Infrastructure

The new Schneider Electric Easy UPS 3-Phase Modular

Schneider Electric has introduced the Easy UPS 3-Phase Modular. This robust uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is designed to protect critical loads while offering third-party verified Live Swap functionality. Easy UPS 3-Phase Modular is available in 50-250kW capacity with N+1 scalable configuration and supports the EcoStruxure architecture, which offers remote monitoring services. With scalability top of mind, Easy UPS 3-Phase Modular enables you to pay as you grow, allowing you to optimise capital investment. It is a part of Schneider Electric’s Green Premium portfolio, which ensures energy efficiency, durability, recyclability, and transparency to help reduce environmental footprint. In addition, this system features advanced technology such as a high-efficiency design, intelligent battery management, real-time monitoring, and control capabilities, making it one of the most cost-effective and energy-efficient UPS solutions available in the market. “We are excited to introduce Easy UPS 3-Phase Modular to the market,” says Mustafa Demirkol, VP of Offer Management and Marketing for Data Centre Solutions. “This product provides customers with third-party certified Live Swap, modular design, and unwavering reliability in an optimised investment package. Its connectivity provides peace of mind, making it the easy choice for data centres and commercial and industrial applications.” Business continuity made easy Easy UPS 3-Phase Modular enables customers to lower their capital expenditures through an optimised capex model. In addition, scheduled downtime is significantly reduced through self-diagnosing third-party certified Live Swappable power modules and static switch, thereby increasing reliability and availability in a compact footprint. Easy UPS 3-Phase Modular is easy to select, configure, install, and maintain, which makes the deployment process seamless. Easy UPS 3-Phase Modular is part of Schneider Electric’s Easy UPS three-phase product portfolio, which focuses on core features to meet the needs of customers at a value price point. "Our new Easy UPS 3-Phase Modular provides a sustainable, scalable and best-in-class power protection solution for data centres, commercial buildings, process automation and industrial manufacturing environments," says Mark Yeeles, VP, Secure Power Division, UK and Ireland. "By leveraging its Green Premium and circular capabilities, customers can reduce their carbon footprint to meet sustainability objectives without compromise.”

Africa Data Centres deploys DCIM solution across its facilities

Africa Data Centres has announced that it has partnered with TechAccess to implement a DCIM solution.  DCIM software is used to measure, monitor and manage all of the IT equipment and supporting infrastructure housed within data centres. As the solutions integrator for the project, TechAccess is responsible for the software, hardware, integrations, project management, professional services and other project deliverables that make up the DCIM platform. These will come from two vendors. First is data centre optimisation software from EkkoSense, and next is an asset management platform from Assetspire. The solution will be deployed in Africa Data Centres' two sites in Johannesburg, and its facilities in Cape Town, Nairobi and Lagos. EkkoSense data centre optimisation will be used by Africa Data Centres According to Tesh Durvasula, CEO of Africa Data Centres, the goal of this DCIM implementation is to provide Africa Data Centres’ site administrators with a holistic view of each facility's performance to ensure that all resources, such as energy, equipment and floor space, are used as efficiently as possible. “This will assist Africa Data Centres and its partners to gain critical insights into their operations, with direct and instant access to real-time data at the click of a button. When combined with analytics, these insights will enable our customers to realise a wide range of savings in terms of time, money and increased productivity,” he adds.  “We are delighted to be working with Africa Data Centres in implementing a DCIM solution that delivers exceptional insight into its assets and operations,” says Jaxon Martin, CTO for TechAccess. Martin says that as data centres evolve over the next few years, and net zero initiatives become increasingly mainstream, they have to find ways to adapt and become more energy efficient and responsive to customers' demands. Net zero involves cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible and creating a state in which greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by their removal out of the atmosphere, by oceans or forests, for example, Martin explains. “We aim to deliver next-generation DCIM together with our partners Assetspire and Ekkosense through innovative and industry-leading analytics and machine learning, giving our customers such as Africa Data Centres a true, competitive edge.” EkkoSense's CEO, Dean Boyle, says, “Across the industry, leading data centre operators such as Africa Data Centres are under pressure to deliver escalating digital workloads while cutting energy usage and securing carbon savings at the same time. “To help them achieve this balancing act, our EkkoSoft Critical AI-powered data centre optimisation solution is helping the data centre giant to meet these challenges. We are delighted to be working with the TechAccess team on this important project for Africa Data Centres.”

