The data centre has become a critical component in all types of organisation. It must be suitably planned and designed so as to allow sufficient guarantees of quality, efficiency and service continuity, regardless of the dimensions and the sector in which it operates.
Electrical power distribution systems are fundamental infrastructure for most production processes, and IT infrastructures contribute to determining their performance, for example in terms of safety, reliability and ease of maintenance. If system safety is a compulsory specification due to legal requirements, then reliability, availability and ease of maintenance are characteristics that nevertheless impact directly on the end user, but for which each business must establish its own policies.
Finally, when designing a data centre, it has to be considered that the IT industry, which owes its existence to electrical power, is heading toward a crisis period arising from huge costs, and will probably be one of the first sectors forced to adapt to new scenarios of low energy consumption. Indeed the issue of energy consumption in data centres will probably be one of the key issues in the management of IT infrastructures over the next few years. It is estimated that data centres, web factories and similar structures will dissipate almost 5% of power generated globally into the environment.
Continue reading to learn more about planning and design for a data centre electrical power infrastructure.