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Today's typical data center is a massive complex-a campus that is responsible for the nonstop movement of an enormous (and ever-growing) supply of information.
To supply the magnitude of power necessary, a modern data center is continuously responsible for:
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Distributing power capacity
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Balancing electrical loads
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Optimizing critical uptime
In other words, today's typical data center acts and operates more like an electrical utility than like a conventional commercial campus. But you wouldn't know it by looking at a typical data center's power distribution design.
It's time for that to change.
Ask: How Would a Utility Design?
Medium-voltage, centralized, circuit breaker-based systems (a.k.a. "metal-clad" systems) may have been robust enough to meet yesteryear's data center power needs.
Today's hyperscale data centers, though, can't rely on server technology from the dawn of the computer age-which is essentially what metal-clad systems are.
Instead, modern data centers to graduate to system designs that mirror how a utility designs its main power grid-and you won't find a single electrical utility that would rely on a metal-clad design to distribute power throughout its entire medium-voltage network.
The reasons for this are obvious:
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Vulnerability: A centralized system by definition features a single point of failure that leaves critical infrastructure vulnerable. And even temporarily exposed components of a circuit breaker leave the equipment susceptible to damage from elements, including floodwaters.
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Scalability: If you're serving a finite, contained customer base, a metal-clad system can be adequate. But, like utilities, modern data centers need the ability to expand-sometimes unexpectedly and significantly, and always quickly. Metal-clad systems aren't designed to handle this kind of flexible scalability, whether across a utility or a hyperscale data center complex.
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Cost: From initial equipment purchase, to installation complexity and time, to maintenance and repair burdens, the cost of using a metal-clad system to distribute power would be prohibitively high for a utility.
Instead of forcing this inadequate system, utilities opt for a looped, distributed design that uses robust medium-voltage switchgear to provide optimal flexibility while maximizing uptime.
Act: Implement a Utility-Like System
The steps to implement a looped, distributed system are simple:
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Engage an expert. You'll need someone who knows both the utility world and the data center sector. This collaborating organization also must be intimately familiar with medium voltage because this is the voltage class you'll be supplying.
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Design your system. Your expert collaborator should be able to help you design a looped, distributed system concept capable of isolating faults and rerouting power from backup sources. And this system should be strong enough to adequately meet your data center's power needs both today and into the future.
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Identify the proper equipment. You'll want electrical solutions that get the most out of your system design. In this case, that means underground distribution switchgear. These solutions are purpose-built to serve as the backbone of medium-voltage distributed systems, increasing power availability and empowering you to take more control of your operations.
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Choose the best solution . S&C's Vista® Underground Distribution Switchgear is the workhorse solution that can empower your design to thrive. With its fault-minimizing and loop-switching capabilities, Vista switchgear can increase critical uptime. And with its space-saving compact design and minimal maintenance needs, it's a data center operator's new best friend.
It may sound like a big conceptual switch-from centralized to distributed, from circuit breakers to switchgear-but with the right collaborator, the transition will be smooth and will serve you better in the long run.
Enjoy: More Peace of Mind and an Improved Bottom Line
This modern electrical distribution design is more than a necessity; it's a true asset that will empower your data center operations in ways that weren't possible before.
The advantages of a looped, distributed system that uses medium-voltage underground distribution switchgear extend throughout your organization and all the way to your bottom line.
These benefits include:
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Increased uptime: With multiple switchgear devices dispersed throughout your system, you can isolate faults to only the affected area and reroute source power to surrounding areas to keep them online.
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More satisfied customers: Fewer interruptions and more uptime will keep your customers happy. Plus, you can now balance and distribute loads as needed to meet variable customer demand, so your customers will be even happier.
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Reduced costs: With simple installation and minimal maintenance needs, your switchgear-enabled, distributed system will start reducing your operational costs immediately. And with the system design's load-balancing advantages, you can shrink the sunk costs of stranded capacity.
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Better space efficiency: No need to occupy valuable indoor space with enormous medium-voltage metal-clad circuit breaker lineups. Underground distribution switchgear has a small footprint and a low profile, so it takes up less room. If you house your switchgear outdoors, you'll free up that indoor space entirely so you can use it for revenue generation.
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Improved growth opportunities: Want to expand your footprint? Take on new customers? Increase capacity? With a distributed system, scaling up like this is easy and inexpensive. Simply add outdoor medium-voltage switchgear to your existing system and you're up and running without disturbing your continuous indoor operations.
If you're relying on the old way of designing your data center's electrical distribution system, your business has a power problem. But if you design the way utilities design their main grids to handle complex loads and contingencies, you can put your data center on the path to optimal reliability, fewer hassles, and greater profitability.
Because, let's face it: You aren't in this business just to be a utility.