Stellium Datacentres selects Schneider Electric’s Galaxy VM UPS

Stellium Datacentres has partnered with Schneider Electric to help drive data centre resilience and efficiency. Stellium selected Schneider Electric’s Galaxy VM UPS with lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries to provide energy efficient, resilient, and sustainable power protection at its data centre in Newcastle. Stellium’s location in Newcastle has emerged as a major UK connectivity hub, and the meeting place for high frequency data-transfer across local, national and international borders. CBRE, for example, recently cited its 80MW (scalable to 180MW) colocation facility, as the largest in the north of England region - offering hyperscalers and enterprises a viable, alternative wholesale location compared to operators in London and the south of England. Powered by REGO certified 100% renewable energy, Stellium provides Tier 3+ mission-critical infrastructure and diverse connectivity services for a multitude of businesses including fintech and high frequency trading, energy, healthcare and pharmaceutical research and public sector. The company also positions itself as the new Data Meridian - where east meets west in data transfer - being the UK’s only data centre landing station for the Altibox/NO-UK Nordic subsea cables and Aqua Comms North Sea Connect cable, as well as the home of the UK’s newest Internet Exchange Point NCL-IX. An international gateway One of Stellium’s clients is Aqua Comms, a provider of international undersea fibre connectivity, which provides major connectivity linking the USA with Ireland, the UK and the Nordics. The America Europe Connect 2 (AEC-2) project is a dual diverse trans-Atlantic fibre connection comprising two legs, one directly from the US to Denmark and the other passing through Ireland, the Isle of Man and England, where it terminates at the Stellium Campus before continuing to Denmark. The overriding requirement for Aqua Comms’ landing station is guaranteed, 100% uptime, reinforced by a stringent service level agreement (SLA). Several factors make the Stellium Campus a good fit, including ample utility power via the UK’s Super Grid, which provides dual 11kVA feeds into the site, as well as backup power systems that offer defence in depth. Its features include 2N levels of redundancy offered by Schneider Electric’s Galaxy VM UPS and 6MVA standby generators arranged in an N+1 configuration. Stellium selected Schneider Electric’s Galaxy VM UPS due to its high levels of reliability, strong technical and energy efficiency capabilities, and because the company’s sustainable approach to its product strategy matched Stellium’s approach to life cycle management. Galaxy VM UPS Designed to provide highly efficient data centre power continuity, Schneider Electric’s Galaxy VM is a scalable, three-phase UPS for data centres and industrial environments. Powered by lithium-ion batteries, Galaxy UPS delivers the highest levels of backup power protection in a smaller footprint, offering advantageous space saving capabilities for colocation businesses. Furthermore, Galaxy VM utilises Schneider Electric’s patented eConversion mode as standard, offering up-to 99% energy efficiency alongside Class-1 (UL certified) power protection level for critical loads, without compromising availability. “Today, businesses have come to the realisation that through high quality fibre connections and access to 100% sustainable power, it is possible to have major data centres built to Tier 3 standards, in almost any location,” says Paul Mellon, Operations Director, Stellium Datacentres. “By partnering with Schneider Electric and using its UPSs to build the highest levels of redundancy and resiliency into our Newcastle data centre, we’re safeguarding the provision of our customers critical equipment, and ensuring their applications are powered both efficiently and sustainably.” “Stellium Datacentres truly defines what it means to be a northern powerhouse and has built a campus primed to create hyperscale levels of growth in the north of England,” says Marc Garner, SVP, Secure Power Division, Schneider Electric, Europe. “We’re delighted that Stellium has selected our Galaxy VM technology to power its mission-critical workloads, and help it deliver industry-leading levels of resilience and efficiency.”

