ASCO White Paper

Milestones
Supporting the Critical Power Community
by Sharing Valuable Knowledge

White Paper 100

Revision 1
ASCO White Paper Milestones
Supporting the Critical Power Community by Sharing Valuable Knowledge

As the thought and technology leader in critical power solutions, ASCO Power Technologies will publish its 100th white
paper in July of 2019. To recognize this milestone, the following sections describe the scope and accomplishments of
the white paper program.

INTRODUCTION
To educate the critical power community, ASCO Power Technologies regularly issues white papers about subjects
related to our largest product lines – transfer switches, paralleling switchgear, load banks, surge protectors, and critical
power management systems.

ASCO papers educate experienced professionals, such as consulting engineers and facility managers, without
exceeding the capabilities and interests of new entrants to our industry. The papers explain applications for classes of
products; how to comply with evolving codes and regulations; and the benefits of various technologies. Some of the
most popular issues provide elementary explanations of how technologies work. Regardless of topic, our white papers
show the value of solutions, especially to the engineering and non-engineering professionals who approve power
projects.

HISTORY
The first ASCO Facts newsletter provided
important information about ground fault
In the early 1980s, ASCO published to the critical power
principles and neutral conductors.
industry a series of technical newsletters entitled ASCO
FACTS. These documents provided engineers with brief and
effective summaries of technical concepts related to transfer
switching, power management, and related topics. These
newsletters were well-received because they provided
useful information quickly and efficiently. In the eyes of
readers, the newsletters helped transform ASCO from a
seller of electrical devices to a trusted solutions provider.

In the ensuing years, ASCO published several documents

on emerging issues in critical power. Later, ASCO elected to
reach out to the critical power community by summarizing
essential concepts and supporting emerging challenges
in white papers issued on a regular schedule. That effort
began in 2016, and the resulting publications were originally
disseminated through the ASCO White Paper News.

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PURPOSES AND AUDIENCES
The purposes for creating ASCO white papers are multifold and vary with the intended audience, of which there are
several. While a single paper may present several types of information, the primary aim of these documents is to
educate readers about power technologies, solution applications, or compliance with industry codes and government
regulations. These types of information enable readers to understand how systems work, how they provide value, and
how to meet new challenges when codes and regulations change.

The original ASCO FACTS articles were typically written by engineers for engineers, and this is reflected in the tone,
wording, and depth of detail. Today, consulting engineers in the power distribution industry remain a very large
and important audience. Nevertheless, modern trends have caused additional audiences to become aware of the
importance of critical power systems. Figure 2 shows these audiences include:

• Facility Managers: Whether they design and operate

systems or must justify equipment and its costs, facility
managers need to understand both how systems work
and the context of their operation.
Facility
Managers
• Channel Partners: While ASCO maintains its own
salesforce, ASCO also aligns with strategic partners, such Channel
Partners
as engine-generator dealers and electrical equipment
distributors, to sell and distribute ASCO products.
New
• Existing and Prospective Customers: Customers Entrants
need to know how systems work and how they will meet
project requirements. White Papers provide context Customers
beyond the summary descriptions provided in data sheets and
and brochures. End Users
Engineering
Sales and
• ASCO Engineering, Sales, and Service Service
Professionals: With multiple businesses and product Professionals
lines, hundreds of critical power products, and more than
2,000 employees worldwide, even ASCO professionals
need to learn about products, technologies, and
regulations that impact our customers every day. In turn, ASCO White Paper Audience
white papers also help sales professionals educate
customers about the equipment and solutions they need.

• New Entrants to the Industry: It is one thing to graduate college, another entirely to deliver finished electrical
projects. Whether they are recent graduates or people transitioning from other industries, new entrants must quickly
learn critical power concepts and ideas.

Regardless of their backgrounds, our audiences all have one common need – to understand the value of critical power
solutions. If that requires operating descriptions, ASCO papers provide them. If that requires regulatory knowledge,
ASCO papers explain it. If that requires describing application options, our papers survey them. In short, ASCO white
papers succinctly describe the essential information needed for readers to know the value of critical power solutions and
act on their implementation.
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MOST FREQUENTLY VIEWED ISSUES
While ASCO White Papers have been well-received, some issues have been especially popular with readers. Based on
the number of views of the webpage for each paper, the 10 most popular issues are listed as follows.

Most Viewed ASCO White Papers

Subject Product Line Theme

Transfer Mechanism Basics Transfer Switches Technology

Connecting Closed Transition Transfer Switches to Utility

Transfer Switches Application
Services

Monitoring the Integrity of Engine Start Signal Circuits Transfer Switches Regulatory Compliance

Data Communications for Critical Power Management Critical Power Management

Technology
Systems Systems

Code Changes After-Hurricane Sandy Transfer Switches Regulatory Compliance

Specifying Load Banks for Outdoor Use Load Banks Application

NEC®-Specified Methods for Arc Energy Reduction Transfer Switches Regulatory Compliance

Surges and SPDs Defined Surge Protective Devices Technology

Transfer Switch Solutions for Service Entrance Applications Transfer Switches Application

Per Mode and Per Phase Ratings Defined Surge Protective Devices Technology

Based on the topics in the table, ASCO observes the following.

