Not a chance!   Some UPS manufacturers add TVSS, and call it “power conditioning”.   Although this is a good start, TVSS only offers limited protection, but does nothing to combat (attenuate) ground noise.   Ground noise or common mode noise can only be addressed with an internal power conditioning isolation transformer.   Some UPS manufacturers don’t even supply this as an option!  So if you’re serious about having a UPS for back-up and protection, then get serious about power conditioning — ask for it!   A properly incorporated internal, computer-grade, power conditioning transformer:  Isolates your load from the utility. Eliminates ground noise. Steps the available source voltage up or down, and converts 3-wire and 4-wire input configurations to match the exact needs of your protected equipment. Re-establishes the neutral-to-ground bond and maintains the integrity of a clean, noise-free reference for your critical equipment, even in bypass.    “Model ES” UPS  (4500 VA – 15500 VA)    

Posted in General Power Quality |

What one thing would you dare to dream, and do, if you knew you could not fail? And what if you did fail … why should that stop you? Someone asked me those questions several years ago.   Although I don’t remember the circumstances of the particular situation, I do know that when I deliberately ask those questions of myself now, they give me the freedom to be creative and imaginative! I’ve learned that failure — while temporarily painful — is part of the learning, growing process.   And failure brings results.   It is written that Thomas Edison “failed” at least 1000 times in refining / perfecting the filament in an electric light bulb!   But rather than thinking of that as “failure”, Edison prided himself in creatively finding over 1000 ways that didn’t work! Most of you have likely been around young children — whether your own, or those of your friends or relatives.   Think of this analogy — think about watching a young toddler learn to walk.   The child fell — “failed” — time and time again.   And occasionally you saw that child fall so hard that you thought (s)he would be afraid to get up and try again.   But toddlers do get back up!   And they do try again!   And they aren’t afraid!   Toddlers see grown-ups and other children walking better than themselves — and still, they do not give up!   They have the inate freedom to keep trying and failing … and trying and failing … and trying and failing …  And in that freedom to fail, lies the key to their success … they eventually master walking! As adults, you and I are the same way.   We will never be free to succeed … until we allow ourselves to be free to fail ! There is only one decent way to live this life, and that is to have the courage to not only dream your dream, but to LIVE your dream! Take that first step!   Whatever it is.   And then take another step, and another — progress, stumble, fall down, learn, get up, try again … Always keep confidently moving forward in the direction of your dream!

Posted in "Suzanne Sez ... " (Short Editorial Zone!) |

Manufacturing operations in the 21st century have become increasingly complex due to high-tech automated assembly / packaging processes, greater production demands, equipment repeatability and reproducibility standards, and quality control metrics. Many manufacturing facilities and industrial applications (e.g., aerospace, lasers, machine tools, wastewater treatment, refineries, food processing, pulp / paper mills, printing presses) use variable frequency drives, electric motors, and other types of machinery which contribute to harsh electrical environments.   The resulting power anomalies can be so severe that the “typical, off-the-shelf” power conditioner or voltage regulator just doesn’t measure up … and the premature failure of such units can lead to unnecessary downtime, lost productivity, and a poor reflection on your bottom line. So where do you turn “when power quality is a must and failure is NOT an option” ?     Take a cue from our existing customers who recognize our field-proven technology!   Know that you’ve come to the right place! May we suggest a power conditioning voltage regulator that: Offers a small footprint, high efficiency design, and optional power quality monitoring. Guards against both high and low voltage conditions. Easily corrects wide input voltage deviations to well within the safe operating limits as recommended by CBEMA and ITIC. Meets IEEE and ANSI standards that define power anomalies, occurrences, and their impact on operations. Ask us how we can help you with your power conditioning and voltage regulating needs!

