The Streamlining Of A 5G Rollout

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

The 5G small cell rollout happening across the entire world is creating issues with regard to both functionality as well as aesthetics. This is happening for a simple reason, there is a significant amount of equipment involved in the installation of a 5G small cell site, and there needs to be a lot more of them than previous 4G networks. As a matter of fact, the current amount of 154,000 small cell sites that are in existence as of 2019 is expected to increase 5X to more than 800,000 by 2026. Aside from the increasing demand for 5G connectivity by customers, the reason there are so many small cell sites predicted to be installed is because of connectivity. The higher frequencies involved in 5G have a shorter propagation distance than 4G macro towers, and to create a seamless network without dead spots small cells generally need to be within one tenth of a mile of one another.  The increased number of installations that is necessary calls for the utilization of existing structures at street level so as to not overwhelm the aesthetics of a region in a negative way with lots of new structures. This is why the obvious choice to use streetlight poles as small cell sites makes sense. Raycap has solutions to both  safely and aesthetically address how small cell sites are designed and they work with carriers, real estate partners and municipalities to develop the best fit concealment solutions for these sites.

An interesting and not inconsequential aspect of 5G small site installations is the need for AC power that must run to the components involved. Since Raycap are experts at both concealments and power management solutions, it only made sense for them to develop products that support the power needs at small cell installations. Each installation will have multiple radios, some operating on different 5G bands. There are also radios that will fill in blind spots through providing 4G services. Each radio needs AC power and fiber backhaul connectivity. When combined with the antennas and other ancillary equipment that is used at small cell sites, all being mounted directly overhead of pedestrians, one can easily see the issues regarding power management. Utility workers needing to make installations, upgrades and repairs are also in contact with these installations. The new combo AC disconnect units from Raycap combine and standardize the installation of electrical equipment into a slimline aesthetically pleasing unit that can also be adapted to blend into the background of whatever it is being placed upon. The units are designed to bring the power in from the bottom of the enclosure and then up into the equipment above it inside the pole, solving the issue of unsightly wires being run up the poles and to the equipment. The AC disconnect allows the power service to be easily disconnected when necessary, contains an area for a power meter and electrical surge protection. It brings the power from the disconnect to a load center and distributes it through multiple breakers and ultimately to the equipment necessary in the small cell installation. Through the use of Raycap’s combo disconnect enclosures, the 5G rollout becomes more streamlined and standardized, as well as safer.

Urban Planning Challenges and 5G

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

The ongoing rollout of 5G wireless services across metropolitan areas is creating both challenges and opportunities for urban planners and city officials. Within already congested regions where citizens, buildings and infrastructure elements are densely packed together, the additional integration of 5G connectivity poses issues. While the benefits of 5G networks are obvious, with faster speeds and higher bandwidths allowing for ultra-high definition video, access to educational and entertainment services from any region, as well as financial service access in regions where there are no banks physically present, we find that the technological rollout of 5G networks poses some significant challenges. Part of this is due to the limited distances that some high frequency 5G signals can travel without being diminished, and connections weakened or dropped completely. The traditional 4G macro cell site can maintain distances of more than a mile without connection loss, but 5G mm Wave cell sites must be placed within less than one tenth of that distance to achieve the same connectivity. 5G mmWave small cell sites also must be lower to the ground in order to provide the necessary connectivity, meaning there must be from 6 to 12 more 5G cell sites in a region than previous 4G iterations. This need for such an increased number of sites in order to maintain reliable connectivity poses issues for those in charge of development of city landscapes, both from a safety and aesthetic standpoint.

In order to advance urban regions to “smart city” levels through the rollout of fully covered areas of 5G connectivity, city planners are finding a key to success through the utilization of a staple on city streets, the streetlight pole. Through the use of this street fixture, the integration of 5G equipment can be achieved within the positions it needs to be and at the distances necessary for optimum connectivity. New lighting poles and other concealment solutions can be designed by Raycap design engineers with input from the carrier, real estate partner, integration partner and the municipality, allowing for a final product that the citizens will approve and will also complete the carrier’s mission of installing a 5G network. By concealing all the 5G site components and radios with designs that support the technology, such as InvisiWave®, Raycap’s material which can be used to conceal 5G mmWave radios and antenna with little to no signal degradation, both the carrier and the city’s needs are being met. Raycap’s STEALTH products are defined by a wide array of solutions, not only streetlight poles, but also side-mounted boxes or enclosures painted and made to blend in with an existing building, rooftop screens and side-mounted shrouds accompanied by pole toppers or “radomes”. All of these solutions are at the disposal of the carrier and the municipality and are presently being installed in many different municipalities in the United States. By providing solutions for the concealment of equipment, the 5G “smart city” is no longer a dream of the future, it is here today.

