Data Centers

DATA CENTERS
 Data centers consume less energy than thought
SUMMER EDITION
Contents
3  Specifying the right electrical raceways, busways, wiring
and cabling
17  4 ways software companies can improve financials when

deploying with hardware
26  Your questions answered: How to specify backup, standby and

emergency power in mission critical facilities
35  Is your exclusively SaaS delivery leaving customers on the table?
38  Case study: Data center piping
42  Data centers consume less energy than thought
45  Designing power systems in mission critical environments

Specifying the right electrical
raceways, busways, wiring and  Specifying the
right electrical
cabling raceways,
busways, wiring
and cabling
Electrical and information cabling pathways are a vital component of any new
4 ways software
or existing building companies can
improve financials
E lectrical and information cabling are an integral part of all building systems and must when deploying with
hardware
be extensively routed throughout all building types. There are several methods avail-
able for design teams to specify; however, catering a solution to specific applications is Your questions
answered: How to
often difficult and convoluted. specify backup,
standby and
emergency power in
As the buildings that we live, work, entertain and otherwise occupy become more commission critical facilities
plex and modern, there is an ever–increasing need to provide electrical and information
Is your exclusively
infrastructure throughout. All buildings have a plethora of devices that require an electri- SaaS delivery leaving
cal or data connection. Often these devices require a combination of each. customers on the
table?
The end-use connection is often quite simple in either a direct connection or outlet type Case study: Data center
piping
form factor; however, how is the wiring or cabling transported to this point? How is it
protected from point to point? The answer: Using pathway systems that are permitted Data centers consume
less energy than
and practical for the specific structure or building space that transport the cabling safely thought
to mitigate the risks of electrical shock, fire and other hazards related to personnel and
Designing power
property. To continue the description of the available systems, we must first identify the systems in mission
applicable standards and terms. critical environments
The governing code for all electrical pathways is NFPA 70: National Electrical Code,
3
Specifying the right electrical raceways, busways, wiring and cabling
which dictates the uses permitted for the path-  Specifying the
right electrical
way systems and the terms used within the
raceways,
applicable standards. Information and commu- busways, wiring
nications technology cabling also are bound by and cabling
the codes within the NEC, however there are 4 ways software
applicable standards that take this a step further companies can
improve financials
such as those set forth by the Building Industry
when deploying with
Consulting Services International organization hardware
in its Telecommunications Distribution Methods
Your questions
Manual and the Telecommunications Industry answered: How to
Association and its applicable standards (com- specify backup,
standby and
monly referenced as TIA-xxx, where xxx denotes emergency power in
a 3-digit number applicable to a specific docu- mission critical facilities
ment). Is your exclusively

SaaS delivery leaving
customers on the
It is important to note that the NEC is an en- table?
Figure 1: This is a gutter installed in a
forceable code that is meant to safeguard persons high-rise building that is provided as an Case study: Data center
and property from the hazards arising from the use of accessible splice point. The level above piping
electricity (NEC 90.1) and is a requirement; the stan- is the serving electrical room and there
are sections of EMT that connect into Data centers consume
dards surrounding ICT cabling are recommendations the top of the gutter. Within the gutter less energy than
that optimize an ICT cabling system and are not safety the contractor has spliced, via wire nuts, thought
to connect to the horizontal runs of MC
related nor enforceable code. Designing power
to horizontally feed the guestrooms.
systems in mission
Courtesy: NV5
critical environments
Additionally, all pathway systems are listed by a na-
tionally recognized testing laboratory for standards regarding fire rating, flame spread,
use of products within air handling spaces (often referred to as plenums), etc. The most 4
common NRTL is UL, which not only tests the products but also creates the applicable  Specifying the
right electrical
standards.
raceways,
busways, wiring
Types of wiring and cabling
The first step to understanding any pathway system is to understand the wiring that is 4 ways software
being transported and protected. The NEC delineates between several different types companies can
improve financials
of wiring. We will examine the most common types of wiring: 1,000 volts or less, Class 1, when deploying with
Class 2 and Class 3 circuits. The NEC also sets code minimum requirements for conduc- hardware
tors exceeding 1,000 volts. Your questions
answered: How to
specify backup,
Class 1 wiring typically is identified as remote-control or signaling conductors that are standby and
either power limited to 30 volts and 1000 volts-ampere (NEC 725.41(A)) or where the emergency power in
mission critical facilities
conductors are used for remote-control or signaling circuits (NEC 725.41(B)). When used
for remote-control or signaling circuits, the voltage may be increased to 600 volts; how- Is your exclusively
ever, these will typically be seen as 120-volt circuits that operate relays, motor control-
customers on the
lers or similar control devices. Class 1 circuits are required to be routed in a pathway as table?
established within chapter 3 of the NEC (NEC 725.46) and they may be routed through
Case study: Data center
the same pathway system as a power feeder or branch circuit if the conductor insula- piping
tion is rated for at least the maximum voltage available within the raceway system (NEC
Data centers consume
300.3(C)(1)). less energy than
thought
Class 2 and class 3 circuits are identified with the NEC chapter 9, table 11(A). Class 2 cir- Designing power
cuits are typically seen as low-voltage circuits that are limited to 30 volts or less and 100 systems in mission
volts-ampere or less. These class 2 circuits are considered protected from fire or shock
due to low energy and voltage levels. Due to this, class 2 circuits are permitted to be
5
installed in plenum areas (when properly listed) and  Specifying the

right electrical
are not required to be installed in raceway systems
raceways,
outlined within chapter 3 of the NEC. Class 2 cir- busways, wiring
cuits are most commonly seen as category cabling and cabling
(as defined by TIA-568-C and is most commonly 4 ways software
unshielded, balanced twisted pairs of wire that are companies can
improve financials
designed for data transmission), wiring for public
when deploying with
address systems, programmable logic controllers hardware
and thermostats.
Your questions
answered: How to
Class 3 circuits are typically classified as circuits specify backup,
standby and
that exceed 30 volts but operate from 0.5 to 100 emergency power in
volts-ampere and are often used for sound/speaker mission critical facilities
systems, clock/intercom systems and security sys- Is your exclusively

tems. Although beyond the breadth of this article, it SaaS delivery leaving
Figure 2: This installation shows a structural customers on the
should be noted that class 3 circuits can reach high- cage that has been constructed to add table?
protection to the conduit. This installation is
er voltage and current levels under specific circum-
within a fire lane for an educational facility Case study: Data center
stances as outlined by NEC 725.121; however, it is and fine metal mesh will be added to the piping
less common. Class 2 and 3 circuits are not required installation to prevent access to the interior
of the conduit cage when the hinged doors Data centers consume
to be installed in a pathway system as outlined less energy than
are closed and locked. Additionally, the
within NEC Chapter 3 and may be routed through existing building footing was compromised
thought
plenum spaces when using listed cabling and sup- during excavation and a structural cage
Designing power
was required around the conduit to add systems in mission
ports. These circuits may be routed in this manner structural integrity of the exterior wall. critical environments
as they are power limited or carry a low-energy The conduit bodies are specialized to
signal that does not present a risk for the initiation have manufactured large radius sweeps to
of fire or shock.
prevent tight bending of ICT and fiber optic
cabling. Courtesy: NV5 6
Design considerations  Specifying the

