application note | advanced...
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www.tricklestar.comConserving energy. Improving life.TM
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APPLICATION NOTE | ADVANCED POWERSTRIPS
OVERVIEWThere are a number of Advanced PowerStrips (APS) on the market. With a
confusing array of features, surge protection ratings and warranty options
it is often difficult to compare “apples with apples” and to understand what
you need and what represents value. This note will highlight some of the
important features and criteria to consider when deciding which Advanced
PowerStrip is best for your application.
SURGE PROTECTIONThe type and quality of surge protection technology used in Advanced
Powerstrips varies tremendously. Most manufacturers use standard
Metal Oxide Varistors (MOV’s). These are simple to implement and are
inexpensive. MOV’s work by detecting an electrical surge and diverting
excess energy away from equipment via the electrical grounding system.
However, as with all products you get what you pay for. In abnormal surge
conditions, standard MOVs can arc and catch fire.
TrickleStar MOV’s are the most advanced available and are encased in
a flameproof, ceramic casing. They are capable of suppressing more
energy and dissipating heat faster than traditional MOV’s. The patented
high-temperature ceramic casing is capable of preventing fire during an
abnormal surge condition as a result of arcing. This combination of high-
energy dissipation and fire containment offers ultimate protection, safety
and peace of mind. The end result is a surge protection product that is
much safer than any other on the market using standard MOV’s.
Because the TrickleStar MOV’s are able to dissipate heat faster, this helps
to extend the lifetime of the product - thereby providing surge protection
and energy savings for a longer period. Reducing risk and ensuring safety
are important for everyone. Large organisations, power utilities and energy
efficiency organisations are particularly sensitive to managing potential risk
in their businesses. The added safety of the TrickleStar ceramic encased
MOV’s is a critical part of ensuring that product that is going into the
field is safe and does not pose an unwanted risk to the end-user or the
organisation that has provided it.
CERAMIC MOV’s = ULTIMATE PROTECTION AND SAFETY
STANDARD MOV FAILUREIn abnormal surge conditions, powerstrips with standard MOV’s can fail
catastrophically leading to arcing, sparking and combustion. Powerstrips
with non UL compliant components and enclosure materials can ignite and
become a significant fire hazard.
TRICKLESTAR CERAMIC MOV FAILUREIn abnormal surge conditions, TrickleStar ceramic MOV’s may fail, but
they will do so in a safe and controlled manner. With the MOV’s encased
in a ceramic housing, the MOV may fail but it has insufficient oxygen to
combust, and as is it not touching combustable material, it cannot be an
ignition source. Ceramic MOV’s offer high quality fireproof surge protection,
last longer and are considerably safer than standard MOV’s.
THERMAL SHUTDOWNTrickleStar products have a thermal shutdown feature whereby in the event
of the product becoming overheated due to overloading or an abnormal
surge condition, the product will shut down safely, protecting itself and
the devices connected to it. Most products do not have thermal shutdown
detection capability as it adds extra cost to the product.
SWITCHING THRESHOLDSOne of the most important features of an Advanced Powerstrip is the way
in which the switching threshold is set. Most manufacturers have a simple,
inexpensive fixed switching threshold (typical 20W or 40W). This is cheap
to implement BUT will only work with around 70-80% of equipment in the
field. This is because there is a huge variety of PC’s Notebooks, Netbooks,
TV’s, plasma displays and LCD displays. A product with a fixed switching
threshold cannot support all of these products.
If the switching threshold is too high –
then new energy efficient Netbooks won’t
operate correctly (not enough current draw
to switch on the switched outlets). If the
switching threshold is too low, old legacy
devices won’t operate correctly (too much
power draw and the switched outlets will
not switch off).
It is essential that an Advanced Powerstrip have an adjustable switching
threshold so it can work with a variety of devices. An Advanced Powerstrip
with a fixed switching threshold is severely limited and can frequently result
in return rates of 15-20%. A rate most retailers, power utilities and energy
efficiency organisations would deem disastrous.
TrickleStar Advanced Powerstrips have 2 selectable switching thresholds
of 18W and 35W. This ensures that TrickleStar APS products are compatible
with >99% of devices in the field -- resulting in a great customer experience
and reduced risk to utility company and energy efficiency organization
program sponsors.
AUTO ONSometimes a user may require the Advanced Powerstrip to function as
a standard powerstrip / surge protector. With
the exception of TrickleStar, all other Advanced
Powerstrips do not allow a user to select Auto or
Normal Operation mode. This gives a user control
and can help avoid frustration and support calls.
Dedicated Resettable Circuit Breaker
Ceramic Encased Fireproof MOV’s
Adjustable Switching ThresholdTrickleStar
Safety Shutdown& LED Control
Auto / Manual Switch
Resettable Circuit Breaker / Off Switch
Standard MOV’s
Adjustable Switching ThresholdBits Ltd
Resettable Circuit Breaker / Off Switch
Standard MOV’s
Rocketfish
LED STATUS INDICATIONIt is often helpful to be able to determine what the states of the various
outlets of an Advanced Powerstrip are. If a user is having difficulty
configuring or troubleshooting an Advanced Powerstrip – good LED status
indication is essential. TrickleStar has the only Advanced Powerstrip, which
provides comprehensive LED Indication to simply the user experience.
Good LED indication provides a user with clear, simple feedback and helps
to reduce frustration and support calls.
