POWER
Power distribution and uninterruptable power supply systems
Arturo Di Filippi, global offering manager for large AC power at Vertiv W
ith the demand for computing increasing sharply, fuelled by the rise
availability of power is a top priority for systems are even more important critical infrastructure elements.
Balancing supply and demand with demand. of numerous end-uses from transport to industry, is driving a massive increase in power demand as well as the need to generate as much of it as possible from renewable sources. However, the transfer of generation from large fossil fuel power plants has left power networks less predictable and more many experts say that matching demand to available supply and building in greater system resilience for faults is the most prescient challenge for the new renewable-powered grid. When mismatches in energy from grid-based generators and consumers occur, grid frequencies begin to change. frequency rises and vice versa. Compounding the imbalance is the intermittency of energy supply with renewable inputs as well as traditional frequency regulation being too slow for today’s power demands, where containment reserves are needed to increase or reduce electricity demand within milli-seconds.
Continuous supply of power Fortunately, data centre providers are well placed to help balance grid services because of their use of UPS systems, which help to provide instantaneous emergency power to critical devices such as servers and other electronic components in mission critical power networks, using the energy that is typically stored in a rechargeable battery. UPS units allows systems to continue to operate, even when the main source of power fails. Unlike generators or other backup power supplies that can take a few seconds to kick in, a UPS system provides no break at all in the power supply, carrying the critical load until the longer-lasting backup power of an extended outage with no generator, UPS enables applications and servers to safely shut down to avoid any loss of data.
New generation UPS
seen as more than power backup during power management and distribution, capable of dynamically responding to advanced cooling techniques and modular architectures to reduce energy consumption. Others can interact with renewable energy sources, drawing from solar or wind power when available, thereby minimising the carbon footprint associated with energy consumption.
36 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2025 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS
help bridge the gap between supply and demand, providing ‘intelligent’ support for real-time load adjustments, helping data centres avoid peak costs and prevent unexpected downtime.
based on workload patterns and dynamically respond instantly to changes in power usage, sustainability efforts by reducing waste and optimising energy use.
Challenges remain and require skilled oversight. Downtime risks cause issues, especially in edge cases maintenance and upgrading legacy systems is essential to prevent such disruptions. distribution introduces unique security risks. Cyber threats targeting critical infrastructure are on the rise and the increasing connectivity of UPS systems opens up new vulnerabilities. Protecting these systems requires a multi-layered approach, involving everything systems.
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