Sydney, Australia [November 3, 2017] – Vertiv, formerly Emerson Network Power, today announced at Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2017 that it has developed an energy-efficient rugged enclosure for Vodafone New Zealand, reducing operational and maintenance costs and helping it to provide efficient off-grid power, reduce fossil fuel consumption and air and noise pollution, and ensure enhanced reliability.
The solution – showcased last week at INTELELEC 2017 on the Gold Coast – is powering Vodafone’s green energy cell site in the rural Kauaeranga Valley on the North Island of New Zealand (NZ). The site, the first off-grid cell site built on mainland NZ under the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI), delivers mobile and broadband speeds up to 100Mbps to residents, visitors and businesses in the region.
The enclosure is built to withstand the harsh NZ climate and contains zinc-bromine (ZBM) 10kWatt batteries, as well as Vertiv’s latest generation of rectifiers, solar and wind converters and associated electrical protection devices. The solution is also IP55 certified, ensuring protection against dirt, dust, oil, water and other non-corrosive material.
The combination of efficient energy sources means the diesel generator is only used when required. This helps to take pressure off the national grid, and reduces air and noise pollution in the Kauaeranga Valley region.
“The diesel generator has gone from running 24x7 to between four and seven hours per day,” said Tony Baird, technology director, Vodafone NZ. “This hybrid model allows us to use a mix of energy sources to deliver an always-on, fast and eco-friendly broadband network that enables residents, visitors and businesses in the region to stay connected at all times.”
Dramatic reduction in the use of the diesel generator has resulted in 50 percent operational savings for Vodafone NZ. Diesel deliveries come with significant logistical costs and can be easily hampered by poor weather conditions, meaning longer travel time and higher costs to get to and from the site. The reduced load on the generator and fewer running hours also mean further savings through lower maintenance costs.
“The cost of the fuel is not everything – you need to consider the cost to transport it to the site. Some locations require four return trips for a tanker to refuel the generator,” added Baird.
In addition to energy and cost savings, the enclosure has enhanced resilience and reliability at the site – the ZBM batteries can tolerate up to 50 degrees Celsius without any active cooling. The technology used by the batteries is inherently 100 percent depth-of-discharge, which prolongs the lifespan of the battery and prevents damage in the event of a prolonged outage.
Vodafone NZ has also benefited from smart monitoring and control – all four energy sources are linked and monitored via internet-connected devices through the Vertiv SiteWeb system. The technology provides a real-time dashboard recording every component of the system, including fuel levels, oil pressure and power and voltage levels for solar and wind.
“Having a fast and reliable broadband network and solutions like these will become even more vital to rural communities, particularly as developments like IoT and 5G draw closer,” said Robert Linsdell, managing director Australia and New Zealand, Vertiv.
“In agriculture, for example, farmers are leveraging IoT and the likes of cloud-based analytics and precision agriculture to improve productivity and achieve higher yields. Rural schools and universities are using innovative e-learning platforms that can improve students’ education. To make digital transformation work, you need the right infrastructure in place to support it.”
About Vertiv
Vertiv designs, builds and services critical infrastructure that enables vital applications for data centres, communication networks and commercial and industrial facilities. Formerly Emerson Network Power, Vertiv supports today’s growing mobile and cloud computing markets with a portfolio of power, thermal and infrastructure management solutions including the Chloride®, Liebert®, NetSure™ and Trellis™ brands. Sales in fiscal 2016 were $4.4 billion. For more information, visit VertivCo.com.
CONTACT
Jacqueline Hart
Vertiv
T +612 9805 9510
E jacqueline.hart@vertivco.com
Oisin O’Callaghan
Watterson
T +61 2 9929 7533
E oisin.ocallaghan@watterson.com.au