right electrical
With the understanding of that cabling systems may require pathway systems outlined raceways,
within chapter 3 of the NEC, we may now proceed to analyze the available pathway busways, wiring
systems as well as their limitations and code requirements. There are several design and cabling
considerations that need to be analyzed to provide the best pathway for a specific task. 4 ways software
These considerations are: accessibility, pathway support requirements, distance that the companies can
improve financials
pathway will travel, special protection requirements and the quantity of cables that must when deploying with
be transported. hardware
Your questions
Accessibility is one of the most important factors in any pathway system and is outlined answered: How to
specify backup,
in the NEC to require access to all junction boxes, gutters or splice points (NEC 314.29). standby and
Often, these pathways and boxes are installed above gypsum board or hard-lid ceilings emergency power in
where there is no practical way to reach the system without an access panel. When this
type of a ceiling is used within a facility, it is critical to avoid system such as J-hooks and Is your exclusively
cable tray that are open and cannot be inspected to ensure that cabling is supported customers on the
and secured. When not accessible, conduit or another type of raceway is the most practi- table?
cal choice. Case study: Data center
piping
Even with a raceway system, access panels will be required to access the following: a Data centers consume
junction box for every 100 feet or every cumulative 180-degrees of bends for ICT cabling less energy than
thought
(TIA-569-D 9.8.2), a junction box for every cumulative 360-degrees of bends for line volt-
age wiring (for EMT NEC 358.26). In this aspect, the TIA standard is more stringent as it Designing power
systems in mission
provides recommendations to ensure a minimum pulling force between access points is
maintained. This ensures (as a rule of thumb) that the cable will not be subject to pulling
tension in excess of the manufacturer’s recommendations and thus allow the cable to
pass manufacturer’s field certifications and maintain signal integrity. 7
Often, junction boxes or gutters are used to provide a point to transition from electri-  Specifying the
right electrical
cal metallic tubing (type EMT) and wire to metal-clad cable (type MC cable) to traverse
raceways,
through inaccessible areas and route direct to the receptacles as required by the design busways, wiring
(see Figure 1). and cabling
4 ways software
Often the ceilings or floors are accessible, such as with access floors or acoustic ceiling companies can
improve financials
tile ceilings, commonly referred to as “lay-in” or “drop” ceilings. Where these types of
when deploying with
building elements are installed, the designer has several choices for pathways that in- hardware
clude additional options, as well as the raceway example previously presented.
Your questions
answered: How to
Accessible building elements are advantageous where the systems need to accom- specify backup,
standby and
modate moves, adds, changes and deletions (commonly referred to as MAC-Ds). Such emergency power in
building elements allow the use of cable trays (for power and ICT cabling) and J-hooks mission critical facilities
(ICT cabling). When installing these systems within a ceiling grid system such as ACT, it Is your exclusively
is imperative that the supports are not directly affixed to the ceiling grid supports (NEC SaaS delivery leaving
customers on the
300.11(B)). The ceiling grid system should remain completely independent of all cabling, table?
light fixture or other electrical systems.
piping
When using a system such as a cable tray or J-hooks, the user may make changes to the
cabling by removing ceiling tiles and simply laying a cable into the tray or J-hooks. Typ- less energy than
ically, these pathways are used in conjunction with conduit route within a wall to provide thought
a connection to a junction box. Designing power

systems in mission
Another significant consideration for pathway systems is the required supports. Ideally,
the best location for information on support requirements will be the manufacturer’s in-
stallation instructions and the NEC. The NEC specifically notes the support requirements 8
for different raceway types within chapter 3, for  Specifying the

right electrical
example, EMT conduit shall be supported in
raceways,
increments of 10 feet and within 3 feet of every busways, wiring
junction box, conduit body, etc. (NEC 358.30). and cabling
4 ways software
When reviewing the support requirements, companies can
improve financials
unless specifically mentioned, the NEC does
when deploying with
not make the distinction between horizontal hardware
and vertical support requirements. Some spe-
Your questions
cific instances where the NEC does differen- answered: How to
tiate between vertical support requirements specify backup,
standby and
would be for industrial installations when using emergency power in
intermediate metal conduit (NEC 342.30(B)(2)) mission critical facilities
and rigid metal conduit (NEC 344.30(B)(2)). The Is your exclusively

NEC also defers the requirements for cable SaaS delivery leaving
customers on the
tray supports to the manufacturer’s installation table?
requirements (NEC 392.30(A)). Figure 3: This is a vertical section of
busway (or busduct) with no plug-on
piping
devices. The waterproof curb is visible
If the electrical or ICT designer’s project is locat-
in the bottom of the photo showing Data centers consume
ed within a seismic zone, additional requirements engineering supports bracing against the less energy than
may be instituted and the support design may be floor spanning the entire penetration. This thought
has been sealed with intumescent material
required as a delegated design to a structural en- below the cover plate for fire protection Designing power
gineer. Additional conduit and cable options would between floors. Courtesy: NV5 systems in mission
be intermediate metal conduit (type IMC, NEC 342),
rigid metal conduit (type RMC, NEC 344), fiberglass conduit (type RTRC, NEC 355), met-
al-clad cable (type MC, NEC 330) and each method has its specific application, support 9
requirements and additional information that is all outlined within their respective NEC  Specifying the
right electrical
section.
raceways,
busways, wiring
Cable distance and cabling
When considering distance, it’s imperative to understand the cabling type that is being 4 ways software
used. For line voltage power wiring, the main distance consideration is relative to the companies can
improve financials
electrical load and the voltage drop that will be induced based on the wire’s impedance. when deploying with
The standard for voltage drop is outlined as a fine–print note for NEC 210.19(A), FPN hardware
No. 4. This FPN advises that branch circuits should be sized to prevent a voltage drop in Your questions
excess of 3% and that feeders should be restricted to 2% voltage drop. answered: How to
specify backup,
standby and
The FPNs within the NEC are not enforceable by a code official (NEC 90.5(C)); however, emergency power in
some jurisdictions may have enforceable energy codes that mandate a maximum voltage
drop (most commonly ASHRAE Standard 90.1). When considering ICT premises wiring Is your exclusively
systems, it’s important to know the cabling media and the specific limitations associated
customers on the
with each type. table?

For example, category cabling is typically limited to 295 feet for the permanent link (wir- piping
ing from the outlet to the patch panel or termination within the serving telecommunica-
tions space). However, if using fiber optic cabling, the distances vary based on fiber type less energy than
(single-mode and multimode), the data transmission rate and the type of transceivers thought
used. As the purpose of this article is not to examine the pros and cons of different ICT Designing power
cabling, we will proceed with the more common Category-6 cabling standard (outlined systems in mission
to specific performance requirements within TIA-568-D) that limits this pathway to 295
feet.
10
When considering the aforementioned requirements, the pathway system will consist  Specifying the
right electrical
of either enclosed pathway (raceways) or open pathways (such as cable tray or J-hooks).
raceways,
While conduit and other enclosed pathways typically route directly to the receptacle or busways, wiring
technology outlet location, an open pathway typically serves as an aggregation point, and cabling
creating a less direct and often, longer path back to the serving equipment. Additionally, 4 ways software
conduit may be used to collect cables to an aggregation point and if using the category companies can
improve financials
cabling for power over ethernet applications, the NEC requires that you de–rate the cur-
when deploying with
rent carrying capacity of the cabling by the coefficient shown within NEC table 725.144. hardware
These requirements must be considered primarily for ICT cabling.
Your questions
answered: How to
When routing any type of cabling through a building, it is important to understand each specify backup,
standby and
space’s use and potential protection requirements. This extends from physical protec- emergency power in
tion, to prevent mechanical damage, through fire protection or hazardous location re- mission critical facilities
quirements. Is your exclusively

customers on the
The first concept surrounding the subject of “physical damage” can be quite complex table?
as no codes or standards clearly define the phrase, in fact, it is often conceded that this
is subjective. Each authority having jurisdiction may approach this concept in different piping
ways. On a basic level this should be applied in a common-sense approach where hard-
use areas are treated with extra care for protection; it is important to note that the code less energy than
intent is to prevent inadvertent physical damage and not to prevent damage from malice thought
or intentional damage. Designing power