MDC boosts technology capabilities with significant investment

MDC Data Centres is pleased to announce a $3.4 million investment in upgrading its data centre infrastructure. During the past year, the company has purchased state-of-the-art equipment from Bud Griffin & Associates to upgrade its MCA2 data centre. This investment will enable MDC to offer improved quality of service to its clients, as well as stay up to date on the latest technologies and best practices in the industry. The partnership with BGA will provide MDC Data Centres with access to its expertise and resources, further enhancing the company's commitment to providing top-notch data centre services to its customers. "At MDC, our clients' satisfaction and long-term relationships are our top priorities. We believe that investing in our infrastructure with top providers such as BGA is an investment for the success of our clients. This upgrade to our MCA2 data centre will provide improved quality of service to our customers and minimise the risk of downtime, ensuring that we continue to be a trusted partner for businesses," says Ivan Eng, Strategic Planning Director at MDC. BGA recognises that in today's world there are no ‘typical’ network applications. Every company's network is critical. BGA not only has the solutions, but also the knowledge and experience to support these application needs. Whether it is a large data centre or a remote site that requires single phase power and monitoring, BGA offers the technology and support to surpass its customers' needs.

Vertiv introduces UPS for distributed IT networks and edge applications

Vertiv has introduced the Vertiv Liebert GXE, an online double-conversion single-phase UPS, available in 6kVA and 10kVA power ratings in either a tower or rackmount configuration. The system is designed to provide reliable power to distributed IT networks and edge computing applications in various industry segments such as enterprise, government, manufacturing, finance, education and retail. The product is globally available for countries and organisations using 230V solutions, and is now shipping from stock in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The Liebert GXE performs with high efficiency up to 94% in online mode, and up to 98% in ECO mode, driving energy and operational costs savings compared to other models available on the market. The high output power factor of 1.0 enables continuous and reliable power to more connected devices, protecting them against many disturbances in the AC mains with the online double conversion technology and the input surge protection. The flexible rackmount or tower form factor, with rackmount kits included as a standard, facilitates stock management for distribution in the IT channel, and simplifies installation to accommodate various micro data centre and edge computing needs. The unit’s runtime can be extended with up to four external battery cabinets (EBC) for longer back-up protection, and the hot-swappable VRLA batteries can be easily replaced by users without the assistance of skilled personnel and without shutdown of the loads for smoother operations and minimised maintenance costs. Additionally, the Liebert GXE has an integrated 4A charger providing quick battery recharge up to 90% in just three hours - which can be critical in case of frequent mains failures - and an integrated battery management system to optimise battery life and recycling. The Vertiv Liebert GXE includes a user-friendly LCD colour display that makes it easy and intuitive to use. The unit offers remote monitoring capabilities for quick and easy access to IT infrastructure, through the optional Vertiv Liebert Intellislot Unity Communications card and a free download of Vertiv Power Insight software. Moreover, customers can also rely on Vertiv LIFE Services to support remote maintenance and servicing of the UPS for maximum availability. “IT channel distributors and resellers are constantly looking for efficient and cost effective solutions to protect small and micro IT sites against power outages,” says Andrea Ferro, Vice President channel, IT and edge applications for Vertiv in EMEA. “This latest addition to our IT channel portfolio provides all the key features and performance capabilities needed in an online double conversion UPS for an affordable price, which allows small and medium businesses of all industries to leverage the latest technologies and accelerate their digital transformation journey.” As part of Vertiv’s IT channel portfolio, the Liebert GXE enables EMEA resellers in participating countries to earn points through the Vertiv Incentive Programme (VIP), which allows partners to easily win rewards without the need for any reporting. Bonus points are uploaded into the Vertiv Partner Portal monthly, and the partner only needs to log in to redeem them.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

