Teleste and SOFC captured top prizes for their energy management approaches in the Adaptive Power Challenge, created by the SCTE/ISBE, in partnership with Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LBTYA) and Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA).
The two winners, one in the Enterprise category and the other in the Breakthrough category, earned prizes of $10,000 and the opportunity to present their solutions directly to the biggest cable system operators in the world. The winners were determined following presentations by six finalists at Cable-Tec Expo in Atlanta. Entries were evaluated by judges from CableLabs, Comcast, Cox, Liberty Global, and Canada's Rogers and Shaw.
Submitted in the Supply and Control area, Teleste's Make Sense won in the Enterprise category for offering three alternatives for operating existing amplifiers with lower bias current when lower network usage allows amps to run below their 1.2 GHz maximum capacity. Teleste maintains that in those situations, power can be reduced while keeping the quality of end-use experience intact.
SOFC.nl Holding B.V.'s Distributed Negative Emission SOFC Power took top honors in the Breakthrough category for addressing demand by using small Solid Oxide Fuel Cells to directly supply additional power at the location where it is required. The solution, which was entered in the Demand area, would allow power resources to be kept to a minimum while enabling power to be delivered when necessary.
"While it was difficult to choose among the six finalists, the way the Teleste and SOFC.nl Holding B.V. entries applied the published ANSI/SCTE 216 standard - the Adaptive Power System Interface Specification - clearly resonated with the judges," said Sam Khola, director, Sustainability, for Liberty Global. "The commitment they made to the competition was evident in the creative approaches they have developed."
"Ultimately, the Adaptive Power Challenge has been about enhancing the cable telecommunications power equation," said Derek DiGiacomo, senior director, Energy Management Programs and Business Continuity, for the SCTE/ISBE. "Given the quantity and high quality of the submissions we received, it's clear that we achieved that objective."
Launched in April, the competition attracted 20 submissions in three areas: Demand Response, Monitoring and Measurement, and Supply and Control. Six finalists announced last month presented their solutions during a special Energy 2020 session at Cable-Tec Expo. In addition to Teleste and SOFC, finalists included:
- Alpha Technologies' Enhanced Power Systems
- Technetix's Intelligent Power System
- Energy Cool's Energy Cloud
- Robert F. Cruickshank III's Grid over Broadband
Produced under the auspices of the SCTE/ISBE Energy 2020 program, the Adaptive Power Challenge was designed to inspire solutions that can lead to breakthrough change in cable network energy management. The Challenge leveraged the Adaptive Power System Interface Specification (APSIS)(ANSI/SCTE 216 2015) and related material that have been created by the SCTE/ISBE Standards Program.