Read More: https://www.raycap.com/wp-content/uploads/EV-Charger-Global-Application-paper_EN.pdf

One of the biggest hindrances to the more widespread adoption of electric vehicles in the United States is the difficulties in locating charging stations.  Tesla has spent a significant amount of time and effort as well as funds to create a private network of supercharging stations that will ultimately boost the sales of their vehicles due to their wide accessibility. Tesla has deployed fast charging technology methods which decreases the charging time for their vehicles (and others only if they have a specific adapter) significantly over what is expected at the current time. This hindrance to the remainder of the electric vehicle market has caused a slower adoption of these types of vehicles in the United States, and although there is a push from both environmentalists as well as government agencies to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions, we still face a profitability issue. For private industry to roll out expanded installations of electric vehicle charging stations, there needs to be more electric vehicles on the road. 

The desire to get EV manufacturing and sales to over the current 2% of the market in the US is impacted by the lack of available charging stations. This vicious circle will need government intervention to move forward. That intervention is here in the form of the two trillion dollar infrastructure bill that is being pushed by President Joe Biden. It’s uncertain at this time the fate of this infrastructure bill, even though a majority of Americans would welcome it, congress will have to find a way to move forward. With the adoption of the EV part of this program, President Biden believes that there can be more than 500,000 fast-charging electric vehicle charging stations installed throughout the United States by 2030.  This infrastructure will need significant cooperation from the private sector which can project profitability within the industry, as well as count on tax incentives and grants to help build out this charging infrastructure.

The cost of the level-three charging station can be between 120 and $260,000 to install, and even though it is projected that these fast chargers will be able to deliver an 80% capacity within 10 minutes, their high cost of both installation and operation and slower development of the technologies needed has created a slow rollout. If the Bill passes, through the public and private sector cooperation it is projected that the electric vehicle market will be able to significantly increase as well as provide profitability for the companies involved. There are currently around 41,400 charging stations in the United States, and fewer than 5000 of them are fast chargers. When compared to the 136,400 gas stations, the issue regarding private businesses expanding their footprints to include charging stations is clear. Until more electric vehicles are put on the road, the mainstream businesses involved in providing the charges will move forward very slowly.

Through the reduction of operating costs, the incentive of profitability is greater.  It has been shown that the integration of technology such as the advanced surge protection devices offered by Raycap to the industry can significantly reduce operational costs over time through the avoidance of damage as a result of electrical surges and lightning strikes. Raycap is leading the charge to the adoption of more charging stations in the United States.

Electric Vehicle Adoption Rates Are Slowed By Private Industry
Read More: https://www.raycap.com/wp-content/uploads/EV-Charger-Global-Application-paper_EN.pdf

As part of the two trillion dollar infrastructure bill that is being advanced through the United States government at this point, tax incentives and rebates for electric vehicle buyers as well as those involved in the industry are one of the premier aspects. The desire to convert more vehicles that are on the road in the United States to electric has been in play for many years, advancing slowly but not fast enough to have a meaningful impact on climate change. At the current date only 2% of the 17,000,000 cars that are sold every year in the United States are electric. While each major vehicle manufacturer is offering an electric vehicle at this point, more must be done in order to change the trajectory of consumer point of view in order to achieve their goals. Solutions must be provided that will make the ownership of an electric vehicle easier for people in the United States, and although Tesla has made great strides in solving the major issues for their own customers, these advances in technology have not helped the industry is a whole. Tesla has done what they have done in order to sell more of their own vehicles, and the solutions that have been developed are exclusive for their own products. Aside from the stylishness and power levels that are achieved by Tesla vehicles, one of the main improvements that has been made has been in the availability of charging stations and the swiftness with which those stations can charge your car. Tesla has created a completely autonomous network of fast charging stations that will serve Tesla vehicles (and others only with a special adapter) and will provide a full charge in around half an hour’s time. This same timeframe must be achieved within a wider range of universal fast charging stations in order to advance general electric vehicle ownership with United States consumers, and there must be more of them to make charging more convenient. At the current time there are only 41,400 electric vehicle charging stations in the United States and fewer than 5000 are able to provide an 80% charge in less than ½ hour. In order to create a wider network of fast chargers, the government has realized that they must infuse benefits into the private sector which will encourage the building of more fast charging stations. Level-three chargers cost nearly $250,000 to install and are expensive to operate. A consideration in the maintenance of these fast charging stations is the damage that can result from lightning strikes and overvoltage events coming from the grid. In addition to the incentives that the government is offering, private industries are providing technologically advanced solutions which will also bring down the costs of operation. Raycap has done its part to develop technologically advanced power surge protection devices that can be integrated into the footprint of a vehicle charging stations, ultimately driving down the ongoing cost of operations over time. This can help to increase profitability as the market continues to grow and push forward towards the goal of 500,000 charging stations nationwide before 2030.

