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Data Centers

Solutions for Data Centers

Providing uninterrupted power for data center loads is increasingly challenging because of heightened demands for high-speed global Internet service. High energy costs, coupled with the increasing density of servers and other components in the data center environment, have caused designers to reconsider data center design.

Controlling energy consumption and improving energy efficiency obviously have a positive impact on the financial and environmental objectives of data centers. S&C offers solutions to address these imperatives. S&C PureWave® UPS Systems — with their multi-megawatt capacities and high efficiencies — are ideal for these applications. Our team of experts can work with you from the earliest stages of project conception to identify the optimal system, design your electrical system, install and commission your system, and then monitor and maintain it.

S&C’s PureWave UPS Systems provide an ideal solution for providing the high quality, uninterruptible power that data centers require. For Tier IV 2N systems, the S&C solution can achieve six 9's of availability for your mission critical facility, PureWave UPS Systems — available in medium-voltage ratings from 5 to 25 kV and low-voltage ratings from 208 to 690 volts — provides facility-wide back-up power for any specified length of time; 1 minute, 5 minutes, 15 minutes and beyond. PureWave UPS Systems feature maintenance-free batteries. Not only are these systems more cost-effective than distributed low-power UPSs, but they can also be installed outdoors. No valuable interior, air-conditioned floor space is required. PureWave UPS Systems provide additional advantages as well:

Higher-Efficiency Power Quality

The relatively low efficiency of dual-conversion on-line UPSs, operated at low utilization factors, creates low overall system efficiencies and high power consumption. And the additional power used for cooling these UPSs contributes to total power consumption. PureWave UPS Systems feature a fast-acting static switch design that offers higher efficiencies than conventional on-line UPSs. The field proven PureWave UDM is a patented detection system that allows the PureWave UPS to sense utility voltage deviations at the industry’s fastest rate while meeting the demanding IEC/EN 62040-3 Class 1 rating for “fast transfer” to battery power.

Other Critical Loads Must Be Addressed

The air conditioners and chillers required to maintain optimal temperature in the data center are now considered critical loads. Some process equipment and business services in the facility may be designated critical loads as well. Additional UPS capacity must be dedicated to protecting these loads. For conventional on-line UPSs, this means that additional interior space — a limited resource — must be dedicated to house both the equipment and their battery banks. But with PureWave UPS Systems, all the equipment — including the batteries — can be installed outdoors.

Reducing TCO

Reducing a data center operation's total cost of ownership — the TCO — is an increasingly important goal. New efficiency and energy reduction criteria mandated by the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED®) and other organizations are forcing changes to traditional data center design approaches in the interest of conservation, lower operating costs, and lower TCO. When selecting a medium voltage PureWave UPS, the copper conductor costs of distributing power are greatly reduced when compared to conventional low-voltage designs.

The procurement cost of the equipment is a relatively small part of the cost of owning and operating a data center. Some sources estimate TCO as being as much as four to five times the original equipment purchase cost, with the annual cost of electricity consumption fast approaching the cost of the equipment.

 

 

S&C also offers an array of medium-voltage switchgear products and services for data center electric power requirements.

Vista Underground Distribution Switchgear

The answer to your difficult-to-solve switching and protection problems through 38 kV, Vista Underground Distribution Switchgear features 600-ampere load-interrupter switches and resettable fault interrupters — all enclosed in a hermetically sealed, SF6-insulated tank for superior performance in the most challenging environments. Innovative features simplify operations, enhance safety, and minimize outage duration. Both manual and power-operated models are available for pad-mounted, vault, and subsurface applications. A wide variety of circuit configurations and options can be furnished too.

Metal-Enclosed Switchgear

S&C Custom Metal-Enclosed Switchgear — incorporating interrupter switches and power fuses in rugged enclosures featuring welded construction — is tailored to meet your specific distribution system needs. Available in ratings of 4.16 kV, 13.8 kV, 25 kV, and 34.5 kV, S&C Custom Metal-Enclosed Switchgear is ideal for applications having unique requirements beyond the scope of S&C’s pre-engineered switchgear.