DC Power Hour

How Does Standby Battery Power Work In this episode, George of The Battery Blarney Duo answers questions about the basic concept and workings of battery backup for electric substations and their critical components. He touches on topics including ensuring the stability and reliability of the electricity grid, reducing the risk of equipment damage, keeping communications systems powered and prevent...

The discussion about the chemistry and applications of batteries continues in this episode with David, Al Warner and Dan Lambert, and The Battery Blarney Duo. They are comparing flow and lead acid batteries in terms of their reliability and need for maintenance. They examine the problem if you have an energy-storage battery, such as a zinc manganese battery, as well as the benefit of nickel zinc b...

The Battery Blarney Duo are joined by industry experts Al Warner and Dan Lambert to discuss lead acid, lithium, nickel cadmium and other prominent battery chemistries and their proper applications. They discuss the pros and cons of these popular chemistries as well as the prospect of other interesting options, like that of zinc manganese. The discussion revolves around selecting the best battery f...

The world is rapidly becoming more and more reliant on technology. We rely on technology for communication, commerce, and so much more. One of the most important aspects of our technological infrastructure is the stationary battery. Stationary batteries are used to provide backup power or continuous power to a facility. The Battery Blarney Duo, George and Allen, are joined by their colleague Peter...

The Battery Blarney Duo continue their discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing the DC power industry. They discuss the role of standards in promoting innovation and interoperability, the need for improved energy storage technologies, and the potential for micro-grids to provide resiliency in the face of extreme weather events. They also talk about the changing landscape of the utilit...

Batteries are a critical part of the telecom infrastructure and can be found in many different types of telecom equipment. They provide backup power and support to essential systems during an outage or emergency situation. Most substations have some kind of telecom element to them. This could be as simple as a few batteries, or it could be a much more complex system. In either case, a DC battery i...

In this episode, the Battery Blarney hold a Q&A with Ron Dickinson from Western Farmers Electric Co-op in Oklahoma. They discuss things like the fact that batteries are susceptible to corrosion, which can lead to a thermal runaway event. And when dealing with battery corrosion, it's important to know the signs. One of the most common causes of battery corrosion is from electrolyte or electroly...

In this episode the Battery Blarney Duo, George and Allen discuss the challenges of battery warranty and why battery maintenance is important. Many battery problems can be attributed to a lack of maintenance. Batteries are usually warranted for only a year or two, and many battery manufacturers consider battery failures due to sulfation (a lead acid battery enemy) to be the user's fault. Sulfation...

In this special episode, we went live! The Battery Blarney duo welcomed questions from the audience about ohmic testing on a battery, how the rules apply to a NiCad battery, and many more. We were excited to answer these questions and give our audience a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into testing batteries. Our hope is that by answering these questions, we can help people better understand b...

The Battery Blarney duo welcomes Al Warner to talk about the unreliability of the electric grid. The electric grid is one of the most important infrastructure elements in the United States. It's a system of interconnected power plants and transmission lines that delivers electricity to homes and businesses. The grid is also one of the most complex systems in the world, and it's susceptible to a va...

The Battery Blarney duo of George and Allen welcome Joey Davis and Ed Rafter to talk about applying Stationary Battery Training in the Field and Battery Monitoring. Battery training is important for a number of reasons.  First, it helps to ensure that employees are properly trained in the use of batteries. Second, it helps to improve the safety of employees by teaching them how to properly ha...

This June, as we look back on our first 20 episodes, we wanted to revisit two of our favorite topics so far - "Renewables and Alternative Energy Sources" and "Extreme Weather and Other Pitfalls of the Current Power Grid." Please enjoy, and we'll be back with all new episodes in July. In today's episode of DC Power Hour, it is the 1st year anniversary of the Texas power outage. This episode will fo...

