Simplifying PoE – Plug and Play (PP-PoE)

Simplifying PoE – Plug and Play (PP-PoE)

The skilled labor shortage is perhaps the biggest obstacle facing builders over the next 10 years. However, within the basket of ‘skilled labor’, the availability of electricians may pose the greatest challenge.

Lets look at a few facts:

• 10,000 electricians retire every year
• 7,000 new electricians are added every year
• 80,000 new electricians are needed per year for the next 10 years to meet the demands associated with electrifying the operation of buildings and fueling vehicles

These trends present residential home builders with 2 options:

• One option is to enter a bidding war with the rest of the economy for the shrinking pool of available labor, or
• Find a way to reduce the amount of licensed electrician labor required to distribute power throughout the homes they build.

Does anyone really need an MBA degree to realize that option 2 is the best option, if it is available?

This is where LumenCache comes in. LumenCache is a system that more efficiently, more cost effectively, and more intelligently distributes power throughout the home. The LumenCache system makes it possible for 60% of the wiring in the home, and the majority of the wall switch circuitry, to be installed using a plug and play system by an expanded pool of trained labor. It is important to note that while it takes a journeyman 4 years to become a licensed electrician, it takes a matter of days or weeks to become trained to design and install the LumenCache system.

Instead of using 5 to 10 slots in a typical AC panel to run power throughout the home with heavy duty Romex 14/2 wire, the LumenCache system allows for a single AC circuit to power a low volt distribution panel. A single power converter is used to convert the power from AC to DC, and all power is distributed from the panel using Cat5 ethernet cable. The process of installing the LumenCache panel and connecting the low volt devices, switches, and circuits is plug and play. The only tool required to install the system is a RJ45 Connector crimping tool to tip the ends of the Cat5 cable. The entire LumenCache system is UL Class 2 rated, which removes the need for a licensed electrician to perform the install, and opens a large portion of the electrical distribution installation to be performed by low voltage system integrators and others.

Providing builders with the ability to access a larger pool of labor is only one of the many benefits of LumenCache. The ability to swap the heavy copper Romex wiring with Cat5 ethernet cable represents a significant savings opportunity in itself. Additionally, the use of common driver cards in the LumenCache power distribution panel help to lower the cost of DC-powered components in homes while also extending the life of those components. These are topics for another article, though.

To learn more about the LumenCache system and to evaluate the benefits it can offer to your homebuilding business, contact Stephen Crouch at scrouch@lumencache.com or Derek Cowburn at dcowburn@lumencache.com.