siliconindia | | January 20179capital expenditure standpoint, the use of a single unified cabling solution reduces subcontractors. As a result, it lowers labour cost via one infrastruc-ture deployment versus multiple infra-structures with different types of ca-bling. It also enables the consolidation of cabling to reduce unnecessary path-ways and material cost. From an oper-ational standpoint, the use of universal connectivity and cable facilitates less costly moves, additions and changes, while the ability of systems to com-municate via common protocols im-proves security and can lower energy consumption by up to 50 percent.The Benefit of Remote PoweringOne of the key benefits of a converged infrastructure using twisted-pair copper cabling to support everything from voice, data and security, to building automation and lighting systems is the ability to deliver remote power to the end devices over the low-voltage cabling. Unlike traditional systems supported by 230 V 50 Hz, Alternating Current (AC) circuits running over electrical cable, `Power over Ethernet' (PoE) delivers power to devices over familiar and user-friendly twisted-pair cabling. PoE is also considered a Safety Extra-Low Voltage (SELV) application with Direct Current (DC) levels that pose no safety risk when these systems are deployed or upgraded. It also offers additional savings since deploying PoE can save up to 75 percent compared to the cost to a traditional AC power run.Today, PoE can be used to power everything from Wi-Fi access points, phones and digital monitors, to build-ing automation control-lers, surveillance cam-eras and even advanced LED lights. Today's low-voltage LED light-ing systems also offer the benefits of lower power consumption, less heat generation, lower carbon emissions, improved durability and longer lifespan compared to tradi-tional lighting technology. Since LED lights are placed everywhere within an IB and can now reside on converged network infrastructures, they are also ideal for integrating with sensor tech-nology such as occupancy and tem-perature sensors. Information collected from the sensors is communicated by the networked LED lights and shared with other integrated building systems. PoE is continuing to advance with Standards Bodies currently developing standards that enable the delivery of even higher levels of DC power than that which has previously been avail-able to support an even broader range of devices. With these higher levels of power, there are some consider-ations. PoE can cause temperature rise in cable bundles and has the potential for electrical arcing that can damage connector contacts. In extreme envi-ronments, temperature rise and contact arcing can cause irreversible damage to cable and connectors. Choosing higher-quality and specially qualified shielded category 6A and category 7A cabling systems can help reduce these risks. Exceeding the oper-ating temperature range for copper cabling, which is specified as -20°C to 60°C by ISO/IEC, can also have an irreversible effect on transmission performance. Since de-ployment of certain remote powering applications can result in a temperature rise of up to 10°C within bundled ca-bles, the typical rule of thumb is to not install cables in environments above 50°C. This restriction can be problem-atic where temperatures in enclosed ceiling, plenum and riser shaft spaces can easily exceed these temperatures. Again, using higher-quality shielded category 6A and 7A cables that are qualified for mechanical reliability up to 75°C can help building designers overcome this obstacle. The Foundation behind India's Smart City InitiativesBy the year 2030, India's urban areas are expected to house 40 percent of the population and contribute 70-75 percent to the county's gross domestic product (GDP). With this rapid urbanization, initiatives are taking shape across India to address the need for infrastructure, investment and improving the quality of life. Smart Cities Mission, an initiative by the Government of India, aims to develop over 100 smart cities across the country. One of the core infrastructure elements of these smart cities includes robust IT connectivity and digitalization, which is the key to safety, security and energy savings as previously discussed. While IBs are an inevitable com-ponent and foundation of any smart city, they must be interconnected to each other in a strategic manner for a smart city to truly function as such. Interconnected IBs can only happen if the building owners and operators (both public and private) embark on their IB initiatives as part of a larger ecosystem of stakeholders, supported by a collaborative environment, gov-ernment backing and shared common objectives. When IBs are planned and constructed in this way, India's smart cities will be able to come to fruition more rapidly, more efficiently and more successfully. Prem Rodrigues
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