WARRANTYPerhaps the most confusing and misleading aspects of Advanced
Powerstrips and Surge Protectors are the types of warranties offered.
Warranties typically consist of 2 parts:
• Product Warranty
• Connected Device Warranty
Product Warranty: covers failure of the product within the warranty period.
This typically covers parts and labour. It is essential that a manufacturer
offer a product warranty of at least 1-2 years. If there is going to be fault
with a product it will typically appear in the first 6-12 months. TrickleStar
offers a 2-year, full parts and labour warranty on all Advanced Powerstrip
products.
Connected Device Warranty: covers damage from an electrical surge
to any products / devices connected to an Advanced Powerstrip. It is
CRITICAL that the terms and conditions of the Connected Device Warranty
are well understood. It is not uncommon for manufacturers to provide a
very high warranty amount e.g. $500,000 but to have an unreasonable
warranty agreement which makes the warranty worthless. For example
some manufacturers will require a user to submit a completed warranty
card within 2 weeks of purchase otherwise the Connected Device Warranty
is voided.
A very high Connected Device Warranty amount does not mean a
better product – sometimes it may mean the opposite.
It is important to understand the terms and conditions of a Connected
Device Warranty – particularly for electrical utilities and energy efficiency
organisations considering large-scale programs. An unreasonable
Connected Device Warranty can lead to end user anger and reflect badly
on the organisation that provided the products.
Another issue to consider is whether a very large Connected Device
Warranty is actually required. While it sounds good if a product is supplied
with a $500,000 Connected Device Warranty – 95% of users will not
have more than $20,000 worth of equipment connected to the Advanced
Powerstrip. If a manufacturer is offering a $500,000 Connected Device
Warranty it can mean either that the terms and conditions of the warranty
are unreasonable or that far more insurance is provided than is required –
and this is a wasted expense that is passed to the customer.
TrickleStar provides a Connected Device Warranty of $50,000 with simple
terms and conditions. TrickleStar does not over-insure its products, but
instead provides coverage that will meet the
needs of >95% of customers and focuses on
providing a high quality product that will result
in a longer product lifetime and bigger energy
savings.
SAFETY & APPROVALSWhen it comes to power products, safety is critical. Non-approved or
counterfeit products can be extremely dangerous and lead to electrocution
or fire. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is the
premier testing and approvals organisation
for North America. Insist that product is UL
approved. Look for the UL logo on the product
itself and if unsure, request a copy of the UL
product certification from the manufacturer.
Use of non-UL approved product may void private or public insurance
policies and expose an organisation that provided the product to liability.
PRODUCT LIABILITY INSURANCEA reputable manufacturer of Advanced Powerstrips will have product
liability insurance to cover any claims that may arise as a result of
a faulty product or components. For electrical utilities and energy
efficiency organisations considering large-
scale programs, managers should insist on
seeing a copy of the manufacturer’s product
liability insurance. TrickleStar has US$5 Million
product liability insurance with Axa Insurance.
Surge Status
Ground Status Alway OnOutlet Status
ControlOutlet Status
SwitchedOutlet Status
W A R R A N T Y
Copyright © TrickleStar Ltd. All rights reserved.
TrickleStar® is a registered trademark of TrickleStar Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice. TrickleStar Ltd assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document.
www.tricklestar.com
ADVANCEDPOWERSTRIPS®
Surge Amps 144,000 Amps 48,000 Amps 105,000 Amps
Surge Joules 2160 1200 2250
Resettable Circuit Breaker Yes Yes Yes
Fireproof / Ceramic Encased MOV’s Yes No No
MOV Temp Withstand Rating >1200 Deg C 175~250 Deg C 175~250 Deg C
MOV Surge Life 2X 1X 1X
MOV Energy Rating 1080J 295J 295J
MOV Peak Current Rating 24KA 15KA 15KA
Outlets 6 7 7
Adjustable Switching Threshold Yes Yes No
Auto / Manual Enable / Disable Yes No No
Thermal Safety Shutdown Yes Yes No
EMI / Noise Filtering <48dB <30dB <43dB
Ground Yes Yes Yes
Surge Protection Yes Yes Yes
Control Outlet Yes No No
Always Live Yes No No
Switched Yes Yes No
Product 2 Year 1 Year Limited
Connected Device $50,000 $25,000 $200,000
UL Approved Yes Yes Yes
Carbon Offset Yes No No
Cable Management Yes No No
TrickleStar Bits Ltd Rocketfish
Surge Protection
Electrical
Warranty
Other
LED Indication
CARBONOFFSET
CABLE MANAGEMENTIn order to make a product installation as neat and tidy as possible we
include Velcro cable ties with all APS products.
CARBON OFFSETProducing and distributing products results in the production
of carbon. At TrickleStar we reduce the carbon footprint of
our products through thoughtful design and efficient business
practices. In order to be as environmentally conscious as possible,
TrickleStar purchases carbon credits from United Nations sanctioned
forestry projects to offset the carbon produced in the manufacture and
distribution of our products.
GREEN DISTRIBUTIONAll APS products are produced in Taiwan and China. In order to minimize
our distribution carbon footprint, we have located our distribution facility
in Fremont, California. We then ship product out to the rest of the United
States. Our distribution facility is also 30% powered by solar.
GREEN PACKAGINGTrickleStar uses REACH and CONEG compliant packaging for all APS
products. We specifically avoid the use of plastic clamshell / blister pack
packaging.