Still, many operators are finding that most local zoning boards are more amenable to one large power supply rather than a multitude of smaller ones. If you are set up for distributed power, that s one generator for every power supply, Jim Davis, product marketing manager for Invensys Energy Systems of Raleigh, N.C., says. That s a lot of little boxes in front yards, he says, adding that some neighborhood resistance should be expected. Once the basic power architecture has been determined, the next question is what kind of power to use. Most experts agree that batteries will continue to be the industry mainstay for the next few years.
Batteries are cheap, reliable and relatively easy to maintain.
The dilemma is how much battery back-up to provide. Ensuring that enough emergency power exists to see the network through a region-wide power outage or to get a technician out to fix a network problem means a minimum of eight hours for most systems. Some operators, however, say it can take as long as 24 hours. Determining the number of hours a given battery set will provide is going to get tricky in the years to come beacause of the new and varied devices that will be powered by the cable plant. Devices like cable modems, home gateways, telephones and who knows what else could dramatically increase the power draw in a few short years.