By Aaron Oddy, Sales Engineer at Centiel UK In a Tier III data centre, the UPS systems must be concurrently maintainable without any disruption to the critical load. To achieve this, a separate UPS-backed A and B stream is necessary. If, for whatever reason, either A or B stream becomes unavailable, the unaffected power path will have the capacity and infrastructure to support the total load. It’s a UPS configuration designed to maximise availability and uptime to the critical load. As a Swiss manufacturer, Centiel is regularly involved in supplying UPS systems to suit this configuration within data centres. However, for the client, it may not always be as simple as supplying a ‘like for like’ replacement or replicating a design from a previous facility. There are lots of variables that can dictate the choice of product or manufacturer, so discussing what options are available will help in making the right informed choice. Take, for example, that you have a Tier III data centre with an A and B stream. You may be running some legacy end-of-life UPS equipment on stream A and relatively new equipment on stream B. So, do you replace the equipment on both A and B streams to keep the equipment and manufacturer consistent, or do you just replace the legacy equipment? Which route offers more cost savings and alternative options? There are pros and cons to both. You may choose to stick with a manufacturer based on previous experience, to replace all your equipment. While this may provide some considerable comfort, you may question whether this is the best value in both CapEx and OpEx for the business. You may also be considering the accessibility of this equipment or support should it no longer be available in the future. Where does that leave you as an operating facility? Using a second manufacturer on the same site could solve the issue of putting all your eggs in one basket.  Using two different UPS manufacturers in this way could be seen as an additional layer of resilience to the facility by mitigating risk in the supply chain and services. Replacing just the legacy equipment will help to lower the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by reducing the cost of new hardware and reducing the running cost with higher efficiencies. In this scenario, you could say that you are making good use of your existing equipment working alongside the new equipment with a robust supply and support structure. There are no issues with running completely different UPS systems on true alternative A and B streams. They don’t need to be compatible as they operate on independent power paths. Centiel is starting to see some of the most forward-thinking data centres that require the highest levels of availability adopting this strategy because it increases the resilience, not only to the equipment that supports them but the companies they work with too. A further advantage of adopting this method is the ability to compare two alternative UPS systems in a live scenario. This could be a beneficial exercise to evaluate the performance of two different UPS systems from two different manufacturers. Particularly when it comes to their energy efficiency, performance, ease of installation, technical support and maintenance, even down to small details like the amount of noise they make or even how they physically look. It can provide valuable insight and help with informed decision-making for future UPS system lifecycle replacements. Working with alternative manufacturers may only be the right choice for some data centres and primarily when reviewing the replacement of legacy equipment. For new data centre builds, for example, the decision to stay with a single manufacturer maybe more advantageous, for example, the commonality of equipment for users, the flexibility of equipment to be redeployed, the warranty period, and possibly a more cost-effective maintenance plan with the same provider. However, for certain scenarios with their existing infrastructure, it may be a possible solution! Centiel’s role as trusted advisors is always to give the best recommendations to its clients. At Centiel, the company’s experienced team is always available to discuss and help evaluate the best approach to UPS design, installation and management to suit any facility’s critical power protection needs. Centiel’s leading-edge technology, backed-up with its comprehensive maintenance contracts carried out by experienced engineering teams ensure its clients’ power has the very best protection at all times over the long-term. 

