Norms for Telecom Switch: V.P.Gupta and V.M.

Kohli

EVOLUTION OF NORMS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTING IN TELECOM SWITCH ROOMS AND BARRIERS IN ITS IMPLEMENTATION V.P.GUPTA, F-ISLE, M-ISHRAE, CE(ELECT), BSNL V.M. KOHLI, C.ENG, FIE, F-ISLE, M-ISHRAE, SE(E), BSNL ABSTRACT Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited [BSNL] is a Govt. of India Enterprise. BSNL provides Telecom services on All India basis. Electrical Engineers of BSNL constitute a professional group having a background of more than 35 years of experience in the field of lighting. All lighting systems of BSNL buildings, whether related to Telephone Exchanges, Administrative Buildings, Head Quarter Buildings, Residential Quarters or Training Centres are handled by BSNL Engineers, right from the inception to the implementation stage. Energy Management and cost reductions are the key factors in strategic planning. Lighting in typical Telecom Building constitutes about 15 to 20 % of the Electrical Energy. With the introduction of competition in the Telecom sector and in view of rising energy cost, it is necessary to reduce the energy consumption through energy efficient lighting schemes. Studies have been carried out in the Telephone Exchange Buildings in Delhi and in Gujarat for deciding the optimum illumination level for a modern Telecom Switch, particularly in view of the fact that earlier Electro-Mechanical type Exchanges required high illumination level of about 500 lux as the maintenance of these Telephone Switch Rooms was being carried out manually at the rack itself of the switch. In Modern Digital Telecom switch, maintenance in the switch rack now is limited to the extent of replacement of defective cards/ modules only. Hence, higher level of illumination is not required. As a result of detailed studies, the lighting scheme has been divided into two categories viz. (i) General Lighting at the ceiling and (ii) Task Lighting in between the racks just at a vertical clearance of 100mm above the switching racks. Accordingly, lighting level norms have been evolved, fixing illumination level of 100 lux for General Lighting and 150 lux for Task Lighting (Rack Lighting). The paper also identifies barriers in providing Energy Efficient Light Sources and Low Loss Accessories, such as non-availability of good quality of Low Loss Accessories and associated high capital cost of energy efficient light sources. KEYWORDS Optimum illumination level for a modern Telecom switch, General Lighting, Task Lighting, Energy Efficient Lighting. 1. INTRODUCTION Technological developments in the field of Telecommunication in India have been taking place at much faster pace as per the global trend. Particularly, during the last three decade, there has been a major transformation in the switching technology. During early seventies manual Telephone Exchanges were functioning throughout the country with Strowger Type Switching Equipment. Strowger Telephone Exchanges required illumination level as high as between 500 to 700 Lux. This was required as in the Strowger Exchanges, the maintenance was carried out at the racks itself and several maintenance personnel were attending to switching equipment faults manually in switch room on 24 hours basis. With the introduction of Cross Bar Switching Technology during mid seventies, major transformation took place and Automatic Cross Bar Telephone Exchanges replaced manual Telephone Exchanges. Even in the Cross Bar Exchanges the presence of maintenance staff was in good number (e.g. in a 5000 lines exchange about 25 to 30 persons were working) and the faults were being attended at the switching racks itself manually. Thus the illumination level continued to be around 500 lux.

Norms for Telecom Switch: V.P.Gupta and V.M.Kohli

In the early eighties Analogue Type Electronic Telecom Switches were introduced. Mainly Alcatel, France supplied these Switches. The lighting level for these exchanges as prescribed by the manufacturer was between 300 350 lux. From early nineties improved version of Analogue Type Electronic Switches viz. Digital Type Switches manufactured by Siemens, Ericsson, Modi Alcatel, Fujitsu, GPT, C-DOT and OCB-283, (ITI India), have been introduced in Telecom Network on all India basis. The space housing Digital Type Electronic Switches has been reduced drastically and the number of personnel have also been reduced as they were not required to do the maintenance work inside the switch room. The maintenance efforts are now limited to the extent of replacement of cards / modules. Even for these exchanges we continued to provide illumination level between 300- 350 lux. It was observed that this illumination level may be still on higher side and thus a high level committee was constituted in the Department in the year 1999 for reviewing lighting level for Digital Type Electronic Telephone Exchanges and for evolving norms for energy efficient lighting in Telecom Switch Rooms. 2. EVOLUTION OF NORMS 2.1 Methodology The Committee decided to conduct actual studies in different Telephone Exchanges at Delhi and at Gujarat to measure the lighting level of existing Digital Exchanges. The studies conducted involved the maintenance staff for their feedback with reduced illumination level. The Committee decided to interact with various equipment manufacturers for examining the performance of electronic ballasts and other energy efficient light sources, particularly with reference to their quality and electromagnetic interference.

