Innovations in Data Center Power and Cooling Solutions

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.”

Legrand strengthens UPS portfolio with Power Control acquisition

Legrand has strengthened its foothold in the UK critical power market with the acquisition of Sheffield-based UPS specialist, Power Control. Power Control protects clients critical power loads, helping them to avoid unplanned downtime and already has Legrand’s own UPS solutions in its product portfolio. The acquisition is the latest development of Legrand’s successful growth strategy, which is focused on increasing market share, both in new technology sectors and geographical regions. Pascal Stutz, CEO of Legrand UK and Ireland, says, “We want to develop our presence in the UK within the critical power and UPS vertical markets. Power Control has a long and successful history in the UK, making it a fantastic opportunity to help us realise our growth ambitions.” Tom Nicholson, Managing Director of Power Control, says, “As part of the Legrand Group, we see a major opportunity to leverage the company’s considerable, globally-gained expertise to broaden our opportunities. It will allow us to work on new projects across an array of sectors, including data centre, healthcare and building management, where continuity of mission critical power supply is crucial. “Being part of a large-scale, international group will undoubtedly help us continue to meet the demands of our customers and whilst giving them added peace of mind - covering everything from sales, installation and commissioning through to after-sales support and service.” The acquisition will allow Power Control and Legrand to help customers ensure that they have the right UPS and other mission critical power solutions in place to meet potential supply volatility over the coming months. Tom Nicholson adds, “Customers want to ensure that their UPS is in good condition and those that don’t have a backup solution may be thinking that it is the right time to invest. There is also an ever-increasing focus on energy efficient UPS solutions, with customers already asking us if UPS technology can help them manage their energy usage and power grid interaction. “When you add in the interest of different technologies, such as lithium-ion batteries, and local, renewable energy supplies, Power Control is helping customers thanks to our innovative solutions. For example, we’ve recently integrated a UPS with hydrogen fuel cells, and we see the demand for this type of solution only increasing.” Pascal Stutz adds: “Power Control’s track record speaks for itself. In terms of the UPS/hydrogen fuel cell solution, we think there’s great potential to explore ways in which we can expand this technology, both in the UK and across other geographies. It also ties into Legrand’s approach to sustainability, supporting customers as they look to meet net zero targets.”

Data centre outages are costing more, with power failure the culprit

By Paul Brickman, Commercial Director at Crestchic Loadbanks One of the more consistent problems that the data centre industry faces is the issue of outages. While it is well known that data centre outages can cause critical work problems for an enterprise of any size, what is becoming more and more apparent is that these outages are becoming increasingly costly too. Recent findings from Uptime Institute’s 2022 Global Data Centre Survey revealed that the data centre industry is growing immensely, becoming more and more dynamic and resilient. Despite persistent staffing shortages, supply chain delays and other obstacles, there is a renewed focus on being more sustainable. The report indicated, however, that light was not at the end of every tunnel, as it additionally highlighted the fact that downtime in the data centre industry is becoming ever more expensive. Indeed, power failures have been identified as the main cause of this increase in cost. The Global Data Centre Survey focuses on responses from more than 800 owners and operators of data centres. This included those responsible for managing infrastructure at the world’s largest IT organisations. While the aforementioned notes of sustainability, efficiency gains, staff shortages and supply chain issues also dominated the report, the issue of power resiliency remained a persistent and dominant theme throughout. Back up power failure - a growing concern Further analysis in related research from the Uptime Institute identifies that the biggest cause of power-related outages is the failure of uninterruptible power supplies, followed by transfer switch and generator failures. Although this data shows a trend towards improved outage rates, the frequency of these outages is much too high and, with costs also on the rise, the consequences of an outage are getting much more severe. Data centre operators are well aware of the impact that a power outage can have, and many have put measures in place to mitigate these risks. However, with back up power failures identified as the primary cause of power outages, as well as external issues around grid reliability, energy shortfalls, and the transition to more sustainable power sources, it has never been more important that operators test their back up power systems. £1m failures are becoming increasingly common The data highlighted in the report indicates that the costs of outages are on the rise. This is likely down to several factors, such as industry changes, the cost per minute of downtime increasing, and the prevalence of technology that is susceptible to outages. In fact, a quarter of the respondents that were interviewed reported that their most recent outage cost them more than £1 million in not only direct costs, but in indirect costs also. This 25% is a significant percentage increase from 2021, which showcases a continuing upward trend over the last five years. The report states, ‘Uptime’s 2022 annual survey findings are remarkably consistent with previous years. They show that on-site power problems remain the single biggest cause of significant site outages by a large margin.’ Considering that data centre equipment vendors are caught between high demand and lingering supply chain problems, and that attracting, but, moreover, retaining qualified staff remains highly problematic for many operators, it is becoming increasingly clear that using a load bank is an essential cost saving tool. Using a load bank to commission or regularly test the back up power system not only tests the prime movers and the batteries (UPS), but also ensures that the more critical components of the system, such as the alternator and crucially the transfer switches are tested as well. These load bank tests not only prove that the UPS or generators will start, operate, and run efficiently in the case of a power outage, but also that the sets can be safely turned off with no interruptions when mains power is restored. Put simply, in a data centre environment, the business case for using a load bank is clear cut - not testing is an extremely costly risk to take.

