We Miss You…

And because we miss your business so much we’ve secured a $500 BBQ to give away. It’s real easy to enter! Simply tell us what products you would purchase off Innovative Energies the most.

We’ve made it real quick and easy for you, so go to www.innovative.co.nz/bbq and check the check box that suits your business.

The competition closes at 5pm on Friday 23rd March with the draw being held on Monday 26th March.

The winning customer will be advised by email and posted on the www.innovative.co.nz/bbq webpage.

Good luck!

Richard, we will be in touch with you later today.

The correct answers for the two questions in our Xmas Newsletter were:

1) I have no feet but I can run. I give you health and fun! What am I? Water

2) What is so fragile that when you speak its name you break it? Silence

Thank you to all of the 100+ customers that entered this competition and please look out for our next Brainteaser quiz in the upcoming March/April Innovative Informer newsletter.

Link back to www.innovative.co.nz

The custom solutions team has over 10 years’ experience designing systems to suit our customer’s specific purposes. We have continued to grow our existing range of products and are always open to new products that you may like us to design. If your next project is out of the ordinary and standard ‘off the shelf’ products won’t do, give our custom solutions team a call and we’ll do our best to design a solution that suits you.

Innovative exports are driven by our experienced design team who this year have produced large volumes of world class export products for the International market. Marketing support has also been hired to improve our online presence and further promote our products through other medias.

Our commitment to customer service remains paramount and the recent positive feedback received has been appreciated. Our experienced design and sales teams mean that timely and professional advice is always ensured.

New Zealand has certainly had its ups and downs in 2011, although we look forward to 2012 with excitement and enthusiasm.

The Innovative Energies team wishes you all the very best for the upcoming festive season and looks forward to working with you in 2012.

Link back to www.innovative.co.nz

Kind regards
Matthew Jones
General Manager

December 2011/12 Factory Close Dates:

Friday 23rd December – Friday 6th January

In most of the industrial situations we face that need back-up power supplies there is significant investment involved. The use of communications within back-up power supplies allow plant operators and supervisors to test battery condition, monitoring the state of their system at any time. Our units also come with multiple alarm warning systems to further ensure that if called upon, the battery back-up option will work effectively.

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) uses the Internet and means that plant operators and supervisors can view and test battery condition on their computer from remote locations. For many industrial situations using SCADA systems, the RS485 interface and a Modbus Protocol Converter may be the best solution.

Innovative Energies manufactures their own range of No-Break DC Power Supplies, with both Serial and Ethernet communications available on the SR-i, SR-V and SR-L models.

Features of Innovative Energies power supplies with communications:

• Battery Detection Test monitors the integrity of the battery circuit on an hourly basis, sounding an alarm if a battery disconnect is found.
• Battery Condition Test determines the condition of the back-up batteries and will provide an early warning if there is potential for battery failure.
• SNMP offers remote monitoring of back-up batteries via the Internet.
• Main Measurable Parameters include output voltage, battery current, power supply current, battery temperature and battery voltage is measured during the automated battery condition test.
• Graphical User Interface Software allows you to easily navigate around and initiate system tests.
• Battery Temperature Sensor monitors battery temperature and adjusts float voltage accordingly. Battery temperature being one of the more important factors to ensure longevity of your batteries.
• Battery ‘Time Left’ Indicator provides users with a simple measurable display to monitor approximate remaining run time during power outages.
• Battery & Power Supply ‘Overall Status’ Fields provide users with an overall indication of battery and power supply condition.

Benefits of Innovative Energies power supplies with communications:

• Plant Operators are given an early warning of when to replace faulty batteries before they are required ie) mains or system power failure
• Plant Operators and Supervisors can be sure that their support power supply systems are working correctly and are ready to go when needed.
• SNMP is great for remotely located, automated sites or very large applications with multiple sites, providing a cost effective solution to managing your back-up battery systems.

The No-Break DC UPS system is ideal for critical systems of 100W – 750W (or above using parallel operation) and for applications requiring continuous online monitoring of battery status.

Another key function that SNMP provides is the ability to very easily update your unit with the most current firmware, which will soon be accessible on our website at www.innovative.co.nz.

Innovative Energies offers the most advanced technologies, with their own manufactured power supplies using Serial and Ethernet communications to ensure that supervisors always have accurate information in real time.

