As data centres evolve and grow in complexity, investing in advanced monitoring technologies is crucial to ensure uninterrupted service delivery and maintain a competitive edge in the digital economy. As power issues cause over half of all outage incidents, selecting a monitoring system with solutions which can adapt to modern challenges is imperative for operational efficiency.
In today’s digital era, data centres are the backbone of modern businesses, hosting essential infrastructure that supports vital functions such as processing financial transactions, managing customer interactions, storing sensitive data and running critical applications. Maintaining continuous operation in these facilities is crucial, and effective monitoring to prevent operational risks, power surges and harmonic distortion is vital. This is particularly significant as the Uptime Institute’s latest Annual Outages Report indicates that power issues are the leading cause of data centre outages, accounting for 52% of all incidents.
With global demand for energy rising, there is a growing need for increased efficiency and power density in mission-critical environments. Consequently, revenue-grade energy monitoring systems have become essential, offering site managers and decision-makers real-time data to enhance their electrical infrastructure.
Operational and power quality risks
Data centres face numerous operational risks that can disrupt services and compromise data integrity – including equipment failures, cooling system malfunctions, human errors and cyberthreats. Power surges and sudden voltage spikes can damage sensitive electronic equipment and lead to system failures if not properly managed. Harmonic distortion, caused by non-linear loads like computers and HVAC systems, can interfere with the smooth functioning of electrical systems and reduce efficiency. Effective monitoring systems are crucial for promptly identifying and addressing these risks.
Challenges in AI power distribution
The advancement of AI technologies introduces additional challenges in power distribution within data centres. As AI algorithms become more sophisticated and workloads more dynamic, power requirements can exceed 40kW per rack, potentially overloading equipment designed for traditional loads. This shift necessitates monitoring systems capable of managing high-density power demands and providing actionable insights into energy usage and distribution efficiency.
Integrating advanced monitoring technology systems with innovative power distribution solutions, such as overhead track busway systems or intelligent Power Distribution Units (PDUs), can significantly enhance operational efficiency and reliability in data centres. These systems monitor critical power quality metrics and enable proactive management of power surges and harmonic distortions, which are essential for maintaining uptime and protecting sensitive equipment.
Advantages of power monitoring systems
Implementing a robust monitoring system offers several key benefits to data centre operators. As the saying goes, ‘You can’t manage what you can’t measure’. Therefore, a robust critical power monitoring solution will help you to:
- Enhance reliability: Data centres can maintain high levels of reliability and uptime by proactively monitoring power quality and operational parameters with pre-set alarms that notify you in case of failure or emergency. Early detection of anomalies through real-time monitoring and analysis of power quality metrics (including voltage, current, power factor and frequency) and temperature allows operators to take immediate corrective or preventive actions, significantly reducing downtime and potential damage to essential equipment.
- Optimise energy efficiency: By examining detailed power consumption data and historical patterns, operators can pinpoint opportunities to enhance energy efficiency and boost overall performance. This also supports broader sustainability goals by reducing overall power consumption and environmental footprint.
- Balance loads: Power monitoring and management systems enable data centre operators to balance power loads efficiently throughout their facilities. Even distribution of power usage prevents overloading circuits and equipment, minimising the risk of outages and ensuring consistent operation.
- Reduce costs: Early detection of potential issues allows for timely maintenance, avoiding costly repairs or equipment replacements; this helps maximise the lifespan of your equipment, decreasing the total cost of ownership.
- Meet compliance standards: Regulatory bodies like the European Union (EU) closely monitor data centre energy usage through the Energy Efficiency Directive. The regulation requires data centre operators with a total rated power of 500kW or more to disclose their annual energy performance data publicly. Critical power monitoring systems assist in generating the reports to ensure adherence to these standards.
- Precisely report power usage: Revenue-grade power monitoring solutions enable colocation providers to allocate power to clients precisely in a facility. Providers who embrace this technology can offer greater transparency in billing, service level agreement performance and environmental sustainability metrics, making them more competitive in the market.
What to look for when selecting a power monitoring solution
When selecting a critical power monitoring solution, look for the following essential features:
- User-friendly interface: A good power monitoring solution should have an easily accessible touchscreen displaying real-time power performance metrics. Premium solutions also offer a pivoting display for easy visual access from the floor level.
- Visibility of power to track busway: Monitoring power at the rack PDU level alone is insufficient – data centre operations need insights into the performance of all systems, not just those powering the IT equipment. Look for power monitoring systems for overhead track busway feed and tap-off applications, which provide the highest levels of whitespace power monitoring when used with rack PDU products.
- Ease of configuration: Look for power monitoring solutions that can be easily integrated with DCIM and BMS packages.
- Communications protocol: Seek power monitoring solutions that simultaneously communicate with serial Modbus and Ethernet-based protocols.
- Temperature monitoring: Leading solution providers now offer temperature sensor technology for end-feed lugs, making monitoring and viewing temperature data instantaneous.
- Revenue-grade metering: This is essential for making actionable, purpose-driven decisions in the data centre environment, whether data is required at the power feed or branch circuit level. It is ideal for colocation providers needing to monitor client power by the rack, not the room.
- Alarming: Power monitoring solutions should feature audio and email alerting capabilities to notify staff members of surges, lags, fluctuations and variances in power and temperature. Users can define thresholds for factors such as power capacity, usage, or temperature, ensuring alerts are received when those thresholds are exceeded.
- Data trending, analysis and reporting: Power monitoring software offering advanced analytics capabilities and automated custom reporting provides a comprehensive overview of power usage and trends over time. These insights provide site managers and decision-makers with real-time data to enhance their electrical infrastructure and assist in generating reports to meet compliance standards.
Critical power monitoring systems combined with innovative power distribution solutions are essential for mitigating operational risks and managing power challenges in modern data centres. These integrated systems safeguard against operational risks, power surges and harmonic distortion and also contribute to enhanced reliability, cost savings and regulatory compliance.
The M70 Critical Power Monitor (CPM) by Legrand’s brand, Starline, sets a new benchmark for energy monitoring in mission-critical environments, designed for busway end-feed and tap-off applications. This innovative metering system delivers accurate data on energy usage, power quality and critical parameters, and features an intuitive interface and a high visibility pivoting display. It integrates seamlessly with DCIM and BMS packages, supporting both serial Modbus and Ethernet protocols for real-time monitoring and control. With revenue-grade metering, advanced alarming and reporting capabilities, the M70 CPM offers exceptional insights into power distribution and usage trends.
