For every 1 watt of power used to process data, an average of nearly 1 watt is required to support power conversion, and another 0.6 to 1 watt is needed to cool the power-conversion equipment.
Ecos worked with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on a demonstration project that showed that alternative, DC–based power distribution systems can reduce the total system energy use in a data center by 5 to 7 percent compared to the most efficient alternating current (AC) systems, and by up to 28 percent compared to typical AC distribution systems. DC distribution systems also reduce cooling loads and have the potential to improve reliability by reducing the number of possible failure points. They provide the same level of functionality and computing performance as similarly configured AC systems.
The project tested several methods of configuring power distribution. In a facility-level configuration, AC power was converted to 380 volts DC once at the entrance to a facility. This achieved the highest efficiency improvement, and would be most applicable to new facilities. In a “rack-level” configuration, AC power was distributed throughout a facility until the rack level, when it was converted to 380 volts DC and fed directly to servers. This achieved significant efficiency improvement, and could be used easily in existing facilities.
