. With 5G mmWave small cell network nodes needing to be positioned at or just above street level in many cases, and within one-tenth of a mile of each other, this challenge increases significantly.

The effort to move forward on approvals and installations while still moving toward online connectivity is being tackled by Raycap, a company that develops innovative concealment solutions that are both flexible and technologically advanced. Through a multitude of concealment types ranging from partially concealed to fully concealed, Raycap is using innovation to speed the process of 5G rollout unobtrusively. Just a few of these innovations are seen in the use of its InvisiWave^® concealment technology, new integrated poles and side-mounted enclosures, rooftop solutions, and additional elements like AC disconnects featuring Strikesorb surge protection designed to ease installations and ongoing maintenance. InvisiWave technology enables the concealment of 5G mmWave radios and antennae with a material that does not hinder or degrade the performance of the 5G signal.

Through the development of streamlined and uniform mounting arrangements that can be used on small cell poles or pole-mounted enclosures, the installation of 5G equipment within densely packed urban areas at street level is easy with almost no visual impact on the appeal of the region. Where poles cannot provide the installation needed then rooftop solutions, externally mounted building enclosures and a myriad of other methods of concealing equipment can be used. It is possible to utilize artistic measures to mimic colors, textures, and visual elements to provide a visual blending into a background. Using additional elements like AC quick disconnect systems, equipment installations can also be updated and worked on by utility maintenance workers in a far less risky way, enabling the cutoff of power to the installation quickly and easily. Through these types of innovations in concealment and electrical protection and access, Raycap is leading the way towards faster and more simplified 5G rollouts within nearly any city environment, giving 5G mmWave networks the ability to improve the lives of citizens without negatively impacting them.

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While “out of sight out of mind” is certainly the mindset that drives the use of specific enclosures such as street cabinets that hide the existence of telecom equipment, it is not primarily driving the need behind concealment of small cell 5G components. While the creation of a visual landscape that is not dominated by the equipment used in the process of keeping us connected is a motivating factor, the consistency and equipment used under that concealment structure as well as the ability to easily access or disconnect it quickly is also a factor. With the advent of 5G technology we as citizens will have a better experience with regards to the speed of information download and streaming to our devices, but we may do so at the expense of landscape and aesthetics sometimes. The previous generations of connectivity equipment set the standard that we’re used to with placement of radios and antenna at the tops of towers in a distributed base station architecture that can communicate some distance – a mile or more –  while ultimately providing a good cell phone signal. We have grown used to the visual aspect of a cellular tower or equipment every mile or so and understood that the “blight” on the landscape was necessary in order to provide convenience and coverage. 5G technology provides far faster speeds, but the distances between installations must be placed at far shorter distances due to the different signal and frequencies. The desire for faster download speeds means people will need to get used to the mounting and installation of far more equipment, equipment that will be placed closer together and almost at street level in many cases. Simply put, this creates a situation where we will be better connected but the landscape becomes dominated by the equipment providing that connection. Through both unique technology as well as innovative concealment techniques, operators have developed both standardized and completely unique methods of placing the equipment used in the 5G process “out of sight.”

Structures are identified as being in the correct place and position in order to provide the nodes for 5G equipment used in a network. These structures are chosen due to their placement distances from the other small cell sites, as signal degradation creates “dead spots” where signal strength reduces dramatically. This creates a situation where 5G equipment must be positioned within or connected to structures that already exist in a specific place. If that structure offers a high point like the roof of a building, the challenge becomes ways of placing that equipment on top the building so as to provide 5G coverage. Another way might be to mount the 5G equipment in a concealed box that is made to match existing architecture and mount it on the side of a building. Through the use of innovative techniques as well as materials that allow the 5G mmWave signals to pass through with little to no degradation of the signal, the goal is always to place the equipment where it is not going to be noticed. If the equipment cannot be hidden inside a structure, then the creation of a housing that mounts to the structure externally but still blends into the totality of the landscape is preferrable. Raycap, utilizing it’s STEALTH product line as well as unique materials like InvisiWave^® allows 5G mmWave equipment to be appropriately and beautifully concealed while also providing the best signal strength necessary.