Riello UPS expands into Ireland with new branch

Riello UPS is expanding with the launch of a new subsidiary covering the Republic of Ireland. Riello UPS Ireland is the Italian-headquartered company’s 17th dedicated worldwide branch and is a strategically important addition aimed at increasing the brand’s presence in the thriving Irish data centre market, where global tech giants including Amazon, Google, and Facebook all have major facilities located. The new subsidiary will be headed up by Leo Craig, who will combine the role with his current position as Managing Director of Riello UPS in the UK. A Member of the Institute of Engineering Technology (MIET) and a Fellow of the Institute of Sales Management (FISM), Leo is also a Certified Data Centre Design Professional (CDCDP) and a Certified Data Centre Energy Professional (DCDEP) with more than 30 years’ experience in the critical power protection industry. The subsidiary expects to be fully operational by the new year, with a dedicated team and new premises in Dublin’s IT district. Riello UPS Ireland will also be exhibiting at the upcoming DataCentres Ireland trade show on 16-17 November at the RDS Arena in Dublin. The show provides the new branch with the perfect platform to showcase its range of proven data centre solutions, including the modular Multi Power, high-efficiency NextEnergy, and transformer-free Sentryum. Leo comments, “The Irish market offers huge growth potential for us as a business. Riello UPS brand is already a well-established brand over here and we have strong links through several resellers and distributors. But having our own office and team on the ground will give us a much better foothold to increase our presence in the months and years to come.” Roberto Facci and Fabio Passuello, the Commercial Director and CEO respectively of RPS S.p.A, add, “The Irish legal entity marks a fundamental step forward of our business expansion, and it is pivotal to further and better serve the growing demand of the data centre industry and the critical power segment.  “And we also truly believe that under the sound leadership of Leo Craig, our Irish legal entity will very soon become a solid reference for the Irish market customers as well as for our own company’s international footprint.”  Also known as a UPS, an uninterruptible power supply provides invaluable protection against electrical power outages and disturbances. It offers instantaneous battery backup that enables critical equipment like computers, IT systems, and machinery to keep running until the power returns or a standby generator kicks in. With a power range of 400VA to 6.4MVA, Riello UPS’s portfolio incorporates 24 high tech solutions for protecting everything from the smallest desktop PCs and home entertainment devices to the latest data centre supercomputers and advanced manufacturing equipment.

