Universal Electric Corporation (UEC), a recognized leader in customizable 380Vdc power distribution systems, has completed the first phase of its new STARLINE DC Solutions division. At the time of the division's creation in 2011, many of the components necessary to implement a 380Vdc system were not available. Today, STARLINE DC Solutions can provide a Chip2Grid registered and EMerge Alliance registered power delivery system from the UPS through the input to the computer.
Efforts contributing to this milestone include being a key contributor to the EMerge Alliance standards and marketing committees, and leading the collaborative effort to create a 380Vdc standard for data/telecom centers. Additionally, the division has assisted the Green Grid and SCTE organizations with evaluating the use of 380V dc for their members, and has authored and co-authored many white papers on the topic, including a comprehensive paper comparing ac and dc architectures.
The UEC dc system can now be seen at Steel ORCA, a colocation provider located in Monmouth, New Jersey. Steel ORCA is the first U.S. colocation data center offering a plug-and-play 380Vdc solution to their customers. Having completed their mission at UEC, division directors David Geary, PE and Tim Martinson have moved on to start a new company, dcFUSION, llc, to provide engineering and business consulting services to the direct current industry specializing in 380Vdc integration with dc microgrids. Microgrids offer the promise of grid integration and off grid utilization of distributed generation.
“Major companies around the world are attracted to the benefits delivered by dc power but need help with how to deploy complete systems and solutions,†stated Tim Martinson, co-founder of dcFUSION llc. “Whether the project involves residential, communities/villages, commercial offices, factories, campuses or telecom/data center powering. We will work to bring industry together in a fusion of like-minded organizations to enable complete solutions. Organizations include OEM’s, Integrators, Architects, and Academia working with policy makers from our local, state and federal government.†Our close association with organizations like Darnell Group and the EMerge Alliance helps to connect power electronics innovation and standards to our efforts,†Martinson concluded.
“With the first phase of the project complete, and the STARLINE DC offering now being available, having Dave and Tim accessible for consultative and engineering work to the industry will further assist in the adoption of higher voltage dc implementations,†said Mark Swift, director of marketing at UEC. “We are excited to be the first busway manufacturer that can offer a complete 380Vdc system and STARLINE DC Solutions will continue to evolve from a product offering perspective to meet the needs of our customers, demonstrating the benefits of direct current in data center and mission critical applications.â€
