FEATURE UPS & STANDBY POWER


UPS: FROM STANDBY POWER TO GREEN ENERGY CHAMPION


Ciaran Forde, data centre and IT segment leader at Eaton EMEA looks at the role an energy aware UPS can play in supporting the grid


T


he hottest day on record in Britain occurred on 25 July 2019.


Unsurprisingly, this summer’s record-setting heat wave led to increased use of air conditioning in commercial and residential buildings. In the UK, this resulted in greater pressure on the national grid. Then in August, two power plants went offline and caused a large network outage. The cascading effect shut down many parts of the wider grid and quickly highlighted the criticality of the UK’s power management and supply network. Unplanned surges, sudden outages


and major leaps or falls in energy demand can have a catastrophic effect on the energy grid. This is because the grid is an energised system where both generation and load have to be balanced and managed. In the simplest electrical terms, voltage (V) and frequency (Hz) must both be maintained in a careful balancing act. A significant deviation in either can lead to disastrous consequences. To maintain this balancing act,


secondary sources can deliver supporting services to the grid: demand response and frequency response. However, now due to technological advances, this functionality can be integrated into data centre facilities. Data centres require large amounts of


electrical energy to run all the business critical and technology applications associated with modern life. However, with an energy aware Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS), data centres can both ensure uptime and provide grid services back to the operator. Traditionally, data centres have been


viewed as a huge drain on energy resources. Yet by leveraging new technologies to go green today, data


centre managers can drive improved data centre functionality while simultaneously supporting the grid and decarbonising the energy mix. These services are critical to the


adoption of renewable energy. It cannot always be sunny or windy – and such variability is not compatible with a grid that must be fully energised and maintained within critical limits. The grid operator must ensure enough energy is available in the right place and at the right time to ensure the overall system functions. This requires an element of system inertia which is a phenomenon lacking in some renewable sources. An energy aware UPS can provide services to the grid and therefore allow the grid to adopt ever increasing levels of renewable energy. Traditionally, a UPS takes inbound power


and produces high quality constant power output. It also stores energy in its integrated batteries so if a grid outage occurs, the data centre can continue running until the backup generators kick in. The UPS generally stores energy far beyond this primary requirement. However, an energy aware UPS





measures the incoming voltage and frequency from the grid. If connected to detect signalling from the grid, it can autonomously provide Fast Frequency Response (FFR) to alleviate grid disturbances and issues. With energy aware UPS, data centres can establish a bi-directional relationship with the grid operator and reap three key benefits: 1. Help to stabilise and de-risk the grid which is serving the data centre 2. Enable the grid to adopt green renewable energy 3.Create a new revenue stream that offsets the cost of the data centre’s


  


electrical infrastructure, as grid operators will pay for FFR services


Technology now exists to ‘green the grid’. Once all stakeholders recognise its value, we will see data centres play an increasingly critical role in both supplying secondary power from onsite sources and/or grid services to increase grid stability and mitigate the effect of increasing instances of extreme weather, and essentially help decarbonise the energy mix. Today, UPS technology does not only


protect the data centre, it can accelerate renewable energy adoption while contributing to national grid resilience. With this, data centres have an opportunity to leave their ‘energy hungry’ reputation behind and instead embrace their role as green energy heroes.


Eaton eaton.com





Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44