Saft batteries provide backup to TotalEnergies’ technical centre

Saft has delivered a Flex’ion lithium-ion battery system to ensure continuity of critical systems at TotalEnergies’ Technical Centre for the Asia Pacific (TCAP). This research facility develops, analyses, and tests lubricants, special fluids and fuel additives for the automotive, off-road, and industrial sectors. TotalEnergies’ laboratory experiments in Mumbai often need to run continuously over months. Any power outage could lead to a test failure, disrupting the laboratory’s research and delaying the introduction of a new product to the market. The site’s researchers wanted to improve efficiency and reliability by upgrading the existing decentralised UPS with a single centralised system. They turned to Saft for a system to deliver 250kW for up to 15 minutes. Partners were able to integrate their technologies smoothly, and produced a system for TotalEnergies within a tight timescale of less than four weeks. Amandine Racaud, Head of TotalEnergies’ Technical Centre for Asia Pacific, says: “We want complete reliability from our backup system so that we can plan our research programmes with confidence. Being safe and reliable, Saft’s Flex’ion batteries are ensuring power continuity to keep our experiments on track. Flex’ion systems are also recognised for their lower environmental footprint, in line with TotalEnergies sustainability approach.” Flex’ion batteries were developed for high-performance UPS applications where space and safety are vital. Housed in five cabinets, the battery system is compact enough to fit into the limited space available. Also, Saft’s patented lithium-iron-phosphate electrochemistry and battery design ensure the safest battery solution. Flex’ion's lithium-ion battery technology can operate reliably at high temperatures (35°C), which reduces HVAC requirements, minimising energy bills and carbon emissions. Lithium-ion batteries are six times lighter than valve-regulated lead-acid batteries. Furthermore, with its robustness, design life of over 20 years and maintenance-free characteristics, Flex'ion is the solution that offers the lowest Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of the system. Once delivered, Saft’s team in India provided support to ensure installation and commissioning was completed smoothly in six days. The battery system’s smart monitoring capability will enable TotalEnergies to have full confidence in its condition and calendar life. The project builds on Saft’s successful delivery of battery systems for TotalEnergies, which has Flex’ion batteries running in its offices in Singapore and at the High-Performance Supercomputer Centre in Pau, France. In India, Saft has also delivered nickel technology batteries to TotalEnergies for industrial backup applications at the Dhamra LNG terminal and for the Adani Green Solar Parks.

Schneider Electric makes eConversion the default mode for its Galaxy UPS series

Schneider Electric has announced an enhanced version of eConversion (formerly known as ECOnversion), to provide increased sustainability for its Galaxy V Series three-phase UPS. After years of field tests, all Galaxy V Series UPS' will be shipped to customers with eConversion as the default. eConversion mode provides the highest protection level for critical loads with Class-1 (UL certified) and results in savings up to three times the UPS price. Providing critical back-up power solutions for IT and non-IT environments, such as industrial edge applications, the Galaxy V Series’ eConversion delivers reliable power protection and helps attain new levels of sustainability. eConversion has over eight years of field deployment and thousands of customers worldwide who use it daily to protect their critical loads since its launch in 2014. “With eConversion as the default mode for Galaxy V Series three-phase UPSs, we expect to facilitate the conservation of 175GWh of electricity annually - which is the equivalent of the energy produced by nearly 60,000 rooftop solar installations.” Says Mustafa Demirkol, Vice President of Data Centre Systems, Offer Management and Marketing, Energy Management at Schneider Electric. “We’re looking forward to helping customers meet their sustainability goals while reducing their electricity spending and corresponding carbon emissions.” High efficiency mode mitigates impact of rising energy costs According to the World Bank, energy prices are expected to rise more than 50% in 2022 before easing in 2023 and 2024. Utilising eConversion enables operators to mitigate some of the cost and climate impact while continuing to benefit from the highest protection level for critical loads with Class-1 (UL certified). Additionally, with the eConversion savings metre, customers can check electricity savings on the UPS display. Customers can still choose to use the Double Conversion mode, but field experience has shown that modern electrical installations do not justify such high permanent use of electricity. EcoDataCenter, a climate-positive HPC data centre, deployed four Galaxy VX UPS’ at 1250kW each to support customer loads with the possibility to run at 99% efficiency with eConversion mode. As digital demand will continue to grow and require resilience to reap the benefits of automation and efficiency, data centre, OT, and IT professionals will need to make step-changes towards a net zero world. eConversion is available as a feature in all Galaxy V Series UPS’ worldwide.