systems in mission
For example, hard–use areas should include but not be limited to: loading docks, en-
closed sally ports for cash trucks, corridors with traffic of mechanical vehicles (pallet
jacks, forklifts, etc.), mechanical rooms, gymnasiums, etc. Within these hard-use areas, 11
the designer can defer to the uses permitted within chapter 3 of the NEC for pathways  Specifying the
right electrical
permitted in areas “subject to physical damage.” This would typically require a thick-
raceways,
walled conduit such as intermediate metallic conduit or galvanized rigid conduit in lieu busways, wiring
of any types of tubing such as EMT or any open–type pathways such as cable trays (see and cabling
Figure 2). 4 ways software
companies can
improve financials
Fire protection and fire stopping when deploying with
When considering fire protection requirements, the designer should first consult any hardware
available fire protection reports or code consultants for the project. Rated walls and Your questions
enclosures will be identified in the fire protection report and on the architectural set of answered: How to
specify backup,
drawings. Often, a book or sheet specification can handle fire protection requirements standby and
and any seal off requirements for hazardous locations; however, the pathway require- emergency power in
ments do change.
Is your exclusively
Within NEC 500 through NEC 503, there are additional requirements such as the require-
customers on the
ment for threaded conduit systems (NEC 501.10(A)(1)(a) and NEC 502.10(A)(1)(a)) that table?
also are required to be wrench tight to prevent a ground fault from arcing in an envi-
ronment with flammable or explosive gases or dust (NEC 500.8(E)). Each classified area piping
should be thoroughly examined for code compliance of all pathway (and miscellaneous
electrical and ICT) systems. These identified areas also will be required to maintain the less energy than
fireproof rating of the walls in that the pathway is penetrating. thought
Designing power
In addition, where an open pathway is traversing through a plenum (or commonly re- systems in mission
ferred to as an air handling space), a specialized plenum rated wiring method is required.
A plenum rated cable is rated to burn within an air handling space and not introduce
12
toxins or spread flame through the plenum; the  Specifying the

right electrical
mechanical designer for the project will identify
raceways,
plenum spaces that will assist the ICT designer busways, wiring
to determine the cabling type required for the and cabling
premises wiring system. 4 ways software
companies can
improve financials
It should be noted by the electrical and ICT
when deploying with
designers that a system designed to comply hardware
with NEC 645, Information Technology Equip-
Your questions
ment Rooms, may be exempt from the plenum answered: How to
rating requirement if the raised floor is used as specify backup,
standby and
a plenum rated space; the heating, ventilation emergency power in
and air conditioning is entirely separate of the mission critical facilities
building system HVAC; and there is a dedicat- Is your exclusively

ed shunt trip for the electrical system and for SaaS delivery leaving
customers on the
the HVAC system (NEC 645.10). table?
Figure 4: On the right, cable tray
is used to support and secure MC Case study: Data center
Cable capacity and ampacity wiring as a main routing point down piping
As the electrical or ICT designer is identifying cabling the corridor. In the center, there is
types, available pathway routing and protection require- an orange innerduct that is used for
less energy than
fiber routing and on the left, there is thought
ments, another consideration must be made for the am- a cable tray with cleanly segregated
pacity or quantity of cables required. Electrical design- low-voltage cabling. Courtesy: NV5 Designing power
ers typically defer the cable routing to a “means and methods” process that involves the systems in mission
contractor’s judgment unless larger ampacity feeders, medium–voltage or utility routing
is considered. When considering these larger ampacity installations, it is important that
13
parallel feeder runs are routed in compliance with NEC 300.3(B)(1) and NEC 310.10(H)  Specifying the
right electrical
that requires that each parallel conduit run consist of an identical phase, neutral and
raceways,
ground conductor (as applicable). These parallel feeders must be of the same length, busways, wiring
conductor material, size, insulation type and be terminated in an identical manner. and cabling
4 ways software
Often, when considering higher ampacity feeders or modular designs, it may be applica- companies can
improve financials
ble to use busway. Busway is common for high-rise commercial hotel applications, in-
when deploying with
dustrial installations, larger data centers and greenhouse facilities. Large high-rise hotels hardware
typically are designed with a large ampacity busway installed vertically throughout the
Your questions
tower and plug-on units (specially designed disconnects or enclosed circuit breakers) are answered: How to
used for horizontal distribution feeders to panelboards. specify backup,
standby and
emergency power in
Busways require a penetration through each floor of a tower and a fire protection report mission critical facilities
or code consultant should be consulted to discuss fire protection options for the room Is your exclusively
or penetration. Additionally, the NEC requires that the penetration is provided with a SaaS delivery leaving
customers on the
water-proof curb to prevent ingress of water and general flooding down the stacked table?
electrical rooms (NEC 368.10(C)(2)(b)). If this waterproof curb is compromised, water may
eventually work its way down the busduct and could result in a violent explosion due to a piping
short circuit (see Figure 3).
less energy than
When considering industrial, data center or grow facilities, it is not uncommon to see a thought
combination of horizontal runs that are supplied with plug-on units to deliver load cen- Designing power
ters or 3-phase power at specific locations. This allows a modular design where power systems in mission
can be delivered in large ampacities throughout the run of busduct. This typically is ca-
tered to very specific owner and equipment requirements and can vary in application.
14
Although the depth of uses for busduct is beyond this article, it is a critical piece of any  Specifying the
right electrical
electrical designer’s arsenal and a minimum general understanding is required to pro-
raceways,
vide the most efficient and thoughtful designs. busways, wiring
and cabling
The analogy of large–ampacity installations for ICT designers would be the quantity of 4 ways software
cables. Typically for large cable quantities an ICT designer will consider designing a ca- companies can
improve financials
ble tray layout with varying sizes that correlate to the quantity of cables at each junction
when deploying with
or branch. This gives the primary horizontal cabling a support and routing backbone. hardware
These trays are sized in accordance with NEC 392 that has myriad complicated formulas
Your questions
and subsections that depend on tray type, cable type and ampacity (if applicable), to answered: How to
calculate a maximum fill percentage. specify backup,
standby and
emergency power in
Instead of wading through this code section, often electrical designers will use a man- mission critical facilities
ufacturer’s cable tray calculation tools that are specifically programmed for compliance Is your exclusively
with the NEC. When discussing a cable tray consisting of only ICT cabling, a 40% fill ratio SaaS delivery leaving
customers on the
is recommended via the TIA-569-B standard. Typically, an ICT cable tray backbone is table?
installed in a tapered manner in that the closer the installer is to the end use device or
outlet, the smaller the cable tray; the closer the installer is to the serving telecommunica- piping
tions room, the larger the cable tray typically is. This is to accommodate the aggregation
of cables within the cable trays. less energy than
thought
With all the above considerations, an electrical or ICT designer should be knowledge- Designing power
able and capable of applying all the above considerations to provide a code-compliant systems in mission
and practical design for a particular occupancy or building. Often the pathway system
will consist of a combination of all the aforementioned (see Figure 4).
15
An example for ICT premises wiring system could include a cable tray with a fire rated  Specifying the
right electrical
penetration through a corridor wall that transitions to EMT above a hard–lid section of
raceways,
ceiling, only to transition back to cable tray once the routing reaches another accessible busways, wiring
ceiling space. From here, the contractor may use J-hooks to route individual cables to and cabling
specific technology outlets within each space. This would combine several types of path- 4 ways software
ways to provide the client or occupant a flexible system that is code compliant. companies can
improve financials
when deploying with
Stephen Berta, EI, NV5, Las Vegas hardware
Stephen Berta is the associate director of electrical at NV5 and has experience in multiple
Your questions
market sectors including high-rise hospitality, gaming, K-5 education and data centers. answered: How to
specify backup,
standby and
emergency power in
Is your exclusively
customers on the
table?