Surge Protection Devices

Read More: https://www.raycap.com/surge-protection/

When you say “surge protection devices” the public is apt to think of surge strips that can be bought at Walmart or any convenience store.  These are the relatively crude devices that you have in your home, and that you probably bought because it would give you the ability to plug several appliances into one outlet.  The most common reason that people purchase surge protection devices is that they want to use several electronic devices in the same general vicinity, and have concerns that they might overload the system if they plug all of the components into extension cords or other devices that provide the ability to have multiple plugs.  While this is certainly a concern, the main reason for surge protection devices is not to give you more outlets. Instead, it is to protect the equipment that you have connected to the electrical power source through the surge protection device.  They were created for one specific reason, to provide protection against the overload of circuitry on expensive electronic equipment by stopping the flow of electricity if it exceeds a certain level.  The concept originated with circuit breakers, where the electrical supply to a residence or business was controlled by a series of breakers which would disengage if the electrical current exceeded a specific amount.  The only way to restore this level of power would be to reset the breaker.  The same concept applies to surge protection devices that exist within your home or business as well.  These devices provide a more accurate level of protection in that they are more sensitive to the specific amounts of electricity flowing.  Even though the circuit breaker may also be employed in this capacity, the surge protection device works in a far more sophisticated manner.  When your computer or other sensitive equipment are plugged into a surge protection device that is plugged into your power supply outlet, you provide the next level of protection against even minor surges that happen every day.  The flow of electricity may be regulated but it is far from consistent, and even minor fluctuations that exceed the levels that computer circuitry can withstand will ultimately shorten the life of that component, if not destroy the circuitry completely.  While residential and light industrial surge protection devices are important, industrial surge protection is even more critical.

Industrial surge protection devices work in much the same way as residential surge protection devices do, only with more robust housings and components that enable them to function on higher electrical flow levels.  Residential electrical levels are nowhere near what is necessary for industrial facilities to function, and in addition industrial businesses generally utilize far more expensive equipment than a residence will.  Therefore industrial surge protection devices must utilize the highest level of technological development and advancement in order to continue to protect our ever expanding and connected industries.  Every year the stakes go up, and every year the need for industrial surge protection devices rises as well.

How Government Is Aiding In EV Development

Read More: https://www.raycap.com/wp-content/uploads/EV-Charger-Global-Application-paper_EN.pdf

Emerging industries can usually rely on the government for some assistance to a certain degree, especially if that industry is beneficial to the whole of society.  Over the course of the last 30 years there has been a push to create more solutions that will reduce carbon emissions in the United States, one of the primary aspects of this being the reduction of gas-powered vehicles.  The push by environmentalists for a wider spread adoption on the part of the public for electric vehicles has run into some stumbling blocks and adoption has been slow because of the general perception of the vehicles being impractical.  For many years electric vehicles were viewed as underpowered and not stylish, as well as ineffective at traveling long distances due to low battery capacities and a lack of convenient charging stations outside of the home.  To charge your car and home it will take several hours, and the universal charging station network in the United States overwhelmingly features chargers take more than an hour to deliver an 80% charge.  This is proven to be problematic for wider spread adoption of electric vehicles.  Tesla has made strides to impact wider adoption of their products, but this has not improved the market in general because the Tesla network of superchargers is specific for Tesla vehicles, and others but only with a specialized adapter. In order to push American ownership of electric vehicles past the 2% mark where it currently is at the time of this writing, more fast charging stations need to be built.  Private industry is slow to build new stations due to their expense when compared to the amount of people that are driving electric vehicles overall in the US.  The cost of a new level three charging station that can deliver an 80% charge in under ½ hour is nearly ¼ million dollars, and the ongoing operations are expensive because of potential damage to the sensitive equipment.  The equipment utilized in the process is expensive and easily damaged by electrical surges caused by nearby lightning strikes and/or power surges from the grid. This is so even as the footprint of these faster charger stations need to be expanded.  A wider footprint means a higher possibility of damage as a result of lightning strikes to an area, and ultimately can factor into the decision making of private industry into making the investments necessary due to build out the network infrastructure for EV charging. Through government incentives that are baked into the two trillion dollar infrastructure bill that currently proposed in the US Congress, as well as ongoing improvements to the technological aspects of the process, it is with high hopes that projections of more than 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations can be installed in the United States by 2030.  If this goal is to be accomplished, a major impact on climate change could be achieved as more people switch to driving electric cars.  One of the ways that private industry is assisting in this process is through the development of more robust specialty surge protection devices that are integrated into the systems by the manufacturers of the EV chargers before they are even installed in order to protect the equipment when power surges happen. Raycap has developed the most technologically advanced industrial surge protection devices in the world, and is playing a significant role in the expansion of electric vehicle market as a result.

More Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Are Necessary

Read More: https://www.raycap.com/wp-content/uploads/EV-Charger-Global-Application-paper_EN.pdf

US President Joe Biden is presently pushing for an expanded adoption of electric vehicle technology by both the public as well as private industry as part of his two trillion-dollar infrastructure Bill that is being debated in the US Congress.  He and many others in his administration recognize the need to significantly reduce carbon emissions in the United States and the world in order to have a viable planet for Americans and citizens of the world to live and thrive upon. The plan also provides tax incentives as well as rebates and government funding of programs that will attempt to sway more people’s decision to switch over from gas-powered to electric powered vehicles.  In the United States, the desire to have at least 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations installed throughout the country is the priority.  This would solve one of the issues that has proven to be a major factor in the decision-making process when people are choosing to purchase a new car.  They perceive electric vehicles as being underpowered and difficult to charge, simply because it takes a long time to charge at their home and they cannot find universal charging stations conveniently.  There are 41,400 electric vehicle charging stations in the United States and fewer than 5000 of them are the type three fast charging stations.  Compare this with more than 136,400 gas stations nationwide, and you can see how those who are considering switching from gas to electric powered vehicles are dissuaded by the ability to charge their vehicle when not at home.  Most existing electric vehicle charging stations are going to take more than an hour to charge the vehicle 80%, which is perceived as being insufficient to create more customers.  These are many of the reasons that the electric vehicle market accounts for only 2% of the vehicles sold in the United States each year.  As Joe Biden and the government realizes, there must be a wider rollout of electric vehicle charging stations for there to be a wider adoption of electric vehicles by the public.  Although Tesla has made great strides in convincing the public that an electric vehicle can be everything that you wanted it to be, their network of charging stations is not universal, and charges Tesla vehicles and others but only with a specific adapter. This proves that there must be government cooperation with private industry in order to facilitate more of an installation incentive for universal charging stations.  The level-three chargers will cost nearly $250,000 to be installed, and service less than 2% of the vehicles on the road, so the current profit margin seems difficult to justify the price.  While the infrastructure bill would make it more attractive for private businesses to become involved in the space, there needs to be more done to bring down the costs of both installation and ongoing operation in order to push the industry forward. Raycap is doing its part with the creation of technologically advanced surge protection devices which when installed by the manufacturer of the electric vehicle charging stations, can reduce the ongoing operational costs by mitigating cost risk from electrical surges.  By avoiding ongoing expected damage that comes as a result of power surges and lightning strike surge activity, manufacturers can improve the profitability and reduce downtime. Through this multipronged attack on the disadvantages of electric vehicle operation and profitability of charging stations, the goal of 500,000 by 2030 is possible.