Proptivity selects atNorth as data centre provider to deliver indoor 5G networks

atNorth has announced that Proptivity has selected its sustainable and future proofed data centre facility in Kista as its Swedish data centre provider. Proptivity is a supplier of multi-operator networks dedicated to delivering the best possible indoor performance. All operators in the Swedish market are connected to the same network to ensure that mobile users, regardless of their operator, have access to the best high performance indoor 5G services - what Proptivity calls 'Gigabit 5G'. Proptivity offers multi-operator Gigabit 5G networks to real estate owners in Nordics and Baltics. These networks deliver gigabit performance in terms of speed, with short latency and very high capacity. The indoor networks also reliable, with predictable coverage everywhere in the whole building, including places like garages and elevators where connectivity can often drop. Real estate owners have long faced the problem that whilst 80% of mobile traffic is consumed indoors, the majority of mobile base stations delivering capacity are located outside the building, resulting in poorer indoor mobile performance. Demand for true 5G with gigabit speeds will be near impossible to deliver indoors without building dedicated indoor networks. “Owners of commercial real estate want to be able to deliver the best possible digital infrastructure and 5G is considered a critical part of this” says Mikael Lundman, Proptivity CEO. “Gigabit 5G capabilities in the building will enable a digital innovation platform that will offer opportunities like energy optimisation, security, and workplace efficiency for the building facilities and tenants. atNorth’s commitment to sustainability, including its focus on implementing initiatives like heat recovery to contribute to the circular economy, was essential for our selection of atNorth. Its ability to reuse generated heat for Stockholm residents as well as its innovative use of northern hemisphere air to cool down their facility has proven to create great energy savings as compared to traditional centres is also an extremely important factor for us. Working with atNorth aligns to our goal to build a more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable future together with the real estate owners.” Proptivity’s shared infrastructure solution will enable a more sustainable world by reducing energy and resource consumption by more than 50% compared to traditional in-building solutions. atNorth builds data centres in the Nordics, strategically located where the rate of renewable energy is at its highest and regions can cater for the best energy efficiency. Its sites are built from the ground up to ensure energy use is minimised across every campus, with natural air cooling systems that harnesses the cool climate to ensure optimal temperature and humidity levels at all facilities. “Property owners and tenants need secure and fast connectivity indoors, especially with data consumption growing at an explosive rate,” says Duke Aschan, Sales Director of atNorth. “Proptivity not only enable a best-in-class telco-grade service that delivers gigabit performance, low latency, high reliability, and security but the company is forging a path to a more sustainable future for mobile indoor networks. Sustainable IT is at the heart of our business, and we are very excited to support Proptivity to provide high-performance coverage with a secure, always-on connection. Environmental sustainability begins at the base, and Proptivity capitalises on our high performance, energy efficiency, and sustainable colocation infrastructure.”

Green Cubes announces IEC Certification of battery backup units

Green Cubes has announced International Safety Certification IEC 62368 certification of the Lithium Guardian Battery Backup Units. The Lithium Guardian family of backup batteries are designed for rack mount installations in the telecom and data centre industries. The telecom and data centre facilities operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, supporting mission critical functions. Traditionally, large lead-acid batteries are used to provide backup power. Li-ion batteries allow operators to store more energy in smaller spaces to power equipment longer when the grid power goes is unavailable. Lithium Guardian batteries serve this market by providing safe, clean, and reliable backup power in a small, lightweight, and cost-effective package. The Guardian product family provides complete power system solutions to telecom and other 48V system operators with products providing rectification, power management, and energy storage. The Lithium Guardian Battery Unit (GBU) is a 48V, 105 Ah, 5kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery offering reliable energy storage in a small lightweight form factor. With a design life of over 10 years and well over 3500 cycles, the LFP GBU provides operators with a long lasting energy storage solution. “Safety and reliability are paramount to our requirements when designing Li-ion batteries. We verify our designs are safe and reliable for their application by real world testing and certification to globally recognised IEC standard,” says Mike Davis, Chief Revenue Officer at Green Cubes. “Lithium Guardian Batteries were designed to operate with a wide range of equipment; from radios, routers, to HVAC, our batteries must work. Achieving IEC 62368 assures customers that these batteries will provide power to their equipment safely and reliably.” IEC 62368 is an internationally recognised standard to verify safety and reliability of electronic devices in telecom applications. The Green Cubes GBU has been evaluated by engineers and tested in the lab to ensure that when integrated in operator systems the battery will remain safe and not adversely affect other equipment. Previously, the Lithium Guardian 3U battery has been tested and certified to UN 38.3 for international shipping. The Guardian Lithium Batteries are currently under evaluation with multiple industrial and telecommunication operators. Commercial shipments are scheduled for December 2022.

