Sol Donum - Vulcan Case Studies.docx

Case Studies Brief

Two Vulcan Case Studies

Credit: iStock Bill Oxford

A Sol Donum™ Case Studies Brief February 17, 2022

Battery Energy Storage and Power Solutions www.soldonum.com © Sol Donum™ 2022 1

http://www.soldonum.com

Case Studies Brief

Acronyms 3

Definition of Terms 4

Overview 5

The Vulcan System 5

A Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) Case Study - Virginia Broadband 6

Broadband Radio Site Backup and Load Management 6

Problem 6

Challenges 6

Solution 6

Backup Site 7

Load Management Site 8

Result 10

A Hospital Case Study 10

Critical Hospital Loads Backup 10

Problem 10

Challenges 10

Solution 12

Result 12

About Sol Donum™ 12



Case Studies Brief

AcronymsA - AmperesBRS - Broadband Radio ServicesDME - Durable Medical EquipmentDoD - U.S. Department of DefenseEBS - Educational Broadband Service

EHR - Electronic Health Records

GHz - Gigahertz

HIPAA - Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996

HVAC - Heating Ventilation and Air ConditioningHz - HertzIT - Information TechnologyKW - KilowattskWh - Kilowatt HoursLFP - Lithium Ferro PhosphateLiFePo4 - Lithium Iron Phosphatems - MillisecondsROI - Return on InvestmentUPS - Uninterruptible Power SupplyVAC - Volts Alternating CurrentVDC - Volts Direct CurrentWISP - Wireless Internet Service Provider



Case Studies Brief

Definition of TermsLoad management provides a demand-side customer-related service. Load management services include

managing power quality, power reliability (grid-connected or microgrid operation), retail electrical

energy time-shift, demand charge management, and renewable power consumption maximization,

which refers to charging the battery storage system during periods when renewable energy is greatest to

consume the maximum renewable energy from the battery system, or in other words, charging with

solar during the day or charging with wind during high wind periods.

Backup power, following a catastrophic failure of a grid, provides an active reserve of power and energy

that can energize transmission and distribution lines, provide start-up power for generators, or provide a

reference frequency.

Hot-swappable or hot-swap is the fitment or replacement of a part or battery while the power is still

connected and active.



Case Studies Brief

OverviewLosing power is simply not an option for some. Healthcare facilities rely on electricity to provide

diagnostic and treatment services, and sustain life support systems. Broadband service providers’broadcast sites require reliable power to keep customers operational for services including voice, data,video-on-demand and interactive delivery. Both environments require reliable and continuous sources ofelectrical power to maintain critical continuity of operations.

The Vulcan SystemVulcan is a U.S. engineered and manufactured battery energy storage and power system. It stores energyfrom multiple sources and produces 120VAC/240VAC, 60Hz/50Hz at 2kW - 6kW with up to 100kWh ofbattery storage. Vulcan maximizes companies’ return on investment (ROI) in small scale battery energystorage with a solution that reduces installation time and complexity. Vulcan is suitable for poweringmedical, broadband, telecoms, IT, residential and small business electrical loads. Vulcan’s flexible andscalable architecture that can be customized to suit the power needs of different applications, Figure 1.

Figure 1, Vulcan Architecture and Applications. Vulcan supports multiple sector power needs.



Case Studies Brief

A Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) Case Study -

Virginia Broadband

Broadband Radio Site Backup and Load ManagementProviding rural areas with broadband solutions has become much more important as remote workers

and online learning require reliable internet connectivity. Commercial-grade radios are used to provide

high-speed, high-capacity broadband service, including two-way Internet service via cellularized

communication systems. This service utilizes the 2.5 GHz radio band and is divided into the Broadband

Radio Service (BRS) and the Educational Broadband Service (EBS) to support consumers’ connectivity via

a wireless device. The radio and network equipment sits at the bottom of an antenna site and connects

to backhaul fiber trunk lines. These operate on 24 and 48VDC, which is driven by 120V AC-to-DC power

supplies.