Telehouse set to achieve a 461t reduction in carbon emissions

Telehouse has announced a collaboration with EkkoSense, enabling the organisation to achieve an anticipated 461t reduction in CO2 carbon emissions at its Telehouse North site by the end of 2022. EkkoSense’s ML and AI-powered optimisation technology monitors and visualises the performance of data centre sites. Following an initial trial at Telehouse North that was implemented at the end of 2021, a 10% cooling power reduction has been achieved, leading to reduced carbon emissions. Its success means that the technology is now being rolled out to other data centres at the Telehouse London Docklands campus. The software works by analysing in real-time thousands of temperature and cooling points across the site to identify where levels of cooling can be tweaked, and dramatically increases the level of insightful data available to the operations team to remove risk and improve resilience. Sensor deployment across the data halls provided Telehouse with the ability to monitor and identify performance improvements. If the temperature in a section of the data centre is outside the normal range, the sensors will flag this. The EkkoSoft Critical 3D visualisation and analytics platform continuously provides advice to the Telehouse team about adjusting cooling settings, such as fan speed adjustments, cooling set points and floor grille placements - resulting in quantifiable cooling energy savings and a reduction in carbon emissions. The technology has also proven to be especially valuable for Telehouse at a time of record-breaking temperatures in the UK. During July and August, the software enabled the organisation to successfully monitor and protect equipment and maintain uptime. The EkkoSense software includes 3D visualisation capabilities, which the organisation uses to gain a clear picture of where overcooling is taking place, the location of hotspots or any other inefficiencies that need rectification to benefit its customers. The organisation is also exploring how the solution can be used to improve capacity management processes, identify any capacity constraints and better quantify available capacity. “We’ve already made significant carbon emission reductions from an initial rollout of EkkoSense, and we’re eager to implement the software around our wider campus to extend these capabilities. It’s very difficult to manually inspect every element of a data centre to identify inefficiencies and make improvements. EkkoSense provides a highly granular level of data and visualisation to help support our green agenda and ensure our customers meet their sustainability targets,” says Paul Lewis, Senior Operations Director, Telehouse. “The initial results achieved with Telehouse have proved promising, but this is just the beginning. Our technology works to continuously identify optimisation opportunities and push the efficiency of Telehouse’s operations that little bit further. We’re looking forward to rolling out our unique visualisation and monitoring software at the organisation’s other sites to help progress its sustainability stature,” says Dean Boyle, CEO, EkkoSense.

How reliable is your backup power?

By Paul Brickman, Commercial Director at Crestchic What does good look like? It’s no surprise that the data centre sector’s reliance on UPS is on the up, and the onus is often on the site manager or maintenance teams to ensure the equipment that provides this power is reliable, well-maintained, and fit for purpose. The maintenance and regular testing of a UPS primary power source is considered best practice and any business that runs this sort of system will likely have a programme of maintenance in place. But this is only half a job done. There remains an astonishing number of data centres that fail to regularly test their backup power system, despite it lying dormant for the majority of the year. Instead, data centres are putting their trust in fate, hoping that the backup system will activate without fail - a fool’s game given the increasing cost of downtime. Why factory testing is not enough UPS systems and backup generators are typically tested at the factory as part of the manufacturing and quality testing process. Some businesses mistakenly think that this will be sufficient to ensure the equipment will operate effectively after installation. The reality is that on-site climatic conditions such as temperature and humidity often vary between locations. These variations in environment, combined with the impact of lifting, moving and transporting sensitive equipment, can mean that the manufacturer-verified testing may be thrown off kilter by on-site conditions or even human intervention during installation. For this reason, it is absolutely critical that backup power systems are commissioned accurately and tested in-situ in actual site conditions using a load bank. Where unplanned downtime is likely to be costly or even devastating to a business’ financial stability - having backup power such as a generator is crucial. Wherever power is generated, there is also a need for a load bank - a device that is used to create an electrical load that imitates the operational or ‘real’ load that a generator would use in normal operational conditions. In short, the load bank is used to test, support, or protect a critical backup power source and ensure that it is fit for purpose in the event that it is called upon. Backup power testing best practice A robust and proactive approach to the maintenance and testing of the power system is crucial to mitigate the risk of failure. However, implementing a testing regime that validates the reliability and performance of backup power must be done under the types of loads found in real operational conditions. What would be considered best practice for testing a backup power system? Ideally, all generators should be tested annually for real-world emergency conditions using a resistive-reactive 0.8pf load bank. Best practice dictates that all gensets (where there are multiple) should be run in a synchronised state, ideally for eight hours but for a minimum of three. Where a reactive-only load bank is used, testing should be increased to four times per year at three hours per test. In carrying out this testing and maintenance, fuel, exhaust and cooling systems and alternator insulation resistance are effectively tested, and system issues can be uncovered in a safe, controlled manner without the cost of major failure or unplanned downtime. Why is resistive-reactive the best approach? Capable of testing both resistive and reactive loads, this type of load bank provides a much clearer picture of how well an entire system will withstand changes in load pattern while experiencing the level of power that would typically be encountered under real operational conditions. Furthermore, the inductive loads used in resistive-reactive testing will show how a system will cope with a voltage drop in its regulator. This is particularly important in any application which requires generators to be operated in parallel (prevalent in larger business infrastructures such as hospital or data banks) where a problem with one generator could prevent other system generators from working properly or even failing to operate entirely. This is something which is simply not achievable with resistive-only testing. Secure your power source The importance of testing is being clearly recognised in many new data centres, with the installation of load banks often being specified at the design stage rather than being added retrospectively. Given that the cost of a load bank is typically only a fraction of that of the systems which it supports, this makes sound commercial sense and enables a preventative maintenance regime, based on regular and rigorous testing and reporting, to be put in place from day one. While testing of power systems is not yet a condition of insurance, some experts believe it is only a matter of time before this becomes the case. At the very least, by adopting a proactive testing regime, data centres can take preventative action towards mitigating the catastrophic risk associated with power loss.