2.2 Studies conducted Studies and experiments carried out separately at Delhi and at Gujarat in different switch rooms viz. AXE-10(Ericsson) switch room at Nehru Place Telephone Exchange, AT&T switch room at Bhikaji Cama Place, OCB Switch at Rajpath Delhi, Siemens switch room at Gurgoan Haryana, EWSD switch room at Main Railwaypura Ahmedabad & AT&T switch room at Main Narainpura, Ahmedabad have given the following results: a. The existing illumination level in the switch room was between 300- 400 Lux. b. The lighting fixtures in all exchanges were provided on M.S. trays at a height of 3 to 3.3 meters from the floor level. c. 2x40 watt T12 FTL in ordinary mirror optics type fittings, available on DGS&D Rate Contract, have been used and they are mounted in flush with the false ceiling and supported through M.S. trays above the false ceiling. In some of the exchanges electronic ballasts, available on DGS&D Rate Contract, were provided but these ballasts initially produced hissing sound and thus were required to be attended at the site.

d. Some of the equipment manufacturers were providing single T12, 40 watt or T8, 36 watt luminaires fixed at the top of their racks. e. When the height of the luminaire was lowered from 3 metres to 2.4 metres, it was observed that the illumination level in between the racks was increased by about 1.5 times. f. The illumination level in between the racks was lowered by removing one of the tubes from the twin tube light fittings and also by adjusting the number of fittings. The maintenance staff aged between 40 to 50 years were asked to attend the cards / modules, with illumination level of 100 lux, 150 lux, 200 lux, 250 lux and 300

Norms for Telecom Switch: V.P.Gupta and V.M.Kohli

lux. The maintenance staff felt that they could perform the task of replacement of cards/ modules comfortably when the illumination level is around 150 lux in between the racks. g. The lighting system was controlled through switches, which were provided at the entrance of the switch room. Normally whenever a person enters the switch room he has a tendency to switch ON all the lights simultaneously. h. The illumination level with in-built rack lighting provided by the some of the Telecom Switch manufacturers comes to about 150 lux. i. The colour scheme of the switch rack cabinet effects the level of illumination and the light colour contributes in a positive manner.

e. For the switch room lights, control switches should be segregated in two parts. For General Lighting provided on ceiling, control switches shall be provided near the door /entrance inside the switch room and for the Task Lighting provided on the racks itself are on M.S. trays, control switches shall be provided in the working area for each bay separately on the walls of the switch room. These lights shall be group controlled. f. In case, the equipment manufacturer provides Electrical Fittings alongwith the switching rack, no separate Task Lighting is required to be provided. Only General Lighting on the ceiling, required for obtaining an illumination level of 100 lux, shall be installed.

2.3 Recommendations Based on the above findings recommendations of the Committee optimum lighting in switch room with regard to energy conservation summarized as under: the for due are

g. The electronic ballasts shall be used in few exchanges on sample basis as their performance is yet to be established. h. Instead of T12, 40W, or T8, 36W and T8 with high lumen FTL may also be used. i. In general areas like entrance, lobbies, corridors, stair cases and toilets compact fluorescent tube lamps may be used.

a. The lighting inside the switch room is to be divided into two categories i.e General Lighting and Task Lighting. b. The General Lighting shall be provided on the ceiling for obtaining illumination level of100 Lux with T12, 40W/ T8, 36W lamps. c. For Task lighting, T12, 40W FTL (or T8, 36W FTL), with mirror optic fittings shall be suspended from the M.S. trays at a height of about 2.4 mtrs by means of suitable down rods so as to maintain vertical clearance of 100 mm above the switching racks.The fittings shall be provided to obtain an illumination level of 150 lux between the racks.