piping

less energy than
thought
Designing power
systems in mission
16
4 ways software companies
can improve financials when Specifying the right
electrical raceways,
deploying with hardware busways, wiring and

cabling
Enterprises are shifting to alternative software consumption

 4 ways software
companies can
models — and creating challenges for software companies improve financials
Enterprises are shifting more of their applications and workloads from traditional when deploying
with hardware
on-premise appliances to alternative consumption models including to the cloud, as a
service, and software only on-premise. Your questions
answered: How to
specify backup,
According to Gartner, IT teams can spend as much as 75% of budgets maintaining inter- standby and
emergency power in
nal systems. The cloud and software-as-a-service (SaaS) offer rapid scale and reliability,
usually with a lower upfront cost, making them attractive and affordable solutions for a
Is your exclusively
variety of businesses. Alternatively, reference architectures can offer IT teams more free-
dom of hardware choice and cost flexibility. customers on the
table?
However, not all applications can or should run exclu- Case study: Data center
sively in the cloud or on reference architecture. Nor do piping
all enterprise IT departments wish to consume cloud- Data centers consume

based applications via SaaS. A few reasons why: less energy than
thought
• Data-heavy workloads can be incredibly expen- Designing power

systems in mission
sive and less financially viable to run in the cloud critical environments
vs. locally
• Some data and networks are ultrasensitive and mandate on-premise solutions 17
4 ways software companies can improve financials
Specifying the right

• Smaller enterprises lack electrical raceways,
the resources internally busways, wiring and
cabling
to bring these on-prem-
ise reference architec-  4 ways software
ture solutions to life companies can
improve financials
when deploying
The downside of with hardware
exclusive SaaS
Your questions
delivery answered: How to
Software companies developing SaaS applications are increasingly focused on enhanc- specify backup,
standby and
ing their financial performance through recurring revenue streams. Many publicly traded emergency power in
companies that have led the charge to software-delivery-only models have demonstrat- mission critical facilities
ed growth and have seen a positive increase in valuation. Is your exclusively

customers on the
But software companies must be mindful of the varied ways customers prefer to con- table?
sume their applications, thus preventing unintended financial consequences from such
deployment models. piping

Most software companies aren’t interested in offering a plug-and-play on-premise solu- less energy than
tion — or in absorbing the additional costs and drag on margins that result. What’s more, thought
relying on reference architecture rather than validated and configured server-based Designing power
solutions can decrease customer satisfaction and increase support costs due to lack of systems in mission
control over the hardware.
18

Four key pain points illustrating the added costs of deploy- electrical raceways,
ing with hardware busways, wiring and
cabling
1. Transacting hardware with your application decreases margins
Gross margins in the sale of software applications often exceed 100%, as they are  4 ways software
the core intellectual property (IP) of a software company. The transacting of hardware
companies can
improve financials
brings unique challenges, the least of which is margin erosion. when deploying
with hardware
Hardware often cannot be marked up to the same extent as the software IP, so it de-
Your questions
creases profit margins. If hardware is marked up significantly to minimize this impact, answered: How to
the total appliance solution may become cost prohibitive for a customer, pricing the specify backup,
standby and
solution out of the market. The software company must address this challenge while emergency power in
striving to retain a healthy gross profit margin (GPM). In addition, offering hardware mission critical facilities
can tie up the software company’s capital in inventory and engineering resources to Is your exclusively
manage validation, production and engineering. SaaS delivery leaving
customers on the
table?
One option for the software company is to transact solely in software, adopting a SaaS
business model. This leaves hardware selection to the user, who may not follow system piping
recommendations. This can impede performance of the IP, creating higher support
costs and negatively affecting customer satisfaction. less energy than
thought
Fortunately, an alternative ensures margins do not face erosion while still delivering the Designing power
benefits of a validated, pre-configured hardware solution. This option requires close systems in mission
partnership with a hardware integration partner that can procure and configure hard-
ware and integrate the software application on your behalf. That partner would then
transact the entire solution, including the hardware (and software, if necessary) with the
19

software company’s end-customer or reseller on electrical raceways,
their behalf. The software company would recog- busways, wiring and
cabling
nize only the high-margin transaction of its applica-
tion, while the integration partner would recognize  4 ways software
the lowermargin hardware transaction. companies can
improve financials
when deploying
2. Not offering plug-and-play hardware solu-
with hardware
tions can slow sales cycle, limiting market reach
Developing a plug-and-play hardware solution Your questions
answered: How to
for use in application delivery has many benefits. specify backup,
It addresses the challenge of customers that lack standby and
emergency power in
the knowledge or staff resources to manage the mission critical facilities
integration of the software themselves. Relying
Is your exclusively
on the end-user to purchase the correct hardware SaaS delivery leaving
separately can slow the sales cycle, because the customers on the
table?
end-user might choose to delay the software pur-
chase until the hardware is procured and in place. A strong segment of customers in Case study: Data center
piping
many markets with varying workloads prefer to purchase server-based solutions with
integrated software. Even if a server-based solution is not the primary business model, Data centers consume
less energy than
when a customer does not see this option, they may look to a competitor that does of- thought
fer an appliance version of its application. In addition, relying on the end-customer to
Designing power
procure the proper hardware can lead to negative customer experiences. This is often systems in mission
the case when companies deviate from hardware guidelines, leading to performance critical environments
issues, increased support costs and lost future sales.
20

3. Providing financing for your products creates risk and reduces cash flow electrical raceways,
Regardless of the manner of hardware and/or software deployment offered for appli- busways, wiring and
cabling
cation delivery, the costs can remain high. This presents the risks of credit liability and
a potentially negative impact to your balance sheet. A customer can miss payments for  4 ways software
many reasons, all of which can erode your GPM. By outsourcing the transaction to a companies can
proven Fortune 500 technology and financial partner, you can safeguard your revenue improve financials
when deploying
streams and avoid undue financial risk and costly collections processes.
with hardware
4. Not offering a subscription version of your product can negatively impact sales Your questions
answered: How to
Many businesses would benefit from adopting a subscription-based model, which can specify backup,
boost consumption of their IP. Trial periods for your IP can deliver valuable sales and standby and
emergency power in
marketing data and allow customers to better gauge the value of your solution. The mission critical facilities
subscription model can open additional licenses, ensuring long-term revenue streams
Is your exclusively
and enabling customers to gain the benefit of your IP solution without the upfront SaaS delivery leaving
costs. Offering this option to customers that are private companies also allows for customers on the
table?
the potential for your application and/or appliance to be recognized as an operating
expense versus a capital expense. Some enterprises are looking to consume not only Case study: Data center
piping
software, but also hardware as a service to reduce the upfront operational expense
required to add or upgrade services. Data centers consume
less energy than
thought
Designing power
systems in mission
21

The value of offering flexible consumption models electrical raceways,
A one-size-fits-all approach does not meet the needs of most software companies busways, wiring and
cabling
these days because of the multitude of ways enterprises consume applications. The
best approach is to have the flexibility and the capability to meet the diverse needs of  4 ways software
the market. Each transaction model brings its own set of unique challenges and ben- companies can
improve financials
efits. Aligning with a global technology partner can boost financial metrics, extend
when deploying
market reach and provide the right answers to tough problems. with hardware
Your questions
Improve gross profit margins answered: How to
One option to improve margins is to offer a plug-and-play solution that includes hard- specify backup,
standby and
ware to meet the demands of that market segment. The requirement for this option emergency power in
is to recognize only the software transaction while relying on an integration partner to mission critical facilities
transact the lower-margin hardware. This delivers the benefits of a complete appliance Is your exclusively
solution, including lower support costs, increased customer satisfaction and a broader SaaS delivery leaving
customers on the
available market — while improving the software company’s profitability.
table?