Problem

The wireless internet service provider (WISP) customer, Virginia Broadband (VABB), requires a constant1

source of electricity to power and sustain its rural broadband radio backhaul and relay sites and maintain

customers’ internet connectivity. VABB needed a solution to backup grid power for at least 8 hours and

one that could provide 24/7/365 load management based upon individual site needs. The solution had

to operate under harsh conditions and fit within the physical spaces provided, typically several square

meters or less.

Challenges● Rural site locations can experience frequent power outages that sometimes extend for several

days.

● Some rural sites require an off-grid electricity source.

● Rural site facilities range from exposed farm sheds to enclosed buildings, with or without HVAC.

High levels of dust and dirt and extreme temperature swings are common to these locations.

SolutionThe daily power consumption of a nine (9) node GigE backhaul radio site is approximately 3.5kWh. Sol

Donum™ recommended one (1) standalone Inverter-charger for backup sites and one (1) 4kWh Vulcan

system for each of the load management sites.

1 http://www.vabb.com/



Case Studies Brief

Backup Site

The rural backup sites require one (1) Vulcan Inverter-Charger programmed for 10ms grid-to-battery

switchover with NEMA 5-15R power plugs and no solar charge controller. This provides 9 hours of full

backup power to the site’s radio and network equipment. Figure 2 is an installation at the base of a grain

silo. This unit features an internal heating system to maintain battery longevity and system resilience

under freezing weather conditions.

Figure 2, Situated at the base of a grain silo, this Vulcan backup unit is exposed to the elements 24/7.



Case Studies Brief

Load Management Site

To determine the appropriate battery storage requirement for the load management sites, a site power

study was performed. The study determined the Vulcan and solar panel configurations required to run

the backhaul and relay sites off grid with a peak solar irradiation period of 4.5 hours. The following case

was used to map the Vulcan and solar panels sizing to meet the off-grid power requirement with a

secondary requirement of 24 hours of backup power:

● 24 hour radio and networking equipment consumption (TR): 3.5kWh,

● Minimum Vulcan 24hr storage capacity (V24) to meet TR is 4kWh with a real power output (RP)

of 3.6kWh at 92% operating efficiency.

● The site radio and network equipment consumption over the 4.5hr irradiation period (SE):

0.66kWh.

● The energy that must be harvested over the 4.5hr irradiation period (TE): (V24 + SE) = 4.66kWh.

● The minimum solar panel sizing at 4.5 hours max sun (MP): TE/4.5 = 1035W.

Figure 3 outlines the high level site configuration with the Vulcan, radio and network equipment

connectivity:

Figure 3, Load Management. Off-grid broadband solution - 4kWh Vulcan and 1.2kW panel array.



Case Studies Brief

Figure 4, Alanthus Rd. Load Management Site.



Case Studies Brief

ResultVulcan provides critical load management and battery-based backup power to support radio sites where

power is either deficient or where there are frequent power outages. Deploying Vulcan reduced network

outages, maintenance calls and technician tower site visits as well as helped reduce power supply and

radio failures. This equates to lowered cost of goods sold and lower operating and maintenance

expenses for the client with the savings paying for the Vulcan deployments.

A Hospital Case Study

Critical Hospital Loads BackupA hospital’s continuity of operations relies on the consistent and uninterrupted operation of electricalequipment and systems. Inability to operate electricity-dependent Durable Medical Equipment (DME)and losing access to ePHI data processing systems such as Electronic Health Records (EHR) are examplesof the disruptions that a hospital may experience during an outage. Moreover, contingency planningrules state that healthcare organizations return to normal operations as quickly as possible and ensure2

that the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI is safeguarded to include emergency powersystems to ensure the continuation of critical business processes while operating during an emergency.Lastly, electricity-dependent DME, critical care devices and IT systems can be very sensitive to AC voltagevariations, dropouts and line noise making clean, reliable power vital to maintaining the operation ofcritical care devices and systems.