Posted in General Power Quality |

Have you ever stopped to think about the wealth of knowledge that your local Controlled Power Company sales rep agencies have when it comes to recommending one of our electrical power quality, medical-grade power, or emergency lighting inverter solutions?   Not only does your local rep understand “power quality”, but (s)he knows the particular CPC product’s competitive advantages … as well as what sets Controlled Power Company apart from our competitors! Last week, we hosted one of our “Sales Rep Training” seminars.   Participants typically include new rep agencies, new-hires within rep agencies, and reps wishing to refresh their knowledge and/or educate themselves about some of our newer products. In a “small classroom” style with a low participant-to-instructor ratio, our reps spend 1.5 days with us here at our facility in Troy, Michigan.   In a “lecture / open discussion / hands-on” format, we educate our reps about the necessity and fundamentals of electrical power quality, provide detailed descriptions and applications of each of our product families, and discuss our marketing efforts and customer support. We not only facilitate our reps’ efforts in field sales, but these individuals’ comprehensive knowledge of our products and services enables YOU to make informed purchase decisions about which of our products best suits your needs!   A true “win-win”! And just so you don’t think that 1.5 days is all “work, work, work”, we include a healthy balance of good food and social fun while our reps are here!   Below is a photo taken during our evening playing ”WhirlyBall” together.   “WhirlyBall” is a 5-on-5 team game that is a unique combination of basketball and lacrosse (using a scoop to pass and shoot a whiffle ball toward an elevated goal) — while driving bumper cars !   No kidding!   I’ve learned that there are only about 16 “WhirlyBall” locations around the U.S. — 3 of which are here in southeast Michigan!

Posted in Company News, Emergency Lighting, General Power Quality, Medical Power Quality |

Did you know that a rubberband, once it is stretched, never returns to its original dimensions?   Try it!   Get (2) new, same-size (diameter and elastic thickness) rubberbands.   Using both hands, stretch one of those rubberbands — horizontally, vertically, both directions, however you choose.   Then hold the stretched rubberband together with the unstretched new one.   See the difference?! Did you know that the  human mind  is like that stretched rubberband?   Once your mind is stretched, it never returns to its original dimensions either ! Now, imagine yourself as the rubberband that you just stretched.   Challenge yourself over this next month to stretch  YOUR mind  in new dimensions! Start slowly, or dive right in — there are no rules — make your  S-T-R-E-T-C-H  as simple or as complex as you desire.   Perhaps you’ve always been wanting to pick-up a new skill or craft or sport … or learn about a topic or field of study that’s totally unrelated to your work or current hobbies … or sit down and leisurely read … or write creatively … the possibilities are as limitless as your own imagination ! Just  S-T-R-E-T-C-H  yourself in new ways!   And above all else, enjoy the journey !

Posted in "Suzanne Sez ... " (Short Editorial Zone!) |

Many of you regularly talk and e-mail with Controlled Power Company personnel, receive our product e-blasts, and/or have been reading our blog here for quite some time now — thank you, we really appreciate your interest and support! But have you ever wondered where we work … what our place actually looks like?   Very few of you have probably ever been to our facility! We’re located in Troy, Michigan — a large industrial, commercial, high-tech, retail, and residential suburb, about 16 miles north of downtown Detroit.   We have 183,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space, and a full staff of helpful people who research/develop, design/engineer, market, sell, manufacture, test/inspect, ship, and service the power quality products that you buy from us!   Working for you behind-the-scenes are our operations, purchasing, receiving, inventory control, maintenance, I.T., accounting, reception, and human resource groups!   We have 100+ people who are here for you — every one of us! A couple years ago, we completed a gorgeous facelift to our property!   Such external enhancements included new paint and trim on the building, new windows, and extensive new landscaping (a multitude of trees, flowers, and shrubs) in our large front yard … which resulted in receiving an “industrial property beautification award” from the city of Troy! We’re presently remodeling some of the interior parts of our facility … stay tuned for “the unveiling” in the very near future … photos to come! Let us know if you happen to be in, or traveling to, the Detroit area!   We’d be happy to invite you over to our facility and talk with you about your electrical power quality needs!

Posted in Company News |

Calling all Lighting Architects / Engineers, Lighting Systems Designers, Consulting / Specifying Engineers, Electrical Contractors / Distributors, Facility Managers, Commericial / Retail Store Planners … !! Come see us October 26 – 27 at  “LightShow West 2011″  at the L.A. Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA … booth # 1021 !     We’re participating with our local manufacturer’s rep agency, and will be promoting our UL 924 Listed centralized emergency lighting inverters for life safety and mission critical applications. While you’re walking the show floor, stop by and introduce yourself!   We’d love to meet you, and help you with your back-up emergency lighting questions or concerns!