Another benefit is that often, the integration partner would not need to mark up the
piping
hardware as high as the software company would. The removal of the double markup
from the integration partner and software company would result in lower total cost to
less energy than
the enterprise customer — and a more cost-competitive offering from the software thought
company.
Designing power
systems in mission
Increase revenue opportunities
If the software company does not currently offer a hardware solution due to the po-
tential negative impacts on profit margins, it could employ the previously explained
22

method to offer a fully integrated plug-and-play hardware solution through a partner electrical raceways,
— without damaging margins. This way, the software company could expand its total busways, wiring and
cabling
available market (TAM) to include enterprises that prefer this consumption model.
 4 ways software
Similarly, offering a subscription-based model for both software and hardware enables companies can
software companies to expand their TAM to include end-users that consume the appli- improve financials
when deploying
cation and hardware at a recurring monthly rate.
with hardware
Reduce risk and liabilities, while increasing cashflow Your questions

answered: How to
Working with a technology partner enables software companies to reach more cus- specify backup,
tomers profitably, but also reduces risk and frees cash for investments in further devel- standby and
emergency power in
opment of their IP. The technology partner can assume not only the transaction of the mission critical facilities
lower margin hardware, but also the transaction of your software applications. Choos-
Is your exclusively
ing a stable, proven partner removes the risk of not getting paid for any sale. This lim- SaaS delivery leaving
its expensive accounts receivable resources, collections and bad debt write-offs as that customers on the
table?
liability moves from your balance sheet to that of the technology partner.
piping
Speed time to revenue/shorten sales cycle
The ability to successfully address the diverse consumption needs of end-users with Data centers consume
less energy than
validated and configured hardware solutions has numerous benefits, such as a short- thought
ened sales cycle, reduced time to revenue and greater overall customer satisfaction. In
Designing power
addition to design, integration and supply chain efficiencies, outsourcing also provides systems in mission
the complementary services your customers require and expect from a first-tier pro- critical environments
vider. Such services include expertise in installation, warranties, maintenance and even
data migration.
23

Finding a partner to help provide flexible deployment mod- electrical raceways,
els and boost financial performance busways, wiring and
cabling
Avnet Integrated offers unique financial solutions to software companies, enabling
them to then offer flexible consumption models to their customers while increasing  4 ways software
profitability and reducing risks. What’s more, we’re a global leader in integration and
companies can
improve financials
professional services. when deploying
with hardware
Across our ten Global Technology Campuses, our engineers work with leading software
Your questions
companies to identify and validate the perfect hardware solutions for their applications answered: How to
and integrate in their software with server technologies. We handle every aspect from specify backup,
standby and
design to delivery — including supply chain management, solution integration and emergency power in
testing, custom branding and packaging, and drop shipping to your customers and mission critical facilities
installing your solution. Is your exclusively
customers on the
Avnet Integrated’s Direct Connect program digitally transforms the businesses of soft- table?
ware companies with a complete suite of hardware, financial, data and service solu-
tions. The program was designed specifically to enable software companies to focus piping
more of their resources on the further development of their IP, with Avnet handling
design, integration, transaction and service. Avnet Direct Connect’s digital offering in- less energy than
cludes custom-branded storefronts, creating a seamless digital portal where resellers, thought
enterprises and the sales teams of a software company can configure, quote and pur- Designing power
chase quality integrated solutions and support directly from Avnet. systems in mission
24

Conclusion electrical raceways,
Valuations for businesses with busways, wiring and
cabling
recurring revenue streams
grow two to four times on  4 ways software
average, fueling both success companies can
improve financials
and growth. By partnering
when deploying
with a trusted global technol- with hardware
ogy partner, valuable resourc-
Your questions
es can be better focused on answered: How to
intellectual property innova- specify backup,
standby and
tion, delivering a strong competitive edge. The partnership can improve business out- emergency power in
comes and customer journeys by offering flexible hardware and software consumption mission critical facilities
models that boost customer satisfaction. It’s a powerful combination that helps deliver Is your exclusively
long-term revenue streams. SaaS delivery leaving
customers on the
table?
Want to find out more about Avnet Integrated?
Learn more: avnet.com/integrated piping

less energy than
thought
Designing power
systems in mission
25
Your questions answered: How
to specify backup, standby and Specifying the right
emergency power in mission busways, wiring and

cabling
critical facilities 4 ways software

companies can
improve financials
when deploying with
Additional information from the Feb. 27, 2020, webcast was provided by the hardware
presenters
 Your questions
answered: How
W hen designing backup, standby and emergency power systems for mission critical
facilities, there are several considerations beyond NFPA 70: National Electrical
Code and other building code requirements that must be addressed. Electrical engi-
to specify backup,
standby and
emergency power
neers must understand the specific owner project requirements for the building’s power in mission critical
facilities
systems and ensure that the generator specification and system topologies meet all
those requirements for cost, construction schedule, component performance and system Is your exclusively
maintainability.
customers on the
table?
Review additional responses to questions from the Feb. 27, 2020, webcast “How to spec-
ify backup, standby and emergency power in mission critical facilities.” piping

Presenters: less energy than
thought
• Bart Hogge, PE, ATD, LEED AP, principal and mission critical market leader, Affiliated
Engineers Inc., Chapel Hill, N.C. Designing power
systems in mission
• Danna Jensen, PE, LEED AP BD+C, principal, Certus Consulting Engineers, Carroll-
ton, Texas
26
Your questions answered: How to specify backup, standby and emergency

QUESTION: What about electrical raceways,
fuel polishing and the as- busways, wiring and
cabling
sociated pumps and how
they are powered for 4 ways software
companies can
redundancy/resiliency?
improve financials
when deploying with
DANNA JENSEN: De- hardware
Bart Hogge, PE, ATD, LEED AP, principal
pending on the quantity of on-site diesel fuel pro- and mission critical market leader, Affiliated  Your questions
vided (see question regarding engine run-time for Engineers Inc., Chapel Hill, N.C.; and answered: How
Danna Jensen, PE, LEED AP BD+C, to specify backup,
additional details), it could add up to a massive
principal, Certus Consulting Engineers, standby and
amount of fuel stored on-site. Depending on the Carrollton, Texas
emergency power
conditions it is stored, diesel fuel has an average in mission critical
shelf life of 6 to 12 months. In a facility such as a hospital or other “emergency standby” facilities
generator applications where the system is used solely for normal power outages and
Is your exclusively
testing, it could take much more time than this to use up the fuel. SaaS delivery leaving
customers on the
table?
For facilities with large quantities of on-site diesel that anticipate they will not use all of
the fuel within this timeframe or are regularly refueling new fuel mixed with old fuel, a Case study: Data center
piping
fuel maintenance program should be in place. This could a fuel maintenance contract
with the supplier where they will come and cycle or change out the fuel or and on-site Data centers consume
less energy than
polishing system. thought
Designing power
Either way, this is a consideration for emergency power system designs that must not be systems in mission
overlooked. When it comes to powering the associated pumps, NFPA 70: National Elec- critical environments
trical Code Article 517.32(F) and NFPA 99: Health Care Facilities Code 6.7.5.1.2.6 both
state that “loads dedicated to a specific generator, including the fuel transfer pump(s) … 27

