To power this equipment, communications carriers, wireless operators, internet service providers and large enterprises convert electricity from commercial alternating current to direct current. The current conversion process is inefficient, resulting in both the over consumption of energy and the unnecessary creation of heat. The new technologies, which will be tested in five of Verizon’s central office facilities, address that issue, according to the companies.
The technologies, part of Lineage Power’s Total Efficiency Architecture, involve rectifiers and software that will increase the efficiency of the AC/DC conversion process to up to 97%, thus saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, claimed the company.
James Gowen, chief sustainability officer of Verizon, said: ”This is important research in the area of energy efficiency, and Verizon is proud to support it. Two years ago, Verizon led the industry by creating the first-ever energy efficiency standards for telecom equipment. Our alliance with Lineage Power further demonstrates Verizon’s commitment to ensuring that the most advanced global networks are also the most energy efficient. ”
Lineage Power has been awarded a $2.4m US Department of Energy research and development grant that will fund the design, engineering, removal and installation costs, as well monitoring and research, associated with the tests of the new technologies.
Lineage Power’s Total Efficiency Architecture is expected to save over a billion kilowatt hours annually by reducing power consumption and cooling costs within the estimated 23,000 telecom central offices across the US and large data centers.
Craig Witsoe, CEO of Lineage Power, said: ”The mobile Internet and the optical networks that support it will continue to expand and accelerate to service seemingly insatiable subscriber demand for more real-time information.
“Verizon’s thought leadership, coupled with Lineage Power technology and joint best practices, will ensure sustainability goals can be achieved for both new and existing communications infrastructures throughout the global ICT industry.”