An Australian business development manager has recently been employed and a new website has been launched at www.innovative-energies.com.au. Innovative Energies are confident that with their 20+ years’ experience servicing all major sectors in New Zealand and internationally, they will be able to service all major sectors in Australia.

The flagship product is the No-Break DC Power Supply Unit that now comes with either Serial or Ethernet communications options, with various protocols available within these. Innovative Energies is also heavily involved in designing and supplying custom made energy solutions for its customers. A wide array of high quality power products make up the balance of Innovative Energies product offering including, Smart/Boost Chargers, AC-DC Power Supply Units, Inverters, DC-DC Converters and a wide range of power accessories like Floor, Wall and Rack Mounted Cabinets and Digital V/I Meters. If quality is important to your business, Innovative Energies are approved distributors of the world class Schaefer power products.

Situated in a 12,500 square foot purpose built facility in Auckland, means that their in-house design team and electrical engineers can really be creative with their custom made solutions. Innovative Energies prides itself on its superior after sales service and this facility allows them to offer a fully functional service department. As with all of their own manufactured products they offer a 24 month warranty and have technical and sales staff on-site, always keen to provide assistance where needed.

In most of the industrial situations we face needing battery back-up power supplies there is a significant investment involved. The use of communications within these back-up power supplies means that plant operators and supervisors can test battery condition and presence at any time or at programmed intervals. Our units also come with multiple alarm warning systems to further ensure that if called upon, your battery back-up option will work effectively.

Innovative Energies manufactures their own range of No-Break DC Power Supplies, with both SNMP and Ethernet communications options available on the SR-i, SR-V and SR-L models.

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) enables plant operators and supervisors to remotely monitor DC back-up systems over the Internet and test battery condition at any time. SNMP is also able to be used with the customers own SNMP management software, monitoring alarm traps and sending out emails, text alerts or logging data as required.

Features of communications options with our power supplies:

• Battery Detection Test monitors the integrity of the battery circuit on an hourly basis, sounding an alarm if a battery disconnection is found.
• Battery Condition Test determines the condition of back-up batteries and will provide an early warning if there is potential for battery failure.
• SNMP offers remote monitoring of back-up battery condition via the Internet.
• Main Measurable Parameters include output voltage, battery current, power supply current, battery temperature and by measuring the battery current and power supply current, calculates the load current.
• Graphical User Interface Software allowing you to easily navigate around and initiate system tests.
• Battery Temperature measurement allows the output float voltage to be automatically adjusted depending on the recorded temperature. Battery temperature is one of the more important factors to ensure the longevity of your batteries.
• ‘Battery Time Remaining’ indicator provides users with a simple measurable display to monitor overall battery condition, allowing users to make quick and accurate decisions at a glance.
• Battery & Power Supply ‘Overall Status’ Fields provides users with an overall indication of battery and power supply condition at a glance.

Benefits of using communications with our power supplies:

• Plant operators are given an early warning of when to replace faulty batteries before they are required ie) mains or system power failure.
• Plant operators and supervisors can be sure that their support power supply systems are working correctly and ready to go when needed.
• SNMP is great for remotely located sites, automated sites or very large applications with multiple locations. It provides a cost effective solution to managing your back-up battery systems.

The No-Break DC UPS system is ideal for critical systems of 100W – 750W (above using parallel operation) and for applications requiring continuous online monitoring of battery and charger status.

Click here to linkt to our new Australian website: www.innovative-energies.com.au

Our Rugby World Cup promotion has now come to a close and we do have a winner. Congratulations to Letty Smith from JR Russell in Te Rapa for getting the closest to the  RWC Final margin. Letty entered the competition with her pick of a 3-point margin between the two teams. She was the closest person to the actual 1-point margin of the final between France and the All Blacks.

Thank you to all of the people that entered this competition and congratulations to you all as it was very close in the end.

Letty has chosen an Ipod Shuffle as her prize. Congratulations Letty, well done from the Team at Innovative Energies.

To the accounts department,

Innovative Energies Ltd is changing their bank account to the National Bank of New Zealand. As a valued customer, we would like to make you aware that from 1^st
November 2011 our bank account details for all payments will changed to the
following:

Bank:                     National Bank of New Zealand

Address:                PO Box 788, Auckland

Account No:         06-0103-0249968-00

Swift Code:           ANZBNZ22

International Account Numbers

Australia:              INNENE-AUD00

Europe:                  INNENE-EUR00

USA:                      INNENE-USD00

Please update your records with the details above.