shall be connected to the life safety branch or to the output terminals of the generator electrical raceways,
with overcurrent protective devices.” busways, wiring and
cabling
BART HOGGE: We see the benefits and it is often implemented on our projects where 4 ways software
companies can
bulk storage is involved. The quality of the fuel is vital to system operation and long-term
improve financials
health of the machines. The fuel storage and distribution should be aligned regarding when deploying with
resiliency and redundancy goals to match the owner’s project requirements (to include hardware
maintenance expectations). The fuel polish may or may not be included in that, based
 Your questions
on the owner’s sensibilities. It isn’t required for the fuel system to operate. If the project answered: How
should choose to invest in redundancy for the fuel polish capacity and distribution com- to specify backup,
standby and
ponents, be careful to be consistent with the power sources (avoid single points of fail-
emergency power
ure) and isolation valves (concurrent maintainability). in mission critical
facilities
QUESTION: In a medical facility, how do we determine generator run time?
Is your exclusively
DANNA JENSEN: NFPA 99: Health Care Facilities Code defines a hospital emergency customers on the
table?
power supply system as a Class X. You must refer to NFPA 110: Standard for Emergency
and Standby Power Systems to determine what Class X means, which indicates that the Case study: Data center
piping
run time required is determined by the application, code or user. Therefore, you must
turn to another guideline to determine the amount of run time. The Facility Guidelines Data centers consume
less energy than
Institute for the design and construction of Hospitals is the adopted standard for most thought
jurisdictions. This standard state that where stored fuel is required, the capacity shall per-
Designing power
mit continuous operation of the emergency power system for at least 24 hours. However, systems in mission
the appendix in this same standard states “storage of fuel for at least 96-hours should be critical environments
considered for facilities in locations likely to experience an extended power outage.”
28

Similarly, The Joint Commission, which is the nation’s oldest accrediting body in health electrical raceways,
care, requires that all licensed hospitals have a plan in place to achieve 96 hours of run busways, wiring and
cabling
time. There are other jurisdictions that have varying rules as well. The bottom line? It
really varies from facility to facility and having those discussions up front with both the 4 ways software
companies can
facility operators and the local authority having jurisdiction will be the ultimate deciding
improve financials
factor for generator run time. when deploying with
hardware
QUESTION: What are the options to bypass transfer switches for maintenance?
 Your questions
answered: How
BART HOGGE: To completely bypass the automatic transfer switch enclosure, look into to specify backup,
standby and
a solution similar to a uninterruptible power supply maintenance wrap. Investigate using
emergency power
a remote-control cabinet to control electrically operated circuit breakers or switches for in mission critical
a closed transition, electrically operated main-main input to the downstream distribution facilities
panel. The second main bypasses the ATS. Use a sync check relay to inhibit closed tran-
Is your exclusively
sition transfer if the sources are out of sync. Ensure that the two sources inherently will or SaaS delivery leaving
can be made to be in sync. customers on the
table?
QUESTION: What are the fuel system run times and sizing requirements for the Case study: Data center
piping
different applications?
less energy than
DANNA JENSEN: NFPA 110: Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems thought
defines different classes of emergency power supply systems that provides the mini-
Designing power
mum time, in hours, that the system is required to operate without being refueled or systems in mission
recharged. The requirements run anywhere between five minutes to 48 hours, so a class critical environments
5 requires five hours, 48 requires 48 hours, and so on. And there is one rating beyond
48-hours called “Class X,” which means the ultimate decision is up to the facility. Other 29

codes mandate the class re- electrical raceways,
quirements: for instance, NFPA busways, wiring and
cabling
99: Health Care Facilities Code
says that hospital systems must 4 ways software
companies can
be Class X, and then NFPA 110
improve financials
defines what Class X means. when deploying with
hardware
QUESTION: Do you see the

 Your questions
implementation of the ring answered: How
bus design for data center to specify backup,
standby and
picking up or is it more for
emergency power
high-speed data centers (e.g., in mission critical
Tier 4)? facilities
Five factors for a design topology in
a hospital. Courtesy: CFE Media and Is your exclusively
BART HOGGE: I have not seen a trend in implementa- Technology SaaS delivery leaving
tion one way or the other. It is certainly a popular choice customers on the
table?
that we see implemented for projects we are involved in. My experience is that the size
of the system (megawatt and quantity of capacity components) dictates the viability for Case study: Data center
piping
our clients based on their budget. If the final infrastructure is installed on Day One and
substantial future expansion and testing won’t be necessary, this solution may become Data centers consume
less energy than
more attractive. thought
Designing power
QUESTION: Have you seen any move toward natural gas generators or BLOOM systems in mission
fuel cells to backup data center loads so as to avoid the refueling issues you men- critical environments
tioned?
30

BART HOGGE: I am aware of those electrical raceways,
alternative fuel sources being im- busways, wiring and
cabling
plemented, certainly, but I have not
observed a trend one way or the 4 ways software
companies can
other and presently they are less
improve financials
often implemented. For natural gas, when deploying with
the owner and AHJ need to align on hardware
expectations for bulk fuel storage (if

 Your questions
required). The capital expenditure answered: How
versus operational expenditure and to specify backup,
standby and
physical footprint comparison based
emergency power
on the size of the generator needs to in mission critical
be understood. We have more often facilities
seen fuel cell and other alternative
Is your exclusively
energy technology used in microgrid SaaS delivery leaving
and extended utility paralleling appli- customers on the
table?
cations.
piping
QUESTION: Do you have experi-
ence with putting elevators and Data centers consume
less energy than
escalators on a generator? Consid- thought
erations?
Designing power
systems in mission
DANNA JENSEN: Including eleva- critical environments
tors on emergency power, specifically
in a hospital, is not only highly recom- 31

mended, but in most cases, it is required. If the elevator is considered part of an acces- electrical raceways,
sible means of egress per International Building Code (which an architect or life-safety busways, wiring and
cabling
consultant will typically define), it must be on emergency power.
4 ways software
companies can
Also note that for high-rise buildings greater than 120 feet high, a fire service access ele-
improve financials
vator will be provided and this must be on emergency power as well. The concern could when deploying with
be the effect this has on the sizing of the emergency power system. However, there are hardware
options with most elevator manufacturers that allow for an “emergency power mode,”
 Your questions
which will basically move only one elevator at a time, alleviating that full load on the answered: How
emergency power source. This must be closely coordinated with the Masterspec Division to specify backup,
standby and
14 specifier and requires additional signal wiring between the elevator controller and the
emergency power
transfer switch feeding it. in mission critical
facilities
As far as including an escalator on emergency power, if the facility deems the motion of
Is your exclusively
the escalator important enough to put on emergency power, that is their option and the SaaS delivery leaving
code will permit optional loads on the equipment branch. However, it is not required customers on the
table?
because the escalator still allows for safe evacuation when not in motion.
piping
QUESTION: For N+1 design, is a different rated kVa capacity allowed?
less energy than
BART HOGGE: In my opinion, yes. The design must plan for removal of the largest ca- thought
pacity component and maintain service to the critical load. For example, if a 1 megawatt
Designing power
and a 1.5 megawatt generator are used in a redundant scheme the critical load is limited systems in mission
to 1 megawatt or less. critical environments
32

QUESTION: How do you comply with ground fault detection when there are more electrical raceways,
than three power sources? busways, wiring and
cabling
BART HOGGE: There are several methods to consider. The three I’ve observed most 4 ways software
companies can
commonly are detailed below. Investigate using a differential ground fault system. This is
improve financials
common, however can be complicated and care must be taken to see that the system is when deploying with
set corrected and tested. Alternatively, certain applications may not need a neutral be- hardware
yond the service entrance disconnecting means (and deriving a neutral close coupled to
 Your questions
the load if necessary) and a 3-watt system can be implemented where multiple sources answered: How
are connected. In this situation a traditional ground fault solution can be implemented. to specify backup,
standby and
Lastly, 4-pole circuit breakers to disconnect the neutral if a 4-watt system is required can
emergency power
be implemented in an option. However, the additional cost for the circuit breakers and in mission critical
space footprint impact must be considered. facilities
Is your exclusively
QUESTION: Distribution planning needs to account for flooding of the electrical SaaS delivery leaving
equipment, correct? customers on the
table?
DANNA JENSEN: Depending on the location of the facility, flood-proofing consider- Case study: Data center
piping
ations may be warranted. The codes are not necessarily specific in this instance, rather
they state the equipment must be placed in a location to minimize damage. Installing Data centers consume
less energy than
critical equipment in a basement subject to flooding is never a good idea. In areas such thought
as this, an option may be to install equipment on a second level, however additional
Designing power
considerations to refueling are then warranted. All of this should be discussed at the systems in mission
onset of the project. critical environments
33

