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APPLICATION NOTE | ADVANCED POWERSTRIPS

OVERVIEWThere are a number of Advanced PowerStrips (APS) on the market. With a

confusing array of features, surge protection ratings and warranty options

it is often difficult to compare “apples with apples” and to understand what

you need and what represents value. This note will highlight some of the

important features and criteria to consider when deciding which Advanced

PowerStrip is best for your application.

SURGE PROTECTIONThe type and quality of surge protection technology used in Advanced

Powerstrips varies tremendously. Most manufacturers use standard

Metal Oxide Varistors (MOV’s). These are simple to implement and are

inexpensive. MOV’s work by detecting an electrical surge and diverting

excess energy away from equipment via the electrical grounding system.

However, as with all products you get what you pay for. In abnormal surge

conditions, standard MOVs can arc and catch fire.

TrickleStar MOV’s are the most advanced available and are encased in

a flameproof, ceramic casing. They are capable of suppressing more

energy and dissipating heat faster than traditional MOV’s. The patented

high-temperature ceramic casing is capable of preventing fire during an

abnormal surge condition as a result of arcing. This combination of high-

energy dissipation and fire containment offers ultimate protection, safety

and peace of mind. The end result is a surge protection product that is

much safer than any other on the market using standard MOV’s.

Because the TrickleStar MOV’s are able to dissipate heat faster, this helps

to extend the lifetime of the product - thereby providing surge protection

and energy savings for a longer period. Reducing risk and ensuring safety

are important for everyone. Large organisations, power utilities and energy

efficiency organisations are particularly sensitive to managing potential risk

in their businesses. The added safety of the TrickleStar ceramic encased

MOV’s is a critical part of ensuring that product that is going into the

field is safe and does not pose an unwanted risk to the end-user or the

organisation that has provided it.

CERAMIC MOV’s = ULTIMATE PROTECTION AND SAFETY

STANDARD MOV FAILUREIn abnormal surge conditions, powerstrips with standard MOV’s can fail

catastrophically leading to arcing, sparking and combustion. Powerstrips

with non UL compliant components and enclosure materials can ignite and

become a significant fire hazard.

TRICKLESTAR CERAMIC MOV FAILUREIn abnormal surge conditions, TrickleStar ceramic MOV’s may fail, but

they will do so in a safe and controlled manner. With the MOV’s encased

in a ceramic housing, the MOV may fail but it has insufficient oxygen to

combust, and as is it not touching combustable material, it cannot be an

ignition source. Ceramic MOV’s offer high quality fireproof surge protection,

last longer and are considerably safer than standard MOV’s.

THERMAL SHUTDOWNTrickleStar products have a thermal shutdown feature whereby in the event

of the product becoming overheated due to overloading or an abnormal

surge condition, the product will shut down safely, protecting itself and

the devices connected to it. Most products do not have thermal shutdown

detection capability as it adds extra cost to the product.

SWITCHING THRESHOLDSOne of the most important features of an Advanced Powerstrip is the way

in which the switching threshold is set. Most manufacturers have a simple,

inexpensive fixed switching threshold (typical 20W or 40W). This is cheap

to implement BUT will only work with around 70-80% of equipment in the

field. This is because there is a huge variety of PC’s Notebooks, Netbooks,

TV’s, plasma displays and LCD displays. A product with a fixed switching

threshold cannot support all of these products.

If the switching threshold is too high –

then new energy efficient Netbooks won’t

operate correctly (not enough current draw

to switch on the switched outlets). If the

switching threshold is too low, old legacy

devices won’t operate correctly (too much

power draw and the switched outlets will

not switch off).

It is essential that an Advanced Powerstrip have an adjustable switching

threshold so it can work with a variety of devices. An Advanced Powerstrip

with a fixed switching threshold is severely limited and can frequently result

in return rates of 15-20%. A rate most retailers, power utilities and energy

efficiency organisations would deem disastrous.

TrickleStar Advanced Powerstrips have 2 selectable switching thresholds

of 18W and 35W. This ensures that TrickleStar APS products are compatible

with >99% of devices in the field -- resulting in a great customer experience

and reduced risk to utility company and energy efficiency organization

program sponsors.

AUTO ONSometimes a user may require the Advanced Powerstrip to function as

a standard powerstrip / surge protector. With

the exception of TrickleStar, all other Advanced

Powerstrips do not allow a user to select Auto or

Normal Operation mode. This gives a user control

and can help avoid frustration and support calls.

Dedicated Resettable Circuit Breaker

Ceramic Encased Fireproof MOV’s

Adjustable Switching ThresholdTrickleStar

Safety Shutdown& LED Control

Auto / Manual Switch

Resettable Circuit Breaker / Off Switch

Standard MOV’s

Adjustable Switching ThresholdBits Ltd

Resettable Circuit Breaker / Off Switch

Standard MOV’s

Rocketfish

LED STATUS INDICATIONIt is often helpful to be able to determine what the states of the various

outlets of an Advanced Powerstrip are. If a user is having difficulty

configuring or troubleshooting an Advanced Powerstrip – good LED status

indication is essential. TrickleStar has the only Advanced Powerstrip, which

provides comprehensive LED Indication to simply the user experience.

Good LED indication provides a user with clear, simple feedback and helps

to reduce frustration and support calls.

WARRANTYPerhaps the most confusing and misleading aspects of Advanced

Powerstrips and Surge Protectors are the types of warranties offered.