Our old ASB Bank account will remain open during this transitional period and will
not be closed until Friday 23rdDecember, ensuring that any payments already made will still reach Innovative Energies.

Should you have any queries or need any assistance with this please contact your respective banks. For any further assistance email Bevan.Griggs@anz.com.

For any final queries that you have please feel free to email Kalpana Mistry on kalpana@innovative.co.nz or call her on +64 9 835 0705

What an exciting time, with the teams of twenty nations, their fans and media, converging on New Zealand. The All Blacks have made a very positive start towards winning the World Cup with solid wins over Tonga and Japan. Although, the big test is to come this weekend at the hand of the French, with pool play rounding up in Wellington against Canada. Go the AB’s!

No-Break DC UPS with Comm’s

Our (i-Series & V-Series) No-Break DC UPS units and L-Series Power Supplies are designed to provide remote monitoring of back-up battery systems. The power supply units come optional with Serial or Ethernet communications so that users are able to perform remote Battery Condition Tests. The ability to remotely check the condition of back-up batteries is essential for plant operators, so that back-up battery condition can be determined immediately, giving plant operators enough prior warning to replace the back-up batteries before they are needed, in the event of a mains or system power failure.

Benefits of having communications:

• Remote viewing of power supply data (output voltage, battery current, power supply current, battery temperature)

• Remote control of the battery condition test (start, stop, enable or disable) on the power supply unit

• Automated battery detection tests (every 60min)

• Ensure that back-up batteries are fully operational before they are needed

• Remote alarm signals for all critical parameters

• Ideal for isolated or automated sites

Custom Designs & Turnkey Solutions

We design custom made systems, producing the best possible solutions for our customers specific needs.

Custom designed solutions are a core strength of Innovative Energies, as we find that the specific requirements of our customers projects mean they cannot be serviced by standard off-the-shelf products or off-shore sourced solutions.

Our custom designs use modularised sub-systems that are a cost effective solution and designed for future flexibility of use. Custom designs come in rack mount, floor mount or wall mount options and we can also provide a free no-obligation quote before starting any custom work.

Some previous custom designed features include:

• Custom made cabinets

• Special alarm outputs (i.e. battery monitoring)

• Non-standard output voltages

• Parallel and redundant operations

• Battery temperature monitoring & compensation

• Communications options for remote monitoring & control

• Automated battery condition testing

For more information on our custom solutions visit: www.innovative.co.nz/custom-solutions

New Staff at Innovative & New Roles

At Innovative Energies we are happy to welcome three new staff members:

Michael heads up the Australian side of our business and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in marketing and channel development, with 20 years working in electrical manufacturing and 7 years in electrical wholesaling in both New Zealand and Australia.

Jeremy takes over the marketing department, having recently spent a year with Energy Online (a subsidiary of Genesis Energy), 3 years with Yellow Pages Group and 2 years with ITM.

Daisy recently joined our warehouse production team to help us keep on top of current orders.

New Role at Innovative Energies in New Zealand: www.innovative.co.nz/contact-us/Careers%20Section

International Market Growth & Social Media

Innovative Energies sales to Australia and other export markets have increased by more than 15%.

We have recently been visited by the Bangladesh Power Board, showing them around our purpose built manufacturing facility in West Auckland. We look forward to being involved in the growth of this region and always welcome international customers to visit our premises.

Innovative Energies are now on Facebook, WordPress and Twitter. We’d love your support on our social media, so please ‘like’ or ‘follow’ us if you get the chance. To gain a second entry into our Rugby World Cup ‘pick the winning team & margin’ competition, place your second selection, winning margin & your name on our Facebook page, liking us whilst your there.

Rugby World Cup Promotion
Simply email your selection of winning team and winning margin to jeremyk@innovative.co.nz
(e.g. Namibia by 20pts)

All entries go in the draw for a $100 pizza shout OR a 2 Gigabyte iPod Shuffle. Entries close 5pm, Wednesday 19th October, 2011.

To gain a second entry into our Rugby World Cup ‘pick the winning team and margin’ competition, place your second selection of winning team & margin and your name on our Facebook page, liking us whilst your there.