Vertiv offers scalable busbar power distribution system

Vertiv has continued the expansion of its power distribution portfolio with the availability of the Vertiv Powerbar iMPB, a modular busbar system designed to enable seamless, on-demand power upgrades in dynamic data centre environments. Available in both copper and aluminium conductor offerings, the Vertiv Powerbar iMPB family features capacities from 160A to 1,000A and delivers reliable overhead power distribution, with the inherent benefit of also maximising cooling airflow. The system is ideal for use in almost any size or style of data centre, as well as laboratories, distribution warehouses, adaptable manufacturing plants and other dynamic environments. The Vertiv Powerbar iMPB is available in North America, Latin America, Asia - including Australia and New Zealand, India, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The busway system allows businesses to cost-effectively optimise and adapt power distribution infrastructure over time, maximising availability through continuous power delivery to critical loads. User-friendly tap-off boxes with breaker protection can be placed anywhere along the busway and isolate active IT loads and nearby branch breakers to ensure continuous power delivery. The adaptive busbar comes with a simple sandwich-style joint pack construction that makes installation secure and easy, with no special tooling required. The Vertiv Powerbar iMPB includes a variety of capacity and connection configurations to allow for adjustments and upgrades with minimal outside support and no loss of power to critical loads. “As more and more devices are added and higher rack densities become commonplace, space is at a premium in today’s data centres,” says Phil O’Doherty, Managing Director, E&I at Vertiv. “The power infrastructure must keep pace, which means being scalable and quick to deploy. The Vertiv Powerbar iMPB delivers on all fronts with a modular, easy-to-install system that is compact and flexible enough to meet constantly changing demands.” The Vertiv Powerbar iMPB is UL 857 and IEC 61439-2 compliant, and the lightweight aluminium busway track chassis has an IP2X/3X safety rating with integrated finger-safe capabilities and ground-first/break-last design to ensure maximum safety while servicing. With both copper and recyclable aluminium conductor options, the busbar can be configured to meet the conductivity and safety requirements of any installation. The Vertiv Powerbar iMPB, a mature offering from Vertiv’s E&I brand, will supersede the previous Vertiv Liebert MBX busway product that was available in North America and EMEA, and is compatible with the previous offering. The Vertiv Powerbar iMPB solution complements the Vertiv E&I switchgear range to provide a complete power distribution solution. www.vertiv.com