By Bill Evanger
Traditionally, data centers have had power distribution systems purpose-built by electricians. However, custom solutions require significant upfront planning to ensure that the power distribution system will meet the long-term needs of the facility. Lead times for installation tend to be long, and changes to the system can be complex, as fixed power distribution from standard breaker panels essentially “lock-in” common power configurations.
Today’s data centers require greater flexibility to keep up with growing power requirements and dynamic IT demands. This has led to the increasing use of remote power panels (RPPs) and busways to bring AC power to rack-level power distribution units (PDUs). Additionally, today’s modern RPP and Busways offer greater levels of intelligence, which in turn allow for greater operability and efficiency.
What Are Remote Power Panels?
As the name implies, RPPs allow electrical panels to be placed throughout the data center. They connect to branch circuits and other primary sources to simplify power distribution for new facilities, expansions, or reconfigurations.
RPP units are housed in cabinets that have the same footprint as server racks and cabinets for easy integration within the data center environment. They typically accommodate multiple 225A or 400A electrical panels, and more panels may be added when greater distribution capacity is needed.
The latest RPPs have intelligent monitoring features that enable data center staff to respond quickly to power issues that could harm equipment or cause downtime. Some units can be monitored and controlled through a centralized dashboard and be configured to send alerts when certain thresholds are met.
What Are Overhead Busways?
A busway is a modular overhead power distribution system that doesn’t require additional circuits or take up space on the data center floor. Best-in-class solutions offer a variety of connection and capacity options that enable them to adapt to a wide range of environments and support future enhancements. Like their distribution counterparts, they can distribute power in 225A or 400A configurations but allow for greater flexibility in changing power configurations. As an example, by simply swapping a Tap-box, an operator can switch a 3-phase receptacle to a single-phase receptacle, or vice versa.
Busways are highly reliable and scalable, and can quickly pay for themselves by simplifying moves, adds, and changes. Redundancy can be built-in to reduce the risk of downtime due to power problems while minimizing stranded power capacity at the cabinet-level. Busways can also be connected to building management systems (BMS) or data center infrastructure monitoring (DCIM) systems to monitor all loads in the power path, issue alerts when thresholds are exceeded, and collect a variety of metrics to visualize trends and generate reports.
Overhead busways also facilitate airflow in the data center. When power is distributed under a raised floor system, the wires can restrict airflow and create hotspots. Overhead busways save energy by allowing the cooling system to operate more efficiently.
How Rahi Can Help
Rahi has extensive experience in the design and buildout of data center infrastructure, including electrical systems. We offer a comprehensive suite of power distribution solutions, including RPPs and busways, that allow for faster installation and greater flexibility in today’s dynamic data center environment.
More importantly, Rahi’s power distribution experts are here to help. Our team has completed projects for some of the world’s largest hyperscale data centers. We can apply that expertise to data centers of all sizes, and help you select the right RPPs, busways, PDUs, UPSs, and other solutions to meet your power requirements.
Rigid, purpose-built power distribution systems are showing their limitations in the modern data center. IT managers simply cannot afford long lead times and complex changes. Remote power panels and overhead busways provide the flexibility and scalability to create a more agile environment.
Share this article on:
For years, data center power and cooling requirements remained relatively stable, enabling organizations to plan for...
Money, identities, books, art, movies, appliances, medical devices, automobiles… it seems as though there’s a...
Data centers are experiencing rapid growth to meet the burgeoning demand for processing power and storage capacity....
Once thought to be “nice to haves”, data center infrastructure management (DCIM) tools have become essential to...
Although businesses continue to migrate more applications and services to the cloud, most also need to maintain a...
As the costs of building and maintaining an on-premises data center continue to escalate, more and more organizations...
Traditionally, organizations build data centers from the ground up by installing cabinets and racks and then adding...
Unplanned network outages due to natural disasters, system failures, cyberthreats, or human error are on the rise,...
Fremont, Calif. — June 22, 2017 — Rahi Systems announced today a partner agreement with Daxten, a leading...
Despite predictions of its impending demise, the U.S. on-premise data center market remains healthy. More than half of...
While most discussions of IT security focus on logical controls, protection of the physical data center infrastructure...
Outdated or obsolete applications make up nearly a third of the typical organization’s software portfolio,...
More and more organizations are choosing to get out of the data center business and partner with a colocation provider...
Power Usage in Data Centers Data Center power consumption has long been a concern of budget-conscious IT managers....
Most organizations had to rush to shift to work-from-home models. Now, they’re taking a more strategic approach to...
OVHcloud Data Center Fire in France In March 2021, OVHcloud’s five-story, 5,400-square-foot SBG2 data center in...
Why is Workspace Utilization Analysis more important now than ever before? Organizations need to understand how many...
In today’s rapidly-changing environment, it is paramount for businesses to be swiftly able to connect and...
Blockchain technology has revolutionized the data that would have been difficult to predict a few years ago. What...
The internet has come a long way since its inception in the early 90s. Beginning from fetching information for...
Phishing has become a rage in the threat actors' community to start exploiting people. While the technique isn’t...
For years, data center power and cooling requirements remained relatively stable, enabling organizations to plan...
Let our experts design, develop, deploy and manage your requirements while you focus on what's important for your business
