By Toby Peck, EnerSys; Creighton Brown, EnerSys; Mark Vodopest, EnerSys; Greg Laughlin, EnerSys
We have become increasingly reliant on the hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) network for high-speed data, as much of the workforce has transitioned to a hybrid work environment between office and home. The line between business services and residential customers has been blurred – and the need for this ultra-reliable data source has become universal. We have charted a course to meet future bandwidth needs with the 10G initiative, and new mobility offerings are leveraging the HFC network to ensure connectivity while on the go. With all of this, it has never been more important to have reliable power to keep the network up and running. Energy storage is fundamental to reliable powering; without it, every blip on the grid can cause a business transaction to fail or an important Zoom call to drop. There is an estimated 3.2 GWh of energy storage in the access network today that guards against outages for millions of customers. So how can we use this available energy most effectively? Is it being deployed and maintained efficiently to minimize operational costs? Can it be leveraged to lower utility impact? Is there intelligence that can be embedded to increase operational efficiency and plant reliability? This paper will explore: • Various energy storage technologies being reviewed in for use in the outside plant (OSP) • Key considerations for deployment of OSP energy storage solutions • A methodology for determining the best energy storage technology for any plant scenario