Western Systems and the City of Medford, Oregon, have partnered to install Alpha Battery Backup Systems to keep traffic moving during outages.
Medford, OR (Feb.27th ) — Western Systems, a leader in the traffic management industry, recently partnered with the City of Medford, Oregon, to provide 26 battery backup systems at key intersections.
“Power outages caused by extreme weather and wildfires are a growing concern for cities throughout the West Coast,” warns Zach Hoiting, Senior Vice President of Western Systems. “Without a reliable backup solution, traffic interruptions and accidents are inevitable. That’s where our Alpha battery backup solution comes in. Designed with safety as our top priority, Alpha ensures uninterrupted power to critical intersections, preventing accidents and keeping traffic moving smoothly. With Alpha, you can rest easy knowing that your daily commute won’t be disrupted by unpredictable circumstances. Don’t let power outages and dangerous intersections put you at risk. Choose Alpha and stay safe on the roads, no matter what.”
The battery backup systems will be installed in a mix of standalone SE48-1616 cabinets and piggyback enclosures which are attached to the existing traffic signal cabinet. Each system will include the Alpha FXM HP 1100 inverter. This robust power inverter provides a full-color LED display, advanced processing horsepower, high security and easy configurability to maintain traffic flow and intersection safety.
Prior to purchasing the battery backup systems, the city ran extensive tests, putting Alpha’s XTV lead acid batteries up against the nickel-zinc batteries of a competitor.
“We put the Alpha battery system through a gauntlet of tests and it performed very well,” Karl H. MacNair, City of Medford Transportation Manager. “It was important for us to have a system that can withstand challenging situations. We put an 8 amp load on the system and it ran for just over 4 hours which was impressive. The system ran for nearly 12 hours when we tested a normal 3 amp intersection load.”
Lead acid batteries are the most recycled consumer product in the U.S. Alpha’s XTV lead acid batteries provide a cleaner and more environmentally friendly future without sacrificing performance. From freezing cold temperatures to the hot desert heat, Alpha’s XTV batteries provide long-lasting and dependable power.
One unique and very valuable feature of the Alpha system for the City of Medford is the ability to customize load-shedding configurations. A typical UPS configuration runs the entire load at an intersection until utility power is restored or the batteries die. But the Alpha system lets you program load shedding by selecting which devices and services get turned off at different points of an outage or different times of day.
The installation of the new systems are scheduled for the spring of 2023.