Readers are Equally Interested in Each Content Type

The popular content types are evenly represented between Technology, Application, and Regulatory Compliance. It thus
appears that all are equally valued among the readership and meet essential needs in the critical power community.

Basic Information is Needed to Educate Workers

All of the Technology papers in Table 1 provide relatively elementary descriptions of how equipment of systems function.
For example, Transfer Mechanism Basics, Surges and SPDs Defined, and Per Mode and Per Phase Ratings Defined all
provide very basic information about critical power equipment function and design. With the aging of the “baby-boomer”
generation, the critical power industry is seeing older, experienced workers leaving to be replaced by younger workers
that are less familiar with legacy technologies and the needs that they address. Concise presentations of basic critical
power information are needed to increase awareness and understanding of associated technologies and their value.

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REACHING LARGER AUDIENCES AND YOUNGER WORKERS
In the early 1980s, ASCO successfully reached the critical power community by mailing its printed ASCO FACTS
newsletter to industry participants. In the decades since, professional communications media expanded to include email
content, and then to various social media channels. In these newer media, communications are shorter, quicker, and use
more graphics and less narrative to convey meaning. Maintaining relevance with younger readers and time-pressured
professionals requires using these channels well.

ASCO White Papers are posted nearly every week to the

online repository on the publicly accessible ASCO website,
and are then announced via email and social media. White
Papers can be viewed and downloaded directly at from
whitepapers.ascopower.com.

Upon posting to the website, the publication of every

paper is announced in ASCO White Paper News, which is
transmitted to more than 135,000 critical power colleagues
via email. In addition, an announcement of and a link to
each paper is posted to social media channels, where
ASCO staff and industry colleagues can share them with
others. Announcements with links to each paper are posted
to LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They are
circulated within ASCO Power Technologies and its parent
company, Schneider Electric.

To ensure that we engage busy professionals and younger

workers, ASCO also distributes video summaries of its white
paper offerings. These are short, narration-free videos,
typically 3-minutes in duration, that use images and text to
highlight key points from each paper. Viewers are instructed
how to access the actual white paper to learn more about
each subject. Video white paper summaries are publicly
viewable on ASCO’s YouTube channel. Today, ASCO white papers can be viewed and
downloaded at www.ascopower.com.

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INDUSTRY RECEPTION AND FEEDBACK
The ASCO White Papers have been well-received by industry professionals. ASCO has continued to expand the number
of readers while identifying new topics to suit its growing audience and addressing industry issues. Readers attribute
part of the success to their no-frills approach that provides relevant information quickly. “They are useful, and they don’t
take much time,” said Manny Day, a seasoned engineer at a NV5, a prominent consulting engineering firm. “They are
concise and to-the-point.”

Part of the reason for growth in readership is that professionals find value in the content of the papers. Our team finds
the ASCO Load Bank White Papers very useful,” says Joseph Stonestreet - Vice President of Product Management
at Comrent. “ASCO white papers have been a great source of relevant information to MTU Onsite Energy and our
distribution network,” adds Brian Ponstein, Senior Application Engineer at MTU Onsite Energy. “We regularly encourage
others in the industry to subscribe.”

In addition to finding value in ASCO papers, readers also help to shape their content by providing feedback. Mark
Prevoznik, ASCO’s Marketing Manager for Load Banks, points out, “We encourage customers to point out topics. Load
Banks for Regenerative Braking originated from a customer conversation. Specifying Load Banks for Outdoor Use was
also suggested by a customer and became a top-ten issue.”

SUMMARY
ASCO Power Technologies began supporting critical power professionals with knowledge products in the early 1980s.
Since then, ASCO has released nearly 100 papers on subjects pertinent to the deployment and operation of critical
power systems.

ASCO white papers are published on a robust schedule that

Subscribe to ASCO Social Media Channels:
continues to increase the scope of resources available to
readers. The documents are announced to subscribers across
the industry through email and social media campaigns.
ASCO white papers are publicly available to anyone through
the company’s website.

The ASCO white paper program has produced a publicly accessible online portal that supports the interests of
experienced engineers, end users, and new industry professionals alike. By concentrating on the value of solutions,
ASCO will continue to promote critical power awareness and provide important information on critical power solutions.
Questions and comments regarding the ASCO white paper program can be submitted to customercare@ascopower.
com. Anyone can subscribe to ASCO’s White Paper News from by clicking on the subscribe button at whitepapers.
ascopower.com.
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ASCO Power Technologies - Global Headquarters whitepapers.ascopower.com
160 Park Avenue [email protected]
Florham Park, NJ 07932
Tel: 800 800 ASCO

© 2019 ASCO Power Technologies. All Rights Reserved. Life Is On Schneider Electric is a trademark and the property of Schneider Electric SE, its subsidiaries and affiliated companies.