# Presentation: 478216

## DC Power for Data Centers – a demonstration

**Brian Fortenbery – EPRI Solutions**
**Bill Tschudi – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory**

**Sponsored by: **
**California Energy Commission (CEC)****─****Public Interest Energy Research (PIER),**
**California Institute for Energy Efficiency (CIEE).**

**Open House Presentation**
**Summer  2006**
**Sun Microsystems Newark, CA**

**DC Power for Data Centers – ****a demonstration**

## Open House: Agenda 

## Thomas Edison: 

- “My personal desire would be to prohibit entirely the use of alternating currents.  They are as unnecessary as they are dangerous.  I can therefore see no justification for the introduction of a system which  has no element of permanency and every element of danger to life and property.”

## California Energy Commission

- 10-year initiative focusing on high-tech industries – e.g. data centers
- Help move the market to more efficient technologies
- Research and demonstration projects include technology transfer

**California Energy Commission**
** ****Public Interest Energy Research**
** ****High-tech Buildings Project Objectives**** **

## DC Demonstration – Timeline

- Stakeholders first met – Fall 2005
- Kick-off meeting – April 2006
- Equipment assembly – May 2006
- Initial “Team Open House” June 7, 2006
- Public Open House events: June 21,
- 	July 12, 26; Aug 9, 16
- End date – August 16,  2006

## Industry Partners Made it Happen

- Alindeska Electrical Contractors
- APC
- Baldwin Technologies
- Cisco Systems
- Cupertino Electric
- Dranetz-BMI
- Emerson Network Power
- Industrial Network Manufacturing (IEM)

- Intel
- Nextek Power Systems
- Pentadyne
- Rosendin Electric
- SatCon Power Systems
- Square D/Schneider Electric
- Sun Microsystems
- UNIVERSAL Electric Corp.

**Equipment and Services Contributors:**

## Other Partners Collaborated

- 380voltsdc.com
- CCG Facility Integration
- Cingular Wireless
- Dupont Fabros
- EDG2, Inc.
- EYP Mission Critical
- Gannett
- Hewlett Packard

- Morrison Hershfield Corporation
- NTT Facilities
- RTKL
- SBC Global
- TDI Power
- Verizon Wireless

**Stakeholders:**

## Data Center Power Use 

- Data center power use nationally is large and growing.
- Two studies estimated data center energy use:
- 	2004  EPRI/Ecos estimated 14.8 TWh
-  	2000  Arthur D. Little estimated 10.1 TWh
- 0ne terawatthour = 1,000,000,000 kilowatthours or
- one million megawatthours
-  **Saving a fraction of this energy is substantial**

## Typical Data Center Power Use

**Typical Data Center Power Use**

- Source: Intel Corp.

- ~50% Power Efficiency

## Power Consumption: 100 W System Load

- Source: Intel Corp.

**Server fans    ****15W **

**UPS  +PDU ****20W**** **

**PSU ****50W**

- Load 100W

**VR ****20W **

**Room cooling system ****70W**

- Total 275W

- source: Intel Corporation

## This demonstration focuses on reducing power delivery and conversion losses observed in our prior work:

***Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS)***

***Power Supplies in IT equipment***

## UPS and Power Supply efficiency 

**We observed a wide range of performance from the worst to the best**
**Our original goal was to move the market to the higher performing systems**
**Incentive programs, labeling, education programs were all options – and still are**

## Data Center Power Delivery System

**Data Center Power Delivery System**

**Power Dist**
**98 - 99%**

**UPS**
**88 - 92%**

**Power Supply**
**68 - 72%**

**DC/DC**
**78 - 85%**

**The heat generated from the losses at each step of power conversion requires additional cooling power **

**HVAC: Power for cooling can equal or exceed the direct losses**

**Notes:**
The electrical power to IT equipment flows through this inefficient delivery path

## Then we asked the question:

- 	**Could some of the conversion steps be eliminated to improve efficiency?  Could a demonstration be devised to measure actual savings?**