This June, as we look back on our first 20 episodes, we wanted to revisit two of our favorite topics so far - "Renewables and Alternative Energy Sources" and "Extreme Weather and Other Pitfalls of the Current Power Grid." Please enjoy, and we'll be back with all new episodes in July. In this first episode, we learned about renewables and alternative energy sources. In the Battery Blarney segment,...

Stand-by power installations are a crucial part of any business or facility. They provide emergency power during outages, ensuring that critical systems keep running. However, many businesses and facilities are finding that the quality of their stand-by power installations is declining. What's causing this decline, and what can be done to improve the situation? The Battery Blarney duo of George an...

The Battery Blarney duo of George and Allen welcome Fran Losey, a critical power and power quality professional who has a disciplined military background. His specialties include critical power systems, power distribution, power quality, battery systems, battery monitoring, and advanced analysis of battery systems for risk reduction and lifecycle management. To many, the battery is a mystery. What...

This episode focuses on the reality vs. myths of moving from fossil fuels toward alternative, renewable energy sources. George and Allen discuss the true effect this will have on society, the environment, and the power industry. While electrification in theory will greatly reduce carbon emissions and result in a more sustainable environment and future, in reality, it poses a number of concerns abo...

The Battery Blarney duo of George and Allen welcome Ed Rogers, National Service Support Manager at EnerSys, to talk about battery charging. The topic of proper battery charging is one of Allen’s passions and they discuss what happens when you undercharge and overcharge a battery.  All batteries are not equal and the discussion covers temperature compensation and the  difficulty of determ...

In this episode, we dig in about the importance of battery room safety. In the Battery Blarney segment, George and Allen talk about issues that can occur when safety precautions are overlooked, and why they are overlooked. Then, they are joined by Ed Rafter, an experienced engineer who has spent his impressive career successfully working across a number of segments in the industry. Ed shares his e...

In today’s episode, we spread deep knowledge in the battery industry and look at how ohmic measurement and ohmic values play a crucial role in battery testing. The Battery Blarney Duo, George and Allen, discuss data trending, the most significant things to look at when monitoring a battery, the value of low capacity cells, and acceptance of ohmic value. In the second segment, they are joined by in...

The world is changing - is our electrical grid prepared to handle it? In today's episode of DC Power Hour, George, Allen and the guys acknowledge the anniversary of the Texas power outage last February by discussing how extreme weather and the stress on the power grid affects everyone. From extreme weather events to the lack of funding and personnel for utilities, the group discusses the complexit...

In today's episode, we talk about UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) applications and improvements that can be made based on seasoned expertise from George and Allen. The Battery Blarney duo talks about how UPS was initially used and the pitfalls of using it over the years. They talk about the problems with the batteries, the kind of lead used, their experience with it, maintenance and so much mor...

David and Andrew welcome industry experts George and Allen to set the record straight on lead acid batteries. They talk about the origin and history of batteries, including French physicist Gaston Plante and his invention of the rechargeable battery. George and Allen discuss battery life span and challenges with different battery types over the years as well as the importance of the maintenance of...

In this episode of the DC Power Hour Podcast, we learn about renewables and alternative energy sources. In the Battery Blarney segment, industry experts George Pedersen and Allan Byrne dive into talking about different topics from solar farms, a combination of sources, alternatives and much more.  In the second segment, we are joined by Jack Andreasen, who is the Manager of Industrial Decarbo...

In this episode of DC Power Hour, we have a panel of round table experts to talk about the most recent Battcon event. Allan Byrne, George Pedersen and Erik Knudston discuss their experience and process the whole event.  The whole team dive deep into the conversation and share their thoughts and opinions on the event. The Battcon Stationary Battery Conference and Trade Show covers the latest i...

In this episode’s Battery Blarney segment, George Pedersen and Allen Byrne talk with hosts David Neubert and Andrew Charlton about their take on innovative technology that is shaking up the industry. They discuss information about innovation in the battery world from valve regulated lead acid batteries to lithium-ion batteries. They also share their opinion on the importance of recycling these bat...