More Electric Vehicles Means The Need For More Convenient Charging Stations

Read More: https://www.raycap.com/wp-content/uploads/EV-Charger-Global-Application-paper_EN.pdf

Electric vehicles are nothing new and have been around for many years.  Only over the course of the last 10 years have we seen a growing demand for electric vehicles that has increased in pace, namely due to the success of Tesla as a company. One of the main issues that has been overcome by Tesla in order to create a more widespread use of their product has been the creation of a network of charging stations that can be used by their vehicles, and only by other EVs if a special adapter is used. This private network can service other electric vehicles but only with an adapter, which generally promotes Tesla as a brand but does not solve the issue that is faced by the industry as a whole: the need for universal charging stations.  One of the greatest hindrances to electric vehicle ownership is the perception that the vehicles cannot go very far in between charges, and there are simply not enough charging stations to be convenient.  For example, there are roughly 136,400 gas stations in the United States and only 41,400 electric vehicle charging stations.  Of those charging stations that exist, as of this writing only 5000 are fast charging which means that the remainder of those charging stations will need vehicles to park for more than an hour in order to gain an 80% charge. With these types of encumbrances to wider adoption, the United States faces an uphill battle changing people’s minds. While the conservation effort is not being rejected by the population, they still do not want to be inconvenienced by their choice of vehicle. For this reason, many people who would like to own an electric vehicle still choose to drive a gas-powered vehicle. The answer to wider spread adoption is to create a more robust grid of universal electric vehicle charging stations that will work on more of a variety of vehicles. The United States government is attempting to encourage this to happen by providing tax incentives and rebates as a part of the infrastructure Bill that is currently being worked on in Congress. But that Bill is anything but a sure thing, even though it  would provide monetary benefits to those not only driving electric vehicles, but to those businesses who are participating in the expansion of the electric vehicle market in general. These incentives would translate to more companies creating businesses that will function within the electrical vehicle space, both producing more charging stations as well as upgraded chargers.  The faster the charger, the more expensive the charging station is to install, many times costing upwards of $250,000. By bringing down the cost of install or operation through incentivized programs, the United States hopes to encourage the public to purchase more electric vehicles.

One of the ways that the costs of operation of an electric vehicle charging station can be brought down is through the integration by the OEM or integration partner of more robust surge protection devices. This is because lightning and power surges are one of the largest costs of operation due to the damage that can be expected if there is a lightning strike or power surge near the equipment. Through the protection of this expensive equipment, the costs of operation and can be reduced, resulting in higher levels of uptime, profitability and attracting new players into the market.

Surge Protection Of EV Charging Stations

Read More: https://www.raycap.com/wp-content/uploads/EV-Charger-Global-Application-paper_EN.pdf

The lack of available charging stations nationwide in the United States has led to a slower adoption of electric vehicle ownership by the public, and the public shies away from electric vehicle ownership because of the lack available charging stations.  This vicious circle has proven to be a hinderance to the wider spread growth of the industry, ultimately resulting in slower than hoped results with regard to reversing carbon emissions.  There are 17,000,000 new cars sold every year in the United States, and only 2% of that total is represented by vehicles that are either fully electric or hybrid gas and electric. In order to create a climate where electric vehicle ownership is more widespread, government interaction has been necessary which will incentivize both private ownership as well as business development of the different aspects of the industry. Where profitability of a new electric vehicle charging station is difficult, the US government has plans to subsidize with tax benefits and other incentive programs. These incentives are designed to push private industry further with regard to the development of the current administration’s goal of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations in the United States by 2030. To achieve this goal, it is assumed that far more vehicle owners will choose the electric over gas. The installation cost of a new level three charger can be upwards of $260,000, and even though these advanced chargers can deliver a charge in as little as 10 minutes, they are few and far between in the United States. There are only 5000 fast chargers of the 41,400 electric vehicle charging stations in the US, compared to more than 135,000 gas stations. This has been one of the major hurdles which has been identified by the government. The two trillion dollar Infrastructure Bill that’s making its way through Congress addresses what the government could do to help. It is up to private industry to do the rest to move the country forward with electric vehicle ownership.

One company that is doing its part in this respect is Raycap, who has developed the technologically advanced line of surge protection devices for electric vehicle charging stations. Through the integration of more robust surge protection devices into the footprint of a high-powered charging station environment, the ongoing costs of operation can be reduced significantly. This is because downtime leads to more costs, and one of the main costs associated with this industry is ongoing maintenance of equipment as a result of lightning strikes and power surges coming from the grid. The wider footprint and expensive circuitry of high-powered charging stations brings a greater risk of damage and loss as a result of lightning strikes. Only through wider adoption and better methods of damage avoidance can operational costs be reduced. Through their products, Raycap expects to help a large number of electric vehicle charging manufacturers and operators to bring down the ongoing costs associated with the industry, ultimately resulting in more stations being built. The electric vehicle market is still emerging, and through private and public sector cooperation we can achieve the current administration’s goal of 500,000 chargers by 2030.