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PV Surge Protection

PV Surge Protection

Most in the solar power industry recognize PV surge protection systems as one of the most effective methods to increase profitability for solar power plant operators. This is accomplished in two forms, both associated with the same surge protective devices installed within the systems. First, inclement weather and the environmental factors that impact exposed equipment in the field are a significant risk of loss, with lightning strikes to solar panels creating damage in the form of destroyed equipment that has been struck and damage to equipment directly connected to that panel. That equipment is damaged as a result of the subsequent power surge. The surge of electricity created by the lightning strike moves through the interconnected components from the strike point to a termination point, usually at the earth. This overwhelming electricity will damage sensitive computerized equipment at the circuit level, creating damaged components that all need to be repaired or replaced for full functionality.

While the damage to equipment within PV systems may seem like the most significant loss of profitability, it is not. Instead, the more considerable losses come in the form of downtime when photovoltaic systems are not producing power even though the free energy source of the sun is available. Improvement to the systems includes longer uptimes when the sun critical to maintaining profitability, as there is no ongoing fuel cost like in other systems. Instead, the PV system can produce power as long as the sun shines and the system is online. When these components are taken offline due to lightning strikes or the need for repairs, they are not producing power at their full capacity, ultimately impacting the company directly by producing less electricity to sell.

The solution to this issue is the installation of surge protective devices within inverter locations, string boxes, and along the pathways that a power surge can travel. These are the only effective means of avoiding the damage itself and keeping the systems producing during opportune times. Many manufacturers of inverters must be integrating surge protective devices directly into the builds, creating a superior inverter that will withstand the natural occurrences of lightning strikes far more than previous generations of the same equipment. The maximum protection levels can be achieved when used in combination with surge protective devices at junction boxes within the facility. This ensures the continued functionality of the PV systems where they are installed to the most significant degree technologically possible at this time. Through these integrations, we find that solar power is quickly becoming more of a potential energy leader than ever before imagined, proving its ability to create cleaner power and less expensive and more reliable reserves that can serve the needs of large regions.

Electric Vehicles And Power Surges

For many years, there was a stigma surrounding electric vehicles. They were viewed as underpowered and without style. For the most part, they were marketed to the portion of the population who cared about conservation and reducing the footprint that they themselves had on the planet. For these reasons, the car manufacturers did not prioritize the things that car buyers typically search for in a car, power, luxury and style. Instead, the cars were made to prioritize the economy and lower costs. Tesla changed all this with the introduction of a luxurious and powerful car and created a cult following as a result.

For this reason, the entire electric car market was lifted as other manufacturers put their own versions into production. The growing popularity of electric vehicles as a result of this wave of consumer interest is that Teslas also came with their own network of chargers that were able to deliver higher capacities. One issue that still remains problematic with electric vehicles is that they do not have the capabilities of range that equal gas-powered cars, and it takes a long time to charge them. A typical charge from a charging station is more than a two hour wait, Teslas being more like 30 minutes. Compare this with ten minutes at a gas station and you can see why there are less than 2% electric vehicles being sold in the United States every year. This small number hinders the interest that gas station owners would have in investing the money that is necessary to convert a portion of their space to electric vehicle charging. As a result, the electric car market stagnates to small growth numbers, overshadowed by Tesla that has a larger interest but not enough to make a dent in the gas-powered car market.

The charging issue is being tackled by a cooperative effort between the US government and the independent owners of gas and charging stations to expand the universal chargers network. These must be the upgraded “level 3” types capable of handling the higher loads necessary to charge vehicles within the 30 minutes that Tesla has benchmarked. A station owner’s investment to include this kind of technology is more than a quarter-million dollars in many cases, so the government is encouraging this investment with rebates and tax incentives. It is assumed that if a wider availability of rapid chargers is available, more people will buy all brands of electric cars, and therefore decrease the country’s reliance upon oil. One way this is being encouraged through the private sector is to create more technologically advanced surge protection for ev charging stations, which will help reduce the ongoing maintenance necessary. The risks associated with the operation of these types of stations come from many sources, including power surges and lightning strikes, which can damage vehicles and internal equipment. Through EV surge protection, these risks can be reduced enough to encourage investment.