The Issue…

The Amateur Radio club Branch 63 (NZART) that maintains the Mt. Climie site, had been plagued with battery faults for many years.The radio equipment that require backup power are a Tait T800 45 Watt 147.300 Mhz VHF FM Repeater and the new ICOM D-Star (Digital Smart Technology for Amateur radio). The digital radio repeaters are both 25 watts of RF power on the frequencies of 145.425 MHz and 438.600 MHz.

The battery problems occurred during long power outages, in some cases up to a week. Batteries on the Tait T800 would run flat due to the VHF repeater drawing 9 Amps DC on transmit. There was no alarm or low power setting during a mains failure. Batteries would run down to a low level and eventually lockup the repeater controller. Repeater trustees would need to visit with a laptop PC and restart the controller. The batteries were also being damaged due to deep discharge with consequent reduced capacity and shortened life.

The Solution…

Our solution was to use a SR250C DC backup charger made by Innovative Energies in Auckland. It is one in the range of No-Break DC UPS units which range in size from the 100W SR100C to the 750W SR750C.

The Mt. Climie application is a 12V system which keeps the batteries float charged at 13V8 (at 20degC) but output voltages of 24, 30, 36 and 48 are also available in the SR No-Break DC range.

A SR250C12TFSL model was purchased for the first Tait VHF system which had two parallel banks of 180Ah maintenance free batteries, giving a total of 360Ah. The SR250C has two alarm outputs (mains fail and battery system OK) which could be interfaced to the Tait T800. When the input mains fails, there is a 30 second delay before the mains fail relay in the SR250C closes a circuit that is wired to the T800 power control circuit. The power reduces from 45 watts (9 Amps DC) to 12 Watts (4 Amps DC) and reverts back when mains power is restored. This feature has extended the life of the battery bank and will keep communications going for weeks if needed.

Due to the power cycle restart issue with the Tait T800 it was the preference of Branch 63 to have an early warning alarm. This alarm is sent via a digi-talker or audio tone on the repeater transmitter indicating a critical voltage has been reached. The SR250C has a battery disconnect at 10V0 and alarm at 11V0 as shipped from the factory. We have found from experience that these default settings are too low for the Tait T800 system.

At the radio club’s request, Innovative Energies re-adjusted these to 10V8 and 11V6 respectively. Innovative Energies also extended the battery remote temperature sensor cable to 9 metres as the batteries are located in an outside battery box.

Battery Temperature Sensor:
This is an excellent idea that gives the SR250C a ‘SMART” control of the battery. As mentioned above, the batteries are often at 0 degC or just above zero for many days on end during the winter months. When ambient air temperatures are this cold the SR250C charges at around 14V3, dropping to 13V85 at 18 degrees. The batteries are always charged to maximum capacity. With normal fixed output voltage float chargers batteries are always undercharged when operating at very low ambient temperatures.

Battery Disconnect Feature:
The SR250C has an Electronic Circuit Breaker (ECB) which protects the battery circuit against overload and also incorporates a Low Voltage Disconnect (LVD) that will disconnect the battery at 10V8 during a prolonged outage. Based on the above criteria, after a mains fail the SR250C sends out a signal which reduces the T800 output power to 12 Watts, then sends a ‘battery low’ alarm and finally disconnects the load to prevent battery damage.

Because this system was so successful we requested a quote for a second SR250C to power the D-Star digital radio system, kindly donated by ICOM New Zealand Auckland.

Innovative Energies were interested to hear ICOM had given a high level of support to this new Digital Smart Technology for Amateur Radio. Innovative Energies then also donated a SR250C for the ICOM repeater equipment. Total current with both VHF and UHF digital repeaters is 11 amps DC.

Innovative Energies SR models include convenient stepped feet for side mounting as seen in the pictures. This made installation very straight forward. Crimp/solder lugs are also included in the installation kit making for positive connections when using 6mm to 10mm cables. Note that the “positive” terminal is the common connection with “negative” used for the separate load and battery connections.

The following pictures show the D-Star installation. The SR250C is mounted behind the Duplexer seen in the lower front of the cabinet. With two Innovative Energies power supplies Branch 63 was able to standardize on battery charging equipment extending the life of the batteries.

 
Innovative Energies are easy to contact with the on line Skype phone available. I used this a couple of times to discuss special options for the Mt. Climie installation. Innovative Energies were also able to reprogram the SR250C for our 10V8 low voltage disconnect, temperature sensor extension and 11V6 low battery warning alarm modifications. Quick turnaround time and a very professional 24 month warranted product.

For more information check the following web site: www.innovative.co.nz