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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Project: DC Power for Data Centers of the Future (Participant/Stakeholder)
Overview
An alternative approach to conventional alternating-current (AC) power uses a direct-current (DC) power distribution scheme throughout a data center. Most data center server racks are not currently powered this way, but with the advent of servers on the market that can operate with either AC or DC, it is possible to use the DC powering approach, thus eliminating extra power conversion steps and losses. Other benefits include reduced cooling needs, higher equipment densities, and reduced heat-related failures.
EMerge Alliance
Participation: Member
The EMerge Alliance was established to promote the rapid adoption of safe, low-voltage DC power distribution and use in commercial building interiors. EMerge is focused on developing an open standard that integrates interior infrastructures, power, controls and a wide variety of peripheral devices, such as lighting, in a common platform.
DC power can be a huge electricity-saver
Even with only 10% adoption, if energy intensive data centers used the new distribution architecture that delivers DC power directly to servers, collectively they would:
- Reduce data center energy use by 20 percent
- Save 29.2 GWh annually
- Reduce electricity used to cool buildings by 28 percent
- Prevent the emissions of 23.5 million pounds of CO2
380VDC in the Datacenter
The main benefits from 380VDC distribution for the datacenter are:
- 7% Energy Savings vs. High-Efficiency 415VAC; 28% vs Current Typical 208VAC
- 15% Less Capital Cost
- 15% fewer PSU components
- 33% Datacenter Space Savings
- 200% Reliability Improvement, which goes to 1000% if you directly connect the battery bus
- Elimination of harmonics and inherently immune to other AC power quality issues
- Natural affinity to alternate energy generation (Photovoltaic, and wind are ~400Vdc internally, and you actually lose energy & efficiency when you are forced to convert to AC)
Industry Developments impacting 380Voltsdc
Our diretion is dc power. These mobile supercomputer container proves to us that there are innovations happening every day.