The NAB’s FASTROAD initiative, an advocacy program that supports the development and commercialization of new technologies that use radio and TV broadcast spectrum, has released a white paper on power-efficient broadcast facility transmission design for radio and TV stations.
The informational resource was put together by broadcast engineering consults Cavell, Mertz and Associates with funding from the NAB FASTROAD technology advocacy program.
The document, entitled “Power Efficient Broadcast Facility Transmission Design,” offers stations that are considering the alteration or construction of new DTV transmission facilities a road map for how to design power-efficient transmission facilities. Topics include the evolution of transmitter efficiency, the impact of cooling-system requirements on overall plant efficiency and a brief discussion of green-energy alternatives.
It also recommends establishing a Transmitter Energy Efficiency Award (TEEA) for broadcast transmitters, similar to the U.S. Government’s Energy Star rating for home appliances. TEEA-certified products would have to meet a set of criteria and measurement methods that would be used to compare various transmitter products against one another. The NAB said it would also provide a tool for broadcasters to use in making greener decisions when purchasing transmission equipment.
A complementary Web-based tool is also under development by Cavell, Mertz and Associates designed to enable a broadcast station engineer or manager to conduct a what-if study of various transmitter site topology decisions and their impact on long-term operational costs. The Web-based tool will be online by the end of the first quarter of this year.