QUESTION: Should you consider the priority one load block in the generator sizing? electrical raceways,
busways, wiring and
cabling
DANNA JENSEN: To clarify, when dealing with a hospital, the life safety and critical
branches are typically considered “priority one” and not permitted to be shed. Does the 4 ways software
companies can
minimum size of the generator need to be able to support all priority one loads? The
improve financials
answer is: maybe. Per NFPA 99: Health Care Facilities Code, a hospital emergency pow- when deploying with
er system is a Type 10 system, which means power must be restored to all of the non- hardware
delayed (or all of the life safety and critical loads) within 10 seconds. Depending on the
 Your questions
system size, it may only be possible to get one engine fired up and closed to the bus to answered: How
deliver power in that allotted 10 second time frame. to specify backup,
standby and
emergency power
However, different systems have different operating characteristics and if it can be prov- in mission critical
en through repeated testing without fail that two or more engines are able to deliver the facilities
power within the 10 seconds, then it is acceptable to spread the priority one loads over
Is your exclusively
more than one engine from a capacity standpoint. SaaS delivery leaving
customers on the
table?
Bart Hogge, PE, ATD, LEED AP; Danna Jensen, PE, LEED AP BD+C
Bart Hogge, PE, ATD, LEED AP, principal and mission critical market leader, Affiliated Case study: Data center
piping
Engineers Inc., Chapel Hill, N.C.; Danna Jensen, PE, LEED AP BD+C, principal, Certus
Consulting Engineers, Carrollton, Texas Data centers consume
less energy than
thought
Designing power
systems in mission
34
Is your exclusively SaaS delivery
leaving customers on the table? Specifying the right
busways, wiring and
E nterprises are shifting more of their applications and workloads from traditional
on-premise appliances to alternative consumption models including to the cloud,
as a service, and software only on-premise.
cabling
4 ways software
companies can
improve financials
when deploying with
According to Gartner, IT teams can spend as much as 75% of budgets maintaining hardware
internal systems. The cloud and software-as-a-service (SaaS) offer rapid scale and
Your questions
reliability, usually with a lower upfront cost, making them attractive and affordable answered: How to
solutions for a variety of businesses. Alternatively, reference architectures can offer IT specify backup,
standby and
teams more freedom of hardware choice and cost flexibility. emergency power in
However, not all applications can or should run exclusively in the cloud or on reference
architecture. Nor do all enterprise IT departments wish to consume cloud-based applica-
 Is your exclusively
SaaS delivery
tions via SaaS. leaving customers
on the table?
Here’s a few of the reasons why: Case study: Data center
• Data-heavy workloads can be incredibly expensive and less financially viable to run piping
in the cloud vs. locally Data centers consume

• Some data and networks are ultrasensitive and mandate on-premise solutions less energy than
thought
• Smaller enterprises lack the resources internally to bring these on-premise refer-
ence architecture solutions to life Designing power
systems in mission
The downside of exclusive SaaS delivery
Software companies developing SaaS applications are increasingly focused on enhanc-
ing their financial performance through recurring revenue streams. Many publicly trad-
35
Is your exclusively SaaS delivery leaving customers on the table?

ed companies that have led the charge to software-delivery-only models have demon- electrical raceways,
strated growth and have seen a positive increase in valuation. busways, wiring and
cabling
But software companies must be mindful of the varied ways customers prefer to consume 4 ways software
companies can
their applications, thus preventing unintended financial consequences from such deploy-
improve financials
ment models. when deploying with
hardware
Most software companies aren’t interested in offering a plug-and-play on-premise solution — Your questions
or in absorbing the additional costs and drag on margin that result. What’s more, relying on ref- answered: How to
specify backup,
erence architecture rather than validated and configured server-based solutions can decrease standby and
customer satisfaction and increase support costs due to lack of control over the hardware. emergency power in
The added costs of deploying with hardware  Is your exclusively

SaaS delivery
Transacting hardware with your application decreases margins: Gross margins in the
leaving customers
sale of software applications often exceed 100%, as they are the core intellectual proper- on the table?
ty (IP) of a software company. The transacting of hardware brings unique challenges, the
least of which is margin erosion. piping

Not offering plug-and-play hardware solutions can slow sales cycle, limiting market less energy than
reach: Customers can lack the knowledge or staff resources to manage the integration thought
of the software themselves. In turn, relying on the end-user to purchase the correct hard- Designing power
ware separately can slow the sales cycle, because the end-user might choose to delay systems in mission
the software purchase until the hardware is procured and in place.
Providing financing for your products creates risk and reduces cash flow:
Regardless of the manner of hardware and/or software deployment offered for appli- 36
Is your exclusively SaaS delivery leaving customers on the table?

cation delivery, the costs can remain high. This presents the risks of credit liability and a electrical raceways,
potentially negative impact to your balance sheet. busways, wiring and
cabling
Not offering a subscription version of your product can negatively impact sales: 4 ways software
companies can
Many businesses would benefit from adopting a subscription-based model, which can
improve financials
boost consumption of their IP. Trial periods for your IP can deliver valuable sales and when deploying with
marketing data and allow customers to better gauge the value of your solution. hardware
Your questions
answered: How to
The value of offering multiple consumption models specify backup,
A one-size-fits-all approach does not meet the needs of most software companies these standby and
emergency power in
days because of the multitude of ways enterprises consume applications. The best ap-
proach is to have the flexibility and the capability to meet the diverse needs of the market.
Each transaction model brings its own set of unique challenges and benefits. Aligning with  Is your exclusively
SaaS delivery
a global technology partner can boost financial metrics, extend market reach and provide
leaving customers
the right answers to tough problems. on the table?
Conclusion piping
By partnering with a trusted global technology partner, valuable resources can be better
focused on intellectual property innovation, delivering a strong competitive edge. The less energy than
partnership can improve business outcomes and customer journeys by offering flexible thought
hardware and software consumption models that boost customer satisfaction. It’s a pow- Designing power
erful combination that helps deliver long-term revenue streams. Valuations for businesses systems in mission
with recurring revenue streams grow two to four times on average, fueling both success
and growth.
Want to find out more about Avnet Integrated? Learn more at avnet.com/integrated. 37
Case study: Data center piping
A data center required robust piping to transfer chilled water for cooling Specifying the right
busways, wiring and
A data center located in the Midwest was undergoing expansion. The project in- cabling
volved a new data hall with an initial load of 1,300 kilowatts and capability to scale 4 ways software
up to an ultimate load of 2,600 kilowatts. An air-cooled chilled water plant was designed companies can
improve financials
to serve the expansion space. The plant comprised of three 225-ton chillers piped in when deploying with
parallel to provide N+1 redundancy with the capability to add two additional 225-ton hardware
chillers in the future. Your questions
answered: How to
specify backup,
The heat transfer fluid was 40% ethylene glycol for freeze protection; each chiller fea-
standby and
tured a design flow of 380 gallons per minute and the chilled water pumping configu- emergency power in
ration was variable flow. The day one design flow was 760 gallons per minute and the mission critical facilities
ultimate design flow was 1,520 gallons per minute. Design chilled water temperature was Is your exclusively
60 F supply and 76 F return. The system design pressure was 150 pounds per square inch SaaS delivery leaving
customers on the
gauge. table?
It was critical that the piping system serving the data center be robust. A piping system  Case study: Data
center piping
comprised of 8–inch schedule 40 steel pipe (ASTM A53, Grade B, Type E) with welded
joints and fittings was used to create chilled water supply and return pipe loops beneath
less energy than
the raised access floor. The 8–inch pipe loops incorporated lugged butterfly valves at thought
strategic locations to ensure that the piping system was concurrently maintainable — i.e.,
Designing power
pipe segments could be isolated for maintenance activities without impacting the critical systems in mission
loads. Flanges were limited to valve and equipment connections. Figure 1 indicates the critical environments
8–inch chilled water supply and return loops. Also visible is 3–inch chilled water branch
piping and ¾–inch condensate piping from the computer room air handling units.
38

