The new classification, UL 2108, replaces UL 1598. A team of Nextek engineers and employees authored the document, with guidance from UL regarding safety certification requirements for this innovative retrofit product. The classification and Nextek’s instructions make it easy for building owners and managers to switch out AC ballasts and replace them with DC ballasts, which can reduce the cost of operating luminaires significantly.

Usually, no other changes to the luminaires or the lamps are necessary to accommodate the DC ballasts.

Paul Savage, Nextek Power System’s CEO, said, “We believe our low voltage DC lighting ballasts are the most efficient dimming fluorescent ballasts in the world. Connecting them to our Direct Coupling^® Power Server Module (PSM) makes the total system the most efficient commercially available anywhere.

Nextek manufactures ballasts and power supplies for multiple types of T8, T5, CFL and Biax lamps, Emergency Ballasts, and DC Ceiling Fans.  All products are registered with the EMerge Alliance and compatible with that organization’s 24V DC Occupied Space standard.

To view the press release in its entirety, please see this article.

Nextek joins Canadian Solar, Intel Corporation, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and People Power Company in the collaborative effort, which is designed to showcase technology that will change the way China manages, controls and consumes energy. The project will integrate renewable energy sources and storage batteries to serve building electrical loads through one-touch mobile and web-based energy management systems and controls.

This effort is especially significant because Chinese building energy consumption methods, if unchanged, could account for 20 percent of the world’s 2020 global coal consumption, according to the National Resources Defense Council. New Chinese building energy codes call for at least 50 percent energy savings at less than a 10 percent cost increase, compared to existing building costs.

Nextek Power Systems’ role will be to introduce the first Direct Coupling® Microgrid in mainland China that will incorporate diverse energy loads such as direct-current lighting, air conditioning, data centers, electrical vehicle charging and building plug loads.

“Nextek Power Systems is delighted to be working with our friends at LBNL, Intel, People Power Company, Canadian Solar and Xiamen University to field our first significant installation in the country,” said Paul Savage, CEO of Nextek Power Systems. “We think the opportunities that will spring from this are endless.”

People Power Company will provide cloud-based energy management, control and behavioral analytics applications that will enable building managers to control and manage building loads. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will develop methods and algorithms for the optimal equipment choice and operation of direct-current microgrids. Canadian Solar will provide customized solar panels for this rooftop solar system and Intel will provide technical expertise and advice on the research

The summit will consist of two days of discussions surrounding numerous topics, including next generation infrastructure, mobility, global Internet, Software-as-a-Service, Big Data, clean technology and several others. Attendees include top executives from leading public and private technology companies, tech-focused public market investors, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and corporate development executives from top acquirers. Among other topics, Mr. Savage will discuss Nextek’s Direct Current technology, which relies primarily on photovoltaic (solar) energy, and can be deployed in buildings and campuses, offering significant energy savings.

Mr. Savage is a regular participant at events promoting renewable energy around the world. For example, last June he took part in a Roundtable on Clean Energy sponsored by the Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) held in Cambridge, England. REEEP is a non-profit, specialist change agent aiming to catalyze the market for renewable energy and energy efficiency, with a primary focus on emerging markets and developing countries.

Solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal and other energy sources are all subject to large changes in the amount of power they can produce at any particular time. Clouds block the sun, the wind dies, water flow changes—how can we balance our energy needs with what we can produce?

A company in California has taken a first step towards anticipating and managing renewable energy sources. Space Time Insight has developed geospatial and visual analytics solutions that synthesize real-time meteorological, geothermal and other data into intuitive visual displays that help energy managers anticipate power production. Several utility companies are already using the company’s software to help them augment power from the traditional electrical grid. By monitoring conditions, energy managers can tap into available sources and plan for shortages before they happen.

Nextek Power Systems’ Direct Current equipment and systems are part of this movement towards energy independence, and use a similar approach. Our building and microgrid solutions, which are based on solar power generation, automatically manage available power sources, drawing from solar panels, then battery storage, before they tap into the AC grid, to keep energy expenses as low as possible for customers. This is the future of electric power.

Currently, renewable energy accounts for less than 2 percent of power generation at MSU. In addition, the university’s T.B. Simon Power Plant has been named by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as Michigan’s 25th biggest polluter, so the move to renewable energy should make a significant impact on the campus environment and energy costs.

The MSU plan includes improving the physical environment of the campus, using the campus as a laboratory for developing new technologies, and applying the knowledge gained towards improving the quality of life for local, regional and national communities.

Nextek Power Systems, Inc. applauds the Michigan State University initiative. Nextek is an industry leader in the design and implementation of Direct Current microgrids for buildings and campuses. Microgrids offer a variety of advantages to many facilities, especially those that need to run independently of the AC grid, in case of a supply failure, or a terrorist attack. Many government offices and military installations are already at work planning for such systems.

But recent advancements in DC technology may ultimately reverse that century-old decision.

AC power has its drawbacks. Its extremely high voltages and amperages make it dangerous to handle. The ever-expanding use of semi conductors in most of the appliances and equipment we use today, which only use DC, means AC power must be converted, and that process causes up to a 30% power loss, mostly through heat. In addition, worldwide concern over depleting resources like oil and coal, which are used to create electricity, has industries and governments looking towards renewable sources for power creation, such as solar, wind and biofuels, all of which produce DC.

DC’s ability to run on renewable energy sources is also attractive to facilities that need to operate in “island mode,” independent of the AC grid, in case of a supply failure or for the purpose of energy security. Building systems that incorporate small, self-contained electricity distribution networks known as microgrids are also of interest to governments and especially military installations that worry about terrorist attacks.

The growing DC industry, of which Nextek Power Systems, Inc. is a proud member, has made significant progress in creating equipment and systems that save not only valuable resources, but also energy expenses for the businesses and organizations that use them. A recent Nextek demonstration project at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona showed how DC power could save the Army base in energy costs now, and save millions of dollars in the future by avoiding reconfiguration costs thanks to the DC system’s flexibility compared to AC.  Additionally, because the installation uses renewable energy created at the site, it is not at the mercy of the AC grid for its power.

Past problems with transmission have been solved too, as the recent installation of DC power systems, covering hundreds of miles, have been seen in Europe and China. In the not too distant future DC power may be the dominant mode of electrical transmission, and Thomas Edison may regain his stature as the king of electricity.

Nextek Power Systems CEO Paul Savage (a founding member of the EMerge Alliance®) was among the presenters in a recent webinar on “Direct DC Power Systems for Efficiency and Renewable Energy Integration.” The event was sponsored by the Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Program.

Renewable energy accounted for 14.3 percent of the domestically produced electricity in the United States in the first six months of 2011, according to the US Energy Information Administration’s Electric Power Monthly. Forecasts predict it will grow to more than 20 percent by 2030. Increased residential use could push that figure much higher, and Nextek and the companies it collaborates with are working towards both goals.

Mr. Savage spoke on Nextek’s work to develop standards for the equipment and systems that are emerging for real-world use. To see the slide presentation he offered for the webinar, visit the government’s Energy Efficient Standards web page, and scroll to “Attachments.”

The rationale for greater dependence on DC power is strong. More and more devices, ranging from computers to smart phones to appliances, incorporate semiconductors, which run only on DC power. The increased use of electric vehicles, which can be charged using DC power, adds to that use. The power loss that results from converting AC power from the electrical grid to DC is large, and the production of AC power replies heavily on depleting resources such as oil and coal. However, much DC power can be generated from renewable sources, particularly solar.

For decades, the drawback of DC power has been significant loss over even moderate transmission distances. But with the genesis of microgrid technology—small locations that produce their own power and draw from the grid (or add to it!) only when needed, the advantages of DC become clearer. Add to that advancements in storage technology, and DC power is definitely the wave of the future.

Grid systems distribute and manage low-voltage DC power to lighting fixtures, sensors and other electrical devices, and are so safe and flexible, they allow for the repurposing and reconfiguration of spaces without the need to rewire.

Because they are direct current, grid systems can utilize renewable energy sources, in particular solar. They also tie in to advanced controls and LED lighting, which makes operation of devices more energy efficient and easier to manage.

The USGBC project was a collaborative effort among Nextek and other industry leaders including Armstrong whose Ceiling & Wall Systems’ DC FlexZone Grid System was the platform for the technology. Nextek Power Systems manufactured the power supply modules for use in the system, Crestron Electronics provided lighting control systems  and TE Connectivity provided structured cabling and interconnects.

The DC FlexZone Grid System is a pre-engineered ceiling suspension system that provides a ready infrastructure for the delivery of low-voltage direct current power.

Nextek, Armstrong and their partners are all members of the EMerge Alliance®, an industry association that promotes the adoption of safe DC power distribution standards and use throughout commercial buildings.

Americans have been talking about lessening the nation’s dependence on oil (especially foreign-produced) since the Carter administration, but for many years, there was little advancement towards this goal. Now, recent developments in renewable energy and microgrid technology, and a presidential directive, have prompted many businesses and government agencies to undertake efforts to augment traditional power grid supplies with systems that will both save money and lessen environmental impacts.

The evidence occurs with increasing regularity. In the hospitality industry, one of the most intensive power users in the country, hundreds of hotel sites have opted to develop microgrids that incorporate solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and other technologies to reduce the need for grid power. Glenn Hasak of the Green Lodging News, has listed dozens of them on his site. They range from The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne to the Lova Lava Land Eco-Resort in Hawaii.

Following President Obama’s directive to federal agencies to make $2 billion worth of energy efficiency upgrades over the next two years, Fort Bliss, the country’s biggest military facility, a 1.2-million acre base in West Texas and New Mexico, has awarded a $16 million contract for the construction and operation of a microgrid.

Several other military installations are looking at similar development projects. In addition to cost savings and environmental concerns, microgrid power affords some security from internet-based attacks against power utilities, an increasing concern among cyber security experts. According to the contractor, Johnson Controls, the project is expected to save Fort Bliss $39 million in energy costs over the next 24 years.

Even traditional power utilities are beginning to embrace the concept of microgrids. According to Phil Carson, of intelligentutility.com, “an increase in distributed generation in general—not just renewable energy resources—has driven interest.” Changes to IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) standards in 2011 also helped sway them. The companies are looking to microgrids to increase their potential power production without adding to their infrastructure.

Microgrids are becoming an increasingly popular power solution for companies, agencies and even communities. For more information regarding how a microgrid system could benefit your organization, contact Nextek Power Systems at (877) 24VOLTS or visit us at www.nextekpower.com.