Posted in Company News, Emergency Lighting |

In recent weeks and months, the U.S. has been plagued with a number of widespread, major power outages, which have affected millions of electrical utility customers.   The causes of these recent outages were primarily from faulty equipment and acts of Nature: July 11, Chicago IL: A derecho (bow-shaped, fast-moving and often long-lived, straight-line windstorm) knocked-out power to 805,000 commercial and residential customers. August 27 – 28, the Atlantic Seaboard from North Carolina to New England: “Hurricane Irene” caused 5+ million power outages. September 8 – 9, Southern California and Arizona: The replacement of a piece of problematic monitoring equipment left another 5+ million commercial and residential customers “in the dark”. September 16, Oakland CA: Several banks of stadium lights at Oakland Coliseum went out during a baseball game, leaving several thousand fans sitting in partial-to-total darkness.   (Imagine being in the restroom, at the concession stand, or in any other darkened area among total strangers … more than a little scary!) It’s no secret that despite energy conservation efforts (CFL bulbs, LED’s, high-efficiency appliances, etc), the stress placed on an aging electrical infrastructure in the U.S. is compounded by continually increasing demands for electricity — it simply is what it is.   As for violent weather events, ”stuff happens” — weather systems are not going to go away! The fact is that power outages are going to happen.   Granted, typically not every few weeks nor affecting so many millions of customers … at least, we hope not!   But nonetheless … what can you do about it?   Better question:  what are you going to do about it … do you have a contingency plan, and does it include emergency backup power? Preparation is key. Ironically, on July 8 this summer (harbinger of things to come, perhaps?!), we blogged about  “The Cost Of Downtime … “ !     Take a read, think about your own business continuity … and ask us how we can help you with your UPS’s, centralized emergency lighting, and other life safety / mission critical electrical preparations!

Posted in Emergency Lighting, General Power Quality, Medical Power Quality |

Patient safety is a primary concern when selecting a medical-grade uninterruptible power system (UPS) for use in hospitals and other healthcare facilities — especially when that UPS is going to be used with patient vicinity and portable (cord-connected) equipment. NFPA 99 electrical codes provide guidelines that help ensure patient safety, by defining safe levels of leakage current and by defining how to test portable patient care related electrical appliances and equipment to ensure that they meet those safe levels.   NFPA 99 also includes “Patient Care Vicinity” standards, which define examination and treatment areas.   All cord-connected electrical appliances and equipment located within the “Patient Care Vicinity” must meet leakage current requirements — and that includes the UPS. A “UL 60601-1 listed and labeled UPS” has been tested and certified as meeting the NFPA 99 leakage current limits for portable equipment.   However, keep in mind that a UPS bearing only the UL 1778 listing has not been tested and approved for use as portable equipment in a medical facility. Contact us for more information about the NFPA 99 definitions of “leakage current” and “patient care vicinity”.   Ask us how we can help you reduce potential liability issues and costly maintenance / testing by using an “NFPA 99 compliant” and UL 60601-1 listed portable UPS!

Posted in Medical Power Quality |

I like numbers and statistics … but it’s what I would call an ‘acquired taste’!   Back in the day, I absolutely hated the stuff … in my senior year of high school, my “Statistics & Probability” class and the evil “CS 100″ about killed me.   “CS 100″ was a newly-created (and mandatory for graduation) computer programming class, which involved creating, running, and storing computer programs on a series of roughly 7″ x 3″ horizontal punch cards.   As I remember (shudder!), we used this large typewriter-like keypunch machine to manually punch lines of programming code onto the cards … 1 line of code per card.   We then ran our cards through a large IBM card-reader to see if our program “worked”!   And it really stunk huge when you wrote your code incorrectly, or mis-keyed characters into the machine … you had to re-do the whole mess, sometimes multiple times!   My classmates and I slogged our way through, with the collective motivation that “C’s get degrees” … and all the while wondered “what the heck are we ever going to need THIS stuff for anyway”!!!   But I digress … ! Over the years, I’ve grown to embrace numbers and data-trending … to understand and appreciate the implications of such … to look backwards at ‘fact’, to project forward anticipating ‘fortune’ … to make choices and hedge a desired outcome, to ‘right the ship’ again when necessary.   Numbers always tell a story … they’re like a language or a computer program:  what can appear to the eye and brain as random gibberish, can actually be interpreted and evaluated to present a ‘big picture’ or a microcosm of such. Recently I was reading an I.T. news article (you see what happened to me?!), and I learned a new word … and a new number:  “zettabyte”.   What, might you ask, is a “zettabyte”?!  

Posted in "Suzanne Sez ... " (Short Editorial Zone!) |