The piping system above the busways, wiring and
cabling
suspended ceiling was support-
ed from the roof structure by 4 ways software
companies can
using clevis hangers and metal
improve financials
framing system was used to sup- when deploying with
port the piping system on slab hardware
beneath the raised access floor. Your questions

Pipe supports were provided answered: How to
specify backup,
every 10 to 12 feet in compliance standby and
with the applicable code. Addi- emergency power in
tional supports were provided at Figure 1: Chilled water pipe serving
heavy pipe accessories such as air separators per man- the data center is shown. Branch piping Is your exclusively
to computer room air handling units SaaS delivery leaving
ufacturer requirements. Figure 2 indicates the lugged customers on the
and condensate piping is also visible.
butterfly valves at the 8–inch chilled water loops and table?
Courtesy: ESD
the supports for the piping system beneath the raised
access floor.
 Case study: Data
center piping
Based on day one design flow of 760 gallons per minute, the maximum flow through an less energy than
8–inch pipe segment was 380 gallons per minute during normal operation, which corre- thought
sponded to a pressure drop of 0.3 feet water column per 100 feet of pipe and a velocity Designing power
of 2.4 feet per second. Based on ultimate design flow of 1,520 gallons per minute, the systems in mission
maximum flow through a pipe segment was 760 gallons per minute during normal oper-
ation, which corresponded to a pressure drop of 1 feet water column per 100 feet and a
velocity of 4.9 feet per second.
39

In the event a pipe segment had to be isolated for maintenance during an ultimate electrical raceways,
design condition, the maximum flow through the active pipe segment was 1,520 gallons busways, wiring and
cabling
per minute, which corresponded to a pressure drop of 3.9 feet water column per 100
feet and a velocity of 9.8 feet per second. In all scenarios, the pressure drop and velocity 4 ways software
companies can
were within the recommended limits.
improve financials
when deploying with
Thermal expansion of the pipe system was reviewed. During normal operation, the min- hardware
imum chilled water temperature was 60 F. In the event the data center was offline for an Your questions
extended period and the chilled water system was disabled, the maximum water tem- answered: How to
specify backup,
perature was anticipated to be 95 F — i.e., the maximum temperature differential was standby and
only 35 F and the pipe loops had adequate capability to accommodate thermal stresses. emergency power in
There were multiple locations where dissimilar pipe connections were necessary. For ex- Is your exclusively
ample, the CRAH units serving the data center had copper pipe connections. To reduce customers on the
the potential of galvanic corrosion, dielectric flanges were used to connect steel pipe to table?
copper.
center piping
Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride was initially considered for condensate drain piping from
the CRAH units. However, few CRAH units were equipped with an integral humidifier and less energy than
the units also used the condensate piping for humidifier blowdown. Due to the potential thought
of elevated water temperature in the pipe, CPVC was deemed to be unsuitable for the Designing power
application and 1–inch copper pipe (ASTM B306 Type DWV) was used per CRAH unit. systems in mission
The closed–loop system incorporated expansion tanks to accommodate fluid expansion,

air separator to vent air from the system, glycol feeder to fill the system with glycol solu-
tion, side-stream filter to remove suspended solids from the system and chemical feed- 40

er for periodic injection of water electrical raceways,
treatment chemicals such as bio- busways, wiring and
cabling
cides, scale inhibitors and corro-
sion inhibitors. 4 ways software
companies can
improve financials
Pipe connections with isolation when deploying with
valves and blind flanges were pro- hardware
vided to ensure that future chillers Your questions

and CRAHs could be incorporated answered: How to
specify backup,
without disabling the system. Pipe standby and
dead-legs were limited to 2 feet in emergency power in
length.
Figure 2: Shown are metal struts for Is your exclusively
Saahil Tumber, PE, HBDP, LEED AP, ESD, Chicago supporting piping systems on slab.
customers on the
Lugged butterfly valves at the chilled
Saahil Tumber is technical authority at ESD. He is table?
water supply and return loops are also
responsible for the overall design of mechanical sys-
tems for data centers, trading areas and other mission
visible. Courtesy: ESD
center piping
critical facilities requiring high availability. He is a member of the Consulting-Specifying
Engineer editorial advisory board. less energy than
thought
Designing power
systems in mission
41
Data centers consume less energy
than thought Specifying the right
busways, wiring and
Research from Northwestern University offers comprehensive analysis cabling
presents a more nuanced presents of global energy use related to data 4 ways software
centers companies can
improve financials
when deploying with
I f the world is using more and more data, then it must be using more and more ener-
gy, right? Not so, according to a comprehensive analysis performed by researchers at
Northwestern University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Koomey Analytics.
hardware
Your questions
answered: How to
specify backup,
They have developed the a detailed model to date of global data center energy use and
standby and
have found that although demand for data has increased rapidly, massive efficiency gains emergency power in
by data centers have kept energy use roughly flat over the past decade. mission critical facilities
Is your exclusively
This comprehensive model provides a more nuanced view of data center energy use and SaaS delivery leaving
customers on the
its drivers, enabling the researchers to make strategic policy recommendations for better table?
managing this energy use in the future.
piping
“While the historical efficiency progress made by data centers is remarkable, our findings
do not mean that the IT industry and policymakers can rest on their laurels,” said Eric Ma-  Data centers
consume less
sanet, who led the study. “We think there is enough remaining efficiency potential to last energy than
several more years. But ever-growing demand for data means that everyone — including thought
policy makers, data center operators, equipment manufacturers, and data consumers —
Designing power
must intensify efforts to avoid a possible sharp rise in energy use later this decade.” systems in mission
Filled with computing and networking equipment, data centers are central locations that
collect, store, and process data. As the world relies more and more on data-intensive 42
Data centers consume less energy than thought

technologies, the energy use of data electrical raceways,
centers is a growing concern. busways, wiring and
cabling
“Considering that data centers are 4 ways software

companies can
energy-intensive enterprises in a rap-
improve financials
idly evolving industry, we do need to when deploying with
analyze them rigorously,” said study hardware
coauthor Arman Shehabi, a research Your questions

scientist at Lawrence Berkeley Na- answered: How to
Courtesy: CFE Media and Technology specify backup,
tional Laboratory. “Less detailed analyses have predict- standby and
ed rapid growth in data center energy use, but without fully considering the historical emergency power in
efficiency progress made by the industry. When we include that missing piece, a different
picture of our digital lifestyles emerges.” Is your exclusively
customers on the
To paint that more complete picture, the researchers integrated new data from numer- table?
ous sources, including information on data center equipment stocks, efficiency trends, Case study: Data center
and market structure. The resulting model enables a detailed analysis of the energy used piping
by data center equipment (such as servers, storage devices, and cooling systems), by
type of data center (including cloud and hyperscale centers), and by world region.
 Data centers
consume less
energy than
The researchers concluded that recent efficiency gains made by data centers have likely thought
been far greater than those observed in other major sectors of the global economy. Designing power
systems in mission
“Lack of data has hampered our understanding of global data center energy use trends
for many years,” said coauthor Jonathan Koomey of Koomey Analytics. “Such knowl-
edge