Warranties typically consist of 2 parts:

• Product Warranty

• Connected Device Warranty

Product Warranty: covers failure of the product within the warranty period.

This typically covers parts and labour. It is essential that a manufacturer

offer a product warranty of at least 1-2 years. If there is going to be fault

with a product it will typically appear in the first 6-12 months. TrickleStar

offers a 2-year, full parts and labour warranty on all Advanced Powerstrip

products.

Connected Device Warranty: covers damage from an electrical surge

to any products / devices connected to an Advanced Powerstrip. It is

CRITICAL that the terms and conditions of the Connected Device Warranty

are well understood. It is not uncommon for manufacturers to provide a

very high warranty amount e.g. $500,000 but to have an unreasonable

warranty agreement which makes the warranty worthless. For example

some manufacturers will require a user to submit a completed warranty

card within 2 weeks of purchase otherwise the Connected Device Warranty

is voided.

A very high Connected Device Warranty amount does not mean a

better product – sometimes it may mean the opposite.

It is important to understand the terms and conditions of a Connected

Device Warranty – particularly for electrical utilities and energy efficiency

organisations considering large-scale programs. An unreasonable

Connected Device Warranty can lead to end user anger and reflect badly

on the organisation that provided the products.

Another issue to consider is whether a very large Connected Device

Warranty is actually required. While it sounds good if a product is supplied

with a $500,000 Connected Device Warranty – 95% of users will not

have more than $20,000 worth of equipment connected to the Advanced

Powerstrip. If a manufacturer is offering a $500,000 Connected Device

Warranty it can mean either that the terms and conditions of the warranty

are unreasonable or that far more insurance is provided than is required –

and this is a wasted expense that is passed to the customer.

TrickleStar provides a Connected Device Warranty of $50,000 with simple

terms and conditions. TrickleStar does not over-insure its products, but

instead provides coverage that will meet the

needs of >95% of customers and focuses on

providing a high quality product that will result

in a longer product lifetime and bigger energy

savings.

SAFETY & APPROVALSWhen it comes to power products, safety is critical. Non-approved or

counterfeit products can be extremely dangerous and lead to electrocution

or fire. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is the

premier testing and approvals organisation

for North America. Insist that product is UL

approved. Look for the UL logo on the product

itself and if unsure, request a copy of the UL

product certification from the manufacturer.

Use of non-UL approved product may void private or public insurance

policies and expose an organisation that provided the product to liability.

PRODUCT LIABILITY INSURANCEA reputable manufacturer of Advanced Powerstrips will have product

liability insurance to cover any claims that may arise as a result of

a faulty product or components. For electrical utilities and energy

efficiency organisations considering large-

scale programs, managers should insist on

seeing a copy of the manufacturer’s product

liability insurance. TrickleStar has US$5 Million

product liability insurance with Axa Insurance.

Surge Status

Ground Status Alway OnOutlet Status

ControlOutlet Status

SwitchedOutlet Status

W A R R A N T Y

Copyright © TrickleStar Ltd. All rights reserved.

TrickleStar® is a registered trademark of TrickleStar Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

The information in this document is subject to change without notice. TrickleStar Ltd assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document.

www.tricklestar.com

ADVANCEDPOWERSTRIPS®

Surge Amps 144,000 Amps 48,000 Amps 105,000 Amps

Surge Joules 2160 1200 2250

Resettable Circuit Breaker Yes Yes Yes

Fireproof / Ceramic Encased MOV’s Yes No No

MOV Temp Withstand Rating >1200 Deg C 175~250 Deg C 175~250 Deg C

MOV Surge Life 2X 1X 1X

MOV Energy Rating 1080J 295J 295J

MOV Peak Current Rating 24KA 15KA 15KA

Outlets 6 7 7

Adjustable Switching Threshold Yes Yes No

Auto / Manual Enable / Disable Yes No No

Thermal Safety Shutdown Yes Yes No

EMI / Noise Filtering <48dB <30dB <43dB

Ground Yes Yes Yes

Surge Protection Yes Yes Yes

Control Outlet Yes No No

Always Live Yes No No

Switched Yes Yes No

Product 2 Year 1 Year Limited

Connected Device $50,000 $25,000 $200,000

UL Approved Yes Yes Yes

Carbon Offset Yes No No

Cable Management Yes No No

TrickleStar Bits Ltd Rocketfish

Surge Protection

Electrical

Warranty

Other

LED Indication

CARBONOFFSET

CABLE MANAGEMENTIn order to make a product installation as neat and tidy as possible we

include Velcro cable ties with all APS products.

CARBON OFFSETProducing and distributing products results in the production

of carbon. At TrickleStar we reduce the carbon footprint of

our products through thoughtful design and efficient business

practices. In order to be as environmentally conscious as possible,

TrickleStar purchases carbon credits from United Nations sanctioned

forestry projects to offset the carbon produced in the manufacture and

distribution of our products.

GREEN DISTRIBUTIONAll APS products are produced in Taiwan and China. In order to minimize

our distribution carbon footprint, we have located our distribution facility

in Fremont, California. We then ship product out to the rest of the United

States. Our distribution facility is also 30% powered by solar.

GREEN PACKAGINGTrickleStar uses REACH and CONEG compliant packaging for all APS

products. We specifically avoid the use of plastic clamshell / blister pack

packaging.