## DC Demonstration - Objectives

- DC powered server equipment exists in the same form factor or can readily be built from existing components
- DC powered server equipment can provide the same level of functionality and computing performance when compared to similarly configured and operating AC server equipment
- Efficiency gains from the elimination of multiple conversion steps can be measured by comparing  traditional AC delivery to a DC architecture
- DC system reliability is as good or better than AC system reliability

**The demonstration’s original objectives were to show a rack level solution:**

## The project team rapidly defined additional objectives:

- Demonstration of 380 V. DC distribution at the facility level compared to conventional AC systems
- Demonstration of other DC solutions (48 volt systems)
- Evaluation of safety considerations
- Demonstrate ability to connect alternative energy solutions (PV, fuel cells, etc.)

## What the demonstration included 

- Side-by-side comparison of traditional AC system with new DC system
-  Facility level distribution
-  Rack level distribution
- Power measurements at conversion points
- Servers modified to accept 380 V. DC
- Artificial loads to more fully simulate data center

## Additional items included 

- Racks distributing 48 volts  to illustrate that other DC solutions are available, however no energy monitoring was provided for this configuration
- DC lighting was included!

## Typical AC Distribution Today

## Facility-Level DC Distribution

- 380V.DC

## Rack-Level DC Distribution

## The layout you will see

**The layout you will see**

## Details

- Safety was reviewed by a committee of the partners.  No significant issues were identified.  Only concern was whether fault currents would be large enough to trip protective devices.
- All distribution equipment is UL rated for DC applications

-      	No commercially available DC connector exists in a size convenient 	for use with servers
-  	Reliability should be improved – fewer potential points of failure. 	Eliminating heat sources should help.
-  	Final report will address safety and applicable codes and standards

## Measured Results

- Facility level overall efficiency improvement:
- 	 10 to 20%
- Smaller rack level overall efficiency improvement but other benefits include:
- 	Thermal benefits
- Smaller power supply in server
-  Transition strategy for existing centers

##  AC system loss compared to DC

- 9% measured improvement

- 2-5% measured improvement

##  Implications could be even better for a typical data center

- Redundant UPS and server power supplies operate at reduced efficiency
- Cooling loads would be reduced.
- The UPS system used in the AC base case system performed better than benchmarked systems – efficiency gains could be higher.
- Further optimization of conversion devices/voltages is possible

## Data Center Power Delivery System

**Data Center Power Delivery System**

**XFMR**
**98% - NA**

**UPS**
**87 - 92%**

**Power Supply**
**90 - 92%**

**Notes:**
The electrical power to IT equipment flows through this inefficient delivery path

## Data Center Power Delivery System

**Data Center Power Delivery System**

**Power Dist**
**98% - NA**

**UPS**
**85 - 92%**

**Power Supply**
**73 - 92%**

**Notes:**
The electrical power to IT equipment flows through this inefficient delivery path

## Results

- What does 15% increase in efficiency mean
-  to the bottom line?

_**Actual mileage will vary**_

## Results

**Results**

- What does 15% increase in efficiency mean
-  to the electrical power grid?

## See the results on-line

- Actual  results
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- 	websites for more information
- http://hightech.lbl.gov/
- http://hightech.lbl.gov/dc-powering/

## Additional Information

**Project Coordination & Contacts:**
- My Ton, **Ecos Consulting** _[mton@ecosconsulting.com](mailto:mton@ecosconsulting.com)_
- Brian Fortenbery, **EPRI Solutions** _[bfortenbery@eprisolutions.com](mailto:bfortenbery@eprisolutions.com)_
**Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory**
-  Bill Tschudi, Principal Investigator
- 	_[wftschudi@lbl.gov](mailto:wftschudi@lbl.gov)_
- Dr. Evan Mills, Press and publicity contact
- 	 _[emills@lbl.gov](mailto:emills@lbl.gov)_
**THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST!**