IP UtiliNET Provides Platform for University of North Georgia Environmental Science Students to Tackle Sustainability …

College Park, GA (PRWEB) May 14, 2014

The United States ranks first in the world in the amount of electricity it consumes annually. Overall, 3.8 billion Kilowatt hours of electricity was consumed in 2011 compared to 2.1 billion Kilowatt hours consumed in 1980. More recently, renewable power sources were introduced to offset electricity consumption, resulting in 13 percent of electricity produced in the U.S. in 2013.

Mounting demand on existing natural resources prompted North Georgia University Environmental Science Professor Margaret Smith to challenge students to find new solutions which could make a difference. Rising senior Shannon Quinn tackled the problem of energy loss by installing the Armstrong DC FlexZone Ceiling Suspension System at Club Entrepreneur in College Park. The installation enabled the conversion of alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC), thereby saving energy. The DC FlexZone is a ceiling suspension system containing DC enabled outlets, which provide the necessary infrastructure to deliver low voltage DC power within a facility. The powered bus bar system is designed within EMerge Alliance 24 Volt DC occupied space standards.

That brick on your computer power cord is what converts alternating current to direct current. When the brick gets hot, thats thermal loss and energy wasted, Miss Quinn said. The conversion process on all that equipment means more electricity is needed to keep it cool. DC converters reduce power requirements by half; where AC uses 200 watts, DC reduces the requirement to 60 watts.

University of North Georgia Environmental Sciences focuses its teaching on innovative approaches to resource management. Students are required to show how they can provide real-world solutions to todays challenges through the use of technology, Dr. Smith said.

Todays college students understand we live in a world of limited resources, and DC conversion makes sense from a sustainability perspective, Dr. Smith said. Our laptops, tablets and other devices consume a tremendous amount of electricity and require even greater demands on the existing grid. Rather than build new power plants to meet the demand, we need to consider energy-efficient alternatives to more effectively utilize the resources we have now.

The University of North Georgia student selected Club Entrepreneur to conduct the project as several energy-saving initiatives are already underway there. Club Entrepreneur is a full-service business center and entrepreneurial ecosystem enabling individuals and start-up companies to have access to office space, high-speed Internet and communications. Its also a living laboratory for IP UtiliNET, an Atlanta-based, veteran-owned professional services firm specializing in centrally managed communications, energy networks and security solutions.

Club Entrepreneur combines single mode fiber optics and DC microgrid technology on a sustainable network (SustaNET) enabling management of all systems LED lighting, high-speed Internet, telephony, heating/cooling and security - from one central module, which reduces cooling requirements and the need for electronic switches.

Installation of the Armstrong DC FlexZone enables Club Entrepreneur to house ceiling mounted 24-Volt DC-powered LED lighting and PSMs in the facility, thereby reducing power requirements, Miss Quinn said. Club Entrepreneur Caf lighting and sidewalk ceiling fans consume the equivalent of eight 60 watt lamps, which is the lighting consumption equivalent of a mid-sized master bathroom.

Although most electronics today rely on direct current due to the introduction of DC native microchip technology, electricity continues to be delivered from the power grid as alternating current, which results in energy loss in the conversion process.

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IP UtiliNET Provides Platform for University of North Georgia Environmental Science Students to Tackle Sustainability ...