Problem

Poor grid voltage regulation, voltage sag and power spikes can cause equipment to run in an

indeterminate state, shut down or become damaged. Diesel generators exhibit high failure rates in

excess of 23%, have long spin up times, and can cause voltage surges, which result in a lack of

hospital-wide power and equipment failures. This results in loss of equipment and data, and additional

capital outlays for overtime or labor to remediate issues caused by power loss, low voltage or reactive

power inconsistencies.

Challenges

● The main diesel generator can take up to 3 minutes to bring hospital power fully online. This

time delay can cause IT systems to have a fault condition and cause medical devices to fail.

● Battery backup device batteries must be hot-swappable to ensure medical devices receive

continuous power.

2 CFR-2007, Section 164.308(a)(7)(ii) Implementation Specifications, requires the implementation of an Emergency ModeOperation Plan-308(a)(7)(ii)(C) “Establish (and implement as needed) procedures to enable continuation of critical businessprocesses for protection of the security of electronic protected health information while operating in emergency mode” toinclude emergency backup power systems.



Case Studies Brief

● Existing battery solutions operate as UPSs and only provide up to 30 minutes of power. This does

not support prolonged outage periods.

● Power interruptions to critical equipment or IT systems can cause system shutdowns or

equipment failures.

● AC voltage output must be a clean, pure sine wave. Modified sine or square waves (see figure 3)

can cause irreparable damage to sensitive DME and other medical equipment.

● Battery backup equipment must be transportable for in-room use and use 20A heavy duty rated

hospital grade NEMA 5-20R plugs.

● Battery backup equipment must output a pure sine wave at 60Hz as generated by the utility,

Figure 3. Modified sine wave battery backup devices can cause medical equipment that contain

clocks, timers, non-isolated power supplies, dimmers and speed controllers to become damaged

or to malfunction.

Figure 3. Type of power comparison between pure sine wave, modified sine wave and square wave.3

3 ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/



Case Studies Brief

SolutionPower requirements for most DME, critical care, lighting, security, and data processing equipment used

within hospitals and healthcare facilities is 15A/20A, 115VAC/120VAC at 50Hz/60Hz. Secondly, the

receptacle interface must be an extra heavy-duty design that meets or exceeds the demanding

requirements of UL498 and Federal Specification WC-596G to provide a consistent means of

connectivity. These allow for the lowest coincidence of plug disconnect from the outlet.

Vulcan meets each of the challenges outlined to provide a battery-based backup power solution for

electrical resilience in the critical care space. Vulcan’s customizable enclosure incorporates heavy-duty,

self-grounding, 20A hospital grade receptacles that exceed UL498 and Federal Specification WC-596G.4

Coupled with its pure sine wave, 2kW/3kW 120VAC output, built in 1.4kWh lithium iron phosphate

battery (LiFePO4/LFP) with expansion to 100kWh and compact size, Vulcan is the right solution to power

critical care, ePHI and electricity-dependent DME to HIPAA required Emergency Mode Operation Plans

and ensure continuity of operations for short and long term power outages.

Result

The incorporation of Vulcan demonstrates reduced labor costs and power related equipment issues by

providing clean, stable and consistent power to critical care, DME and ePHI IT equipment. With the

lowering of equipment and labor costs, the savings can be used to cover the Vulcan battery system

capital and O&M costs, and ensure that a hospital’s patient care continues when grid and generator

power does not.

About Sol Donum™Sol Donum™ (www.soldonum.com) is a U.S. domiciled power technology developer and integrator

founded in 2019. Our products are built for operation in the toughest environments and our professional

services arm provides engineering and technical support for battery storage and power solutions around

our technology.

The company was founded by electrical and software engineers and information technology

entrepreneurs who built their careers within the U.S. Federal Government, U.S. DoD, U.S. Intelligence

Agencies and the telecom industry. We welcome your call to discuss how we may provide battery storage

and services for your organization [email protected].

DUNS: 122232337 | CAGE: 93ML5 | NAICS: 335999, 541330 | PSC: 6117, 6130, 6140

4 Cooper Red, 125V, 20A


mailto:[email protected]


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Sol Donum - Vulcan Case Studies.docx

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