The ECOSHIELD project will deliver the Motushelter: an innovative Modular Smart Frame (MSF) for the shelters used to protect and contain electronic equipment in a broadest set of applications such as Microwave stations, Satellite communication - Earth stations, Base repeater stations (BTS), Power stations, Switching stations, Gas & Oil pipelines SCADA station, Railways, Computer rooms etc..
The ambition of the project is to deliver the most viable, versatile and eco-sustainable solution for passive insulation and cooling of electronic, ICT and telecommunication devices in EU: Motushelter can keep them cool cheaply.
Specifically, the MSF will have a remarkable economic impact on saving the energy usually required to cool the internal environment of the shelters protecting electronic devices. This is possible because the panels of the frame are designed in order to extract the produced internal heat and shield from the external one. It allows at least a 30% downsizing in required HVAC systems power, making them smaller, sometimes useless and switching from cooling devices using external air to ‘free coil’ machines just needed to move internal air fostering a ‘chimney effect’ letting the smart frame do most of the job. This can in turn cut down power consumption, transport costs, clearance requirements and a whole set of features which improve the operability and the opex/capex ratio, generating profit for the users choosing the Motushelter with respect to the standard.
Indeed, the shelters for electronic equipment have a broadest set of applications crosscutting total different markets with their own dynamics. 3 serviceable market segments have been identified, in order of priority they are:
1)Telecom operators stations: This segment is the most crowded, the fastest growing and has a strong priority for the Motushelter business. The main serviceable application is related to the BTS stations dominated by telecom operator and tower companies, who own the towers infrastructure. The former are hungry to increase margins by decreasing opex for power consumption, the letter ones wishing to provide better structures increasing their profitability.
2)Railways and highways control stations: Shelters for these segments are of paramount importance and working 24-7. They are used to contain UPS – uninterruptible Power Supply – and control systems. The target users are thus the managing authorities. Highways and railways companies, or their infrastructure suppliers.
3)Special applications: this segment includes a number of different applications to be considered.
-Internal applications: Data centers or computer rooms. Target user can range from banks, research centers, universities and a widest number of private companies.
-Transportable labs: shelters usually made in Aluminum that require increased comfort, low power and lightness for transport
-Airport shelters: regulated by ICAO, this shelters contains instruments for air navigation
-Camouflaged shelters for application in natural reserve or wherever low visual impact is required.
Strong Market Drivers and trends have been acknowledged
Specific driver #1 - More and faster communication technologies and infrastructures are needed. The market scenario related to telecommunication infrastructure is very promising indeed: major investments have kept increasing in 4G/LTE and are now pushing 5G technology infrastructures – i.e. fifth generation of wireless network technology –. Motulab will follow a business strategy getting in touch with major stakeholders in this scenario, including equipment manufacturers, telecom operators and tower companies.
Specific driver #2 - need for ecological design in defining 5G standards. As assessed very recently the ITU – International Telecommunication Union - was strongly urged by telecom companies such as Vodafone, Huawei and Orange, to release an international standard covering ecological design principles for 4G and 5G architectures and sites, and develop key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the energy consumption and gains in efficiency for mobile, fixed and core networks, along with servers and storage facilities. The Motushelter can perfectly fit this scenario, providing an improved standard for infrastructure facilities at different stations sites. Motulab will search for establishing relationships with relevant authorities.
Specific drive #3- the HVAC market positive forecasts. On a parallel path, global demand for innovative HVAC equipment is forecast to increase 5.7 percent annually to €110 billion by 2018, with new impulse from developing countries like India and China and the need to renew from EU and US . The Motushelter can deploy the need for HVAC system providing an alternative solution thanks to its cheap cooling capability.
