Facility Alliance Combines Key Industry Suppliers

The Facility Solutions Alliance (FSA) combines Albercorp, Cummins Onan, MGE UPS Systems, EFI, Square D and Stulz in a partnership to "support mission-critical networks and facility operations with power, environmental control and monitoring systems." According to officials of the companies, the FSA is the first such alliance of its kind.

By Staff June 1, 2001

The Facility Solutions Alliance (FSA) combines Albercorp, Cummins Onan, MGE UPS Systems, EFI, Square D and Stulz in a partnership to “support mission-critical networks and facility operations with power, environmental control and monitoring systems.”

According to officials of the companies, the FSA is the first such alliance of its kind. “We’ve learned that customers ideally want to deal with one reliable source for all their power, control and monitoring systems,” said David Derambakhsh, director of the FSA project for MGE. “These customers must focus on their core business, and not worry about what type of equipment they need, will it work together and will there be someone to service and maintain it all.”

Apogee Interactive says the California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved “The Demand Exchange” from Apogee as one of six key components in its peak-load reduction program. The CEC program is designed to shave 161 megawatts of peak demand in the state by summer. Apogee’s application involves Internet auctions and the trading of “negawatts.”

  • ASCO’s parent company, Emerson Electric, has given the company its Emerson Technology Award for the 7000 Series Power Transfer Switch product line. The 7000 was noted for its “innovative design, utilization of advanced engineering design tools, fast time to market and superior performance.”

  • Avista Labs was set to be spun off from parent company Avista via a stock-market initial public offering, but the parent canceled the IPO in mid-March. Reason: “unfavorable marketing conditions.”

  • BONUS Energy A/S (Denmark) will supply the units for one of the largest wind power facilities in the world, in West Texas. The King Mountain installation will feature 214 wind turbines, with a combined capacity of 278 mW. The facility reportedly will be operational before the year ends.

  • Caterpillar & Active Power have allied to develop new, higher-power, battery-free UPS systems. The companies have worked together since 1999. “The growing need for highly reliable electric power is a major issue at advanced data and telecommunications centers, broadcasting facilities and mission-critical operations such as medical campuses,” said an Active Power spokesperson.

  • Energy Ventures Inc., Ottawa, Ont., has split itself into a battery division and a fuel-cell division, “to better handle the growth of its business.” The company expects to complete the first commercial prototype of its direct-methanol fuel cell in the near future.

From Pure Power, Summer 2001.