The Committee recommended that lighting might be provided in one or two exchanges on sample basis as per the above recommendations. Feedback to be obtained before the norms are finalised. 2.4 Norms for lighting level in Telecom Switch Pilot Projects were taken up based on the Committees recommendation once again at Delhi (Nehru Place and Shakti Nagar) and at Gujarat (Mehsana and Gandhi Nagar) and it was found that the illumination level available between the racks is sufficient to carryout the tasks required. However, the performance of electronics ballast was not consistent. Based on the above feedback, the Director[E] DOT, on 23.3.2000, issued the following norms.

d. The colour dcor of switching rack cabinet of all manufacturers shall preferably be OFF WHITE.

Norms for Telecom Switch: V.P.Gupta and V.M.Kohli

2.4.1 Telecom Switch Rooms a. General Lighting: General Lighting shall be with single (T12/ T8) mirror optic fittings directly fixed on ceiling to obtain an illumination level of 100 lux. This lighting control shall be near the entrance of the switch room. b. Task Lighting: Task Lighting shall be with single T12/ T8 mirror optic fitting mounted at a vertical clearance of 100 mm above the Switching Racks (about 2.4 mtrs from floor level) to obtain an illumination level of 150 lux. The lighting circuits for Task Lighting shall be in two parts to switch OFF and ON 50% of the lighting in each bay with separate controls for every bay. 2.4.2 Other areas All other areas like entrance, lobbies, corridors, stair case and toilets in the Telephone Exchange shall be illuminated by using Compact Fluorescent Lamps. 2.5 Energy saving due to revised norms Before the issue of norms, a typical Telecom Switch was illuminated with 30 number, 2 X T12, 40W [or 2XT8, 36W] FTL mirror optic fittings and now only 36 Nos. single T12 [or T8] fittings are used, thus, giving a saving of 1176 watts with T12 (1080 W with T8) per hour per Switch Room, considering 9 watts ballast losses. There is further saving on account of use of Compact Fluorescent Lamps at the entrance, lobbies, corridors, staircases and toilets. 2.6 Barriers in energy efficient lighting 2.6.1 Electronic ballasts Even though it is established that high frequency electronic ballasts provide significant saving in power, yet, they have not been used widely in Telephone Exchanges due to following reasons. a. High cost of good quality electronic ballasts.

b. Generation of harmonics and humming sound by some of these electronic ballasts. c. Frequent failure of ballasts d. Ballasts available on DGS & D Rate Contract/ Local Market are not of consistent good quality and have very short life. The Department has to purchase all the items available on DGS&D Rate Contract through DGS & D only. 2.6.1 Energy efficient lamps In Telecom. switches, so far, T12, 40 W FTL and T8, 36W , ordinary FTL are being used. The use of T8, 36W lumen plus FTL or T5, 28W lamp can bring about substantial energy saving. However, there are following barriers in providing these lamps a. High capital cost. b. These lamps are not available on DGS & D Rate Contract or in local market. c. Availability of Quality Products. The declared life of T5 or T8 lumen plus lamps is still to be seen in the field. Thus, a reluctance is there for their use. They can be tried only on experimental basis till their performance is established.

3. CONCLUSION In the Telecom Buildings in India, though the norms for lighting in Telecom Switches have been revised, resulting into substantial saving in energy consumption due to lighting, yet, energy efficient fluorescent tube lamps, electronic ballasts etc. etc. have not been used. This is mainly on account of barriers as indicated in the paper. Notwithstanding the barriers, we have already started using these lamps and electronic ballasts on experimental basis in few Telecom Switches, so as to obtain feedback from the field units, before they are adopted uniformly on All India basis.

Norms for Telecom Switch: V.P.Gupta and V.M.Kohli

AUTHORS V.P.Gupta, Chief Engineer(Elect.), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (A Govt. of India Enterprise) 1501, Devika Tower, 6, Nehru Place,New Delhi 110019. Telephone Nos: 91-11-6441133/ 44 Fax No: 91-11-6440435 E-mail: vpg_2000@hotmail.com

and
V.M.Kohli, Superintending Engineer(Elect.), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (A Govt. of India Enterprise) 912, Devika Tower, 6, Nehru Place, New Delhi 110019. Telephone Nos : 91-11-6461917/ 6469496 Fax No: 91-11-6293812 E-mail: vmkohli@bol.net.in ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The work for evolution of norms for Telecom Switches was carried out by a committee in Department of Telecommunications. The contributions made by the members of the committee, particularly that of Sh. S.N. Bhatnagar and Sh. P.K. Panigrahi are acknowledged.