DataVita has taken extra measures to safeguard the continuous operation of its DV1 facility in Chapelhall, Lanarkshire, in response to the prospect of blackouts this winter. The Tier III Uptime Institute-certified data centre has increased the amount of fuel it stores on site from three days’ to two weeks’ worth, following reports the UK government is testing plans for energy blackouts that last up to seven days. The data centre has two utility power sources, protected by Uninterruptible Power Supplies. Its ‘continuous operation’ rated power generators can run indefinitely for most purposes, without the need for downtime. If blackouts do occur, DV1’s generators are programmed to provide back-up power within one minute. Multiple supply partners have also been contracted to supply fuel to the site on eight-hour service level agreements. DV1 hosts and processes the data of thousands of businesses and around three million people in Scotland, providing critical IT infrastructure to local authorities, hospitals, and a range of other public sector institutions. Danny Quinn, MD of DataVita, says, “Reports of potential blackouts this winter have been widespread and we are acutely aware of the duty of care we have to our customers – particularly given many of them provide vital services to the public. We have always taken power resilience very seriously, but in light of the current energy crisis we decided to take extra steps to enhance the measures we have in place. “IT is an integral part of the way most organisations function. We would encourage any business or public sector service to speak to their supply chain about what they are doing to mitigate the potential disruption blackouts could bring about. Infrastructure design has to be complemented by strong maintenance standards, which we are doing through a range of means, including running our generators weekly and carrying out regular on-load testing.”

Vertiv introduces efficient liquid cooling solution for data centres

Vertiv has introduced the Liebert XDU, a new generation of thermal management systems that supports liquid-cooled servers and enables the control of liquid quality, flow and pressure. As high-density computing applications such as data analytics and machine learning increase, rack densities and temperatures are exceeding the cooling capabilities of traditional air-cooled units and require more efficient and sustainable solutions. The Liebert XDU coolant distribution system enables the deployment of liquid cooled server applications into any data centre environment, from core to edge computing sites. The system is now available across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). “High-performance computing applications such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality are growing in popularity at the same time that data centres are working to reduce their energy consumption and pushing the industry to find new, more sustainable solutions,” says Roberto Felisi, Senior Global Director and EMEA Business Leader for Thermal Management, Vertiv. “Many colocation providers who have traditionally relied on air cooling are now hosting applications with higher power processors that require more efficient heat management solutions like liquid cooling. With the Vertiv Liebert XDU, our customers can meet the high-density computing demand whilst improving their operational efficiency.” The Liebert XDU is an innovative liquid-to-liquid cooling distribution unit available in two capacities, 450kW and a model capable of up to 1368kW, circulating water through liquid-cooled server racks and rejecting the heat from the returning warm water. The system uses a closed water loop to avoid any waste, and is capable of capturing heat to utilise it to warm nearby offices, homes or farms, supporting the circular economy. The Liebert XDU utilises integrated state-of-the-art controls to vary pump speed to optimise supply water temperature and to provide intelligent flow monitoring and alarms. The compact solution can be placed in the row near the rack it is cooling, or along the room’s perimeter. Vertiv developed the Liebert XDU in close consultation with data centre operators and server manufacturers, who are deploying ultra-high-density, high-performance computing solutions more frequently across many different types of data centres. The company has defined a strategic roadmap to enhance thermal management technologies that enable liquid cooling adoption as part of its increased investments in research and development. “Liquid cooling is not a new technology but we’re now seeing a real opportunity in the market to drive more innovative thermal management solutions. The Liebert XDU solution offers the possibility for Vertiv's customers to introduce rack-level liquid cooling and reap the environmental benefits,” says Jon Summers, Scientific Lead in data centres at RISE - Research Institutes of Sweden. “We look forward to support Vertiv’s R&D roadmap and to combine their engineering excellence with the rigorous analysis and testing capabilities of RISE as part of our ongoing research partnership. This will bring a deeper technical understanding of sustainable and effective approaches for the data centre industry.”