EV Surge Protection For The Future

The electric vehicle market in the United States has exploded throughout the last few years, primarily due to the increasing price of gasoline. While many different factors are causing the prices to spike, it is widely understood that there is a time limit on the amount of time gasoline-powered vehicles will still be operational. It is estimated that the world supply of oil will run out sometime in the next few hundred years if current usage levels remain at their current levels. Because of this information, it is assumed that the oil-producing nations will be anxious to make as much money from the remaining supply as possible. Combined with the fact that the world’s population dramatically reduced travel over the past two years of the pandemic, they ultimately resulted in far less oil consumption than expected. These nations are trying to make up for their reductions in revenue by inflating prices, and many are predicting that gasoline prices will not come back down from current levels. This puts extreme pressure on electric vehicle manufacturers to move the technology of their products forward, solving some of the issues that have dissuaded electric vehicle purchases in the past.

One of the primary concerns with the electric vehicle market is the amount of time that it takes to recharge your vehicle. The comparable time spent on “refueling” at a gas station is less than 10 minutes, putting your car back on the road quickly and efficiently to travel another 200-400 miles before the need to stop. Electric vehicles will generally get around 200 miles before they need to be recharged. This process can take anywhere between 20 minutes to several hours, depending on the type of charging station you can locate. There is a nationwide push in the United States to develop a network of charging stations that can deliver a charge of 80% or more within 30 minutes to any electric vehicle, based on the “supercharger” technology that Tesla is currently employing for their cars exclusively. This technology enables a far larger electrical current to be delivered, and with that larger capacity comes the issues of electrical protection. There is a far larger footprint of interconnected equipment within these charging sites, making them a larger target for lightning strikes that will damage that equipment. Because of the exposed nature of these stations, a lightning strike is one of the major concerns that must be dealt with, ultimately for the protection of the public who tend to spend charging time inside their cars and for the conservation of funds needed keep that station profitable. By integrating EV surge protection devices at critical flow paths within these systems, we will be able to more reliably deliver these mega-charges that will bring down the time spent “refueling.” This development will assist the world in transitioning from gas to electric without significantly compromising the current refueling times.

EV Surge Protection Moving To The Future

Since just after its inception several years ago, Tesla has been the global leader in the electric vehicle market. This is because the Tesla company began to solve the issues hindering sales of electric vehicles through both technology and styling. One of the primary reasons that electric vehicles did not sell well in the past was the amount of power they produced and the style they presented. They did not appeal to a broad market that wanted the look of a sports car or a luxury car. Tesla changed all that by styling the car in a way that would appeal to this demographic and create a more powerful vehicle that appealed to those looking for speed and performance. This made the vehicles that Tesla produced come onto the radar of a group of buyers who typically avoided electric vehicles as underpowered and without style. Tesla also tackled the problem of recharging, which is still an issue in America, though not so much in Europe and other countries. Charging your vehicle meant plugging it in overnight at your home, or finding a charging station somewhere on the road. Tesla created a nationwide network of charging stations that were almost exclusive to Tesla owners and allowed for an easy method for finding them when driving. They also created a more high-powered fast charging station called a “supercharging station,” which could deliver more than an 80% charge in less than 30 minutes. This made the vehicle less problematic when compared to the typical gas station visit of 10 minutes or less, and although it is not yet ideal, it is far more palatable for owners to wait a half hour over the more than an hour timeframes for other electric vehicle brands. Because of this success, the electric vehicle market grew, drawing the interest of those to whom conservation is important and style. This new market is moving closer to full adoption as the United States plans to develop a far more widespread network of universal charging stations. This new generation of stations aims to deliver full charges in less than 30 minutes, equaling Tesla’s benchmark. If this can be achieved, it will open the electric vehicle market as a whole to most consumers.

One of the biggest challenges facing a more widespread rollout of supercharging stations is the larger footprint and more expensive equipment involved. In addition, the exposed nature of the stations makes them prone to lightning strikes, which pose a threat to both consumers in their cars while charging and the bottom line of the station themselves. To solve both issues, high-tech EV surge protection devices are being installed throughout these setups, reducing the risk to life and equipment at the same time. This makes the ownership of EV charging stations more appealing to the standard das station owners and will help further the development of the EV market.

The Problem Facing EV Cars

For electric car manufacturers in 2022 isn’t convincing people that electric vehicle (EV) cars are viable forms of transportation. In the past, EV cars were viewed as a novelty. They were owned primarily by conservationists willing to forsake all of the power, comfort, and luxury that gas-powered cars provided. Tesla as a brand changed the general opinion that the public had towards ev cars, producing a product that was both luxurious and powerful, and therefor appealing to a market that was less concerned with conservation. Tesla, as an alternative to gas-powered cars was viewed as an upgrade, instead of an underpowered vehicle only able to be driven short distances. It eventually became a superior experience, solidifying the brand and ev cars in general as being more than a novelty.

The ev car market still faces challenges. As more manufacturers make either a fully electric or hybrid model of their cars, we find an increasing demand for one of the issues that Tesla already solved, but only for their customers. Tesla also developed a network of charging stations capable of fully charging a Tesla in less than 30 minutes. The nationwide network of universal chargers still takes several hours and needs to be upgraded to “level 3” charger to deliver the same kind of experience Tesla owners have. Without the ability for each manufacturer to independently create a network of their chargers, this rollout depends on gas station operators to install chargers into their footprints, and these upgrades can cost upwards of 250,000 dollars. Without a more significant percentage of the population driving and buying electric cars, there is a hesitation on their part to make this investment.

The US government is attempting to speed up the rollout of this universal network by offering tax incentives to operators who invest. In addition to this benefit, the private sector is developing new ways to make the stations more profitable and more attractive. This is taking place through the integration of high tech surge protection devices. Through these integrations, the risks associated with operation are reduced, in the form of reduced damage resulting from power surges and lightning strikes. By allowing the equipment to operate more efficiently and for more extended periods without repair or maintenance, the independent owners can more safely make the investments needed to make money from this growing market. Furthermore, they can do so in a way that The world needs to move over to electric vehicles eventually as fossil fuels reduce, but the growing interest in EV cars in general is helping to speed this process up. We can finally see the transition happening before our eyes through the government’s cooperation, gas station owners, and the private sector developing better technologies like EV surge protection.

Industrial Surge Protection and Green Energy

Green energy is critical for the future of the world. By some estimates, by 2040 the world will no longer have easily reachable oil supply to function the same way it currently does. At the current point, little is being done to prepare for this seemingly inevitable crisis aside from a few alarmed individuals and groups who are writing articles and posting stories on the internet. Because oil is a finite resource and only a few groups globally are attempting to prepare for the inevitable running out, many are looking at green energy as a way to make the transition easier. Unfortunately, the current development path for the green energy sector has been painfully slow, basically relying on private companies to create and improve the systems and technology that drive the industry. While there have been significant advances, without large investments by governments worldwide, we are on a course to suddenly face the impact of running out of oil without a transitional system in place that can make a move to green energy seamless and without pain. Currently, there are almost no areas on earth that can rely 100% on green energy to sustain their citizens. The countries that can come to this have not yet proven that these systems can handle most production over more extended periods. The unsure nature of green energy is why it is so critical to support new efforts to develop better and more sustained technology in the wind and solar spaces.

One of the most significant improvements to wind and solar technology is not directly associated with energy production and instead is related to the salvaging of equipment after lightning strikes or power surges. Industrial surge protection devices and systems are designed to provide a failsafe that will stop a power surge from impacting computerized equipment. One of the biggest challenges with green energy technology is that the equipment used in the energy production process may be easily damaged in the field. And the instances where this equipment is damaged there are repair and replacement costs associated with the equipment. Also, when this happens, the systems can be taken offline during times when they could be generating energy. When these fuel sources (sun and wind) are accessible, it is essential to maximize production. Every moment that the wind is blowing, or sun is shining that a system is offline for repairs is wasted, ultimately making these systems unable to produce enough power to satisfy large consumption areas. These inefficiencies are being improved upon though by smart surge protection devices that can stay online and functional even after an incident, creating longer life spans for involved equipment and more significant reserves of power produced this way. By developing better surge protection devices, we are closer to effectively transitioning between energy production methods when the inevitable finally happens. More work is still necessary to get us to the point we need to be, and support for those who advocate wind and solar power can help to create cleaner energy and many jobs in the green energy sector.

Industrial Surge Protection and The Telecommunications Industry

The telecommunications industry has changed over time, becoming more and more technically complex as customers’ needs are met. This means that as customers request new improvements, the industry rewards the companies that can facilitate those requests through development and technological advancements. The sector itself moves forward by being driven by intense competition between players, with one company securing the customers of competing companies’ customers by rolling out the latest and greatest technology to their customers. By improving the services they provide, they easily move customers from one company to the next, ultimately forcing those who have not kept up to struggle for survival or evolve on their own. Improving services has been the case for nearly the entire life span of the industry, with customers flocking in large quantities to the company that can provide them with the clearest calls, the fastest data and streaming services, the best network coverage, at the lowest prices. This is all made possible through innovations that ultimately position more and more expensive computerized equipment in the field, creating more and more risk for the company leading the way and benefiting them with new customers. These reasons have made it so that any attempt to conserve funds by holding back on technological rollout is detrimental because the competitors will do it first. As new technology like 5G is developed, it creates a race among all providers to implement their own 5G cell sites, meaning millions of dollars of equipment being deployed across the area that is being covered. All of this investment is at risk, but there is no viable alternative other than putting it into service.

As your cell phone connects to a nearby cell site to transfer your data to the connected network, you are employing millions of dollars’ worth of computer equipment placed in harm’s way. Every one of those components can be damaged in many ways, the most extreme being lightning strikes. The cell sites positioned in areas where your cell phone can gain a signal connection are also prime targets for lightning strikes that can ultimately destroy the equipment and reduce your ability to connect. A customer who cannot connect soon becomes dissatisfied, and the risk of them moving to another carrier becomes greater. The way this situation is dealt with is simple. Carriers try to avoid network damage as best as possible by integrating safety features and hardening their networks. Surge protection devices are one very successful way to do this. A lightning strike may be unavoidable, but the damage resulting from power surges can be minimized effectively. By integrating technically advanced surge protection devices, the power surge can be contained and prevented from flowing along the pathways that data and safe current typically travel. Electrical protection stops the potentially damaging electrical surge in its tracks and keeps that nearby cell site functioning. You can connect to it more efficiently and remain a happy customer as a result.

Industrial Surge Protection Is Necessary In Modern Business

The majority of products manufactured in modern times start their life span in industrial settings. These products include the tangible products you buy in the stores around your home and the less tangible products that aid our modern, convenient situation, like energy. These facilities are configured the way they are to prevent disturbing neighborhoods where people would not enjoy the noise that is produced and give them the space they need to position the equipment used in the process appropriately. In many cases, this will translate to structures being the largest and tallest in a region and being constructed from robust materials that are likely to conduct electricity. This will expose them to the elements and ultimately make them prime targets for the inevitable lightning strikes that present themselves in inclement weather. The necessity of being remotely located and presenting the tallest structures in the region, combined with the fact that a large portion of the equipment is directly connected to control equipment that is circuit driven, poses a problem. Lightning strikes will happen simply because of the physical setup and location. In addition, those lightning strikes will cause residual damage beyond the strike point because they create a power surge that overwhelms computerized devices. Due to the potential to produce large amounts of damage from a single strike, there is necessary to utilize extensive lighting and surge protection systems to minimize this inevitable damage.

Industrial surge protection devices and systems are designed to protect equipment and devices far larger and more robust than typical, residential devices. These components will not only be worth many thousands if not millions of dollars, they are also necessary to keep functional because they are part of business processes that produce products and services. Every moment these industrial facilities are offline due to lightning strikes costs businesses money that must be made up for in product prices, so minimizing the damage that occurs naturally every year is critical for businesses to compete effectively in the marketplace. To keep prices for their products down, they need to manufacture them as cheaply as possible. The most effective method of accomplishing this task is to minimize the ongoing operational costs that are figured into the budget to keep the business in the black. Companies know they can significantly reduce the expected costs of repair and equipment maintenance that come as a result of lightning strikes and power surges. They do this by integrating excellent industrial surge protection that enables the business to allocate funds that may have been used for repairs into more appropriate areas. Industrial surge protection is one of the most critical aspects of the consumer product manufacturing process and is one that is probably forgotten and ignored by most consumers. Industrial surge protection keeps your product prices lower and keeps the supplies that you have come to rely on making their way to the shelves of your nearest store.

Industrial Surge Protection Keeps Modern Life Moving

The integration of industrial surge protection devices into most facilities and systems exposed to the elements is necessary to keep our lives on track. That may seem like a bold statement, but some of our most basic conveniences are entirely reliant upon surge protection to stay online and functional. Such things as cell phone service and energy manufactured using renewable sources integrate surge protection into their systems to maximize production and minimize waste as a result of damage. Every time you make a call on your cell phone, you directly rely upon surge protection to make that process more effective. Whenever you heat your home or turn on your lights, you rely on industrial surge protection devices. The system’s effectiveness partially determines the amounts you must pay for a unit of electricity. Industrial surge protection keeps these systems online and functioning by preventing the damage that takes them offline. It also reduces the costs of operation by limiting the amount of repair and replacement that must take place concerning the equipment.

How is surge protection integral to these processes? Because these types of facilities operate with weakness, that issue is that they have components positioned that are directly connected to computerized control equipment. In the case of telecommunications, the towers that your phone must connect to to give you a signal are exposed to lightning strikes, those strikes providing damage at the point they hit and throughout the system. The power surge created by the lightning strike moves along the pathways that connect equipment, overwhelming it at the circuit level and rendering it damaged and offline. As soon as this happens, that tower can no longer provide service to you until it is repaired. In the case of green energy, the exposed solar panels or wind towers present a perfect target for lightning strikes, and the equipment directly connected to those components is in harm’s way for the same reason. The use of sensitive equipment in these processes directly connected to the exposed components is necessary but unfortunate. It creates a weakness in the system’s functionality. Since lightning strikes cannot be avoided entirely, these systems’ weaknesses can only be mitigated by integrating devices that will prevent the power surge from moving past them. These “surge protection devices” have only one function, to continually monitor the electrical level flowing through them, and shut it off if it passes a certain threshold. By performing this function only when necessary, the equipment remains protected and allows the system to function continually. Integrated surge protection means your calls will go through with less difficulty as the cell tower nearby remains online, and the electricity that you power your home with remains inexpensive because of a reduction of expenses to that process. Industrial surge protection keeps modern life moving.

Telecommunications and Surge Protection Systems

The telecommunications industry is heavily reliant upon equipment to create customers’ functionality. For a call to be connected, you need a cell phone that can connect to a network, but that cell phone’s power or features is ultimately worthless if it cannot effectively connect to the network. This means that you are not only paying for a phone, but most are paying for the investment in technology that your cell phone company has made to provide you all the features you consider necessary to be a customer. For example, suppose you believe that data transfer speed is the most important feature to your being a company client. In that case, naturally, you will move to the company that has invested the most into 5G technology. Because that company’s network can only provide the 5G speed you desire if they have a microsite near your phone, they need to continually expand their network by placing more and more equipment in the field. Every piece of that equipment relies on other elements to complete the process of transferring your data, so each piece of that equipment must be kept safely online and functioning as much as possible. When one component fails, that particular site will be unable to receive and transmit data to your nearby phone, ultimately making it rely upon another one farther away to complete the action. This compromises your experience as a customer and puts your retention as one of their customers in jeopardy. For this reason, cell phone companies not only invest extensively in the latest and greatest technology, but they also invest in the most technologically advanced surge protection equipment to keep it online and functioning.

One of the greatest threats to telecommunications equipment in the field is lightning strikes. Not only does lightning do damage at the point it strikes, but it also creates a power surge that damages the equipment used in the process. These surges travel along the pathways that are used for everyday functions like power delivery and data transfer. When the electrical surge happens, these pathways become the delivery mechanism for electrical levels that destroy the equipment it comes into contact with. For this reason, surge protection devices are installed along these pathways, creating an ability to stop electricity that is outside of a safe range instantly. This gives the ability to detect and stop the damaging power surge before it does the damage that would render a cell site without function, and cost the company thousands of dollars in repair costs. In addition, they salvage equipment from occurrences that cannot be effectively stopped through the prevention of the power surge from reaching that equipment. This keeps the cell sites functional and able to be connected to while you are near them, which keeps happy customers of the company. Technology is necessary for telecommunications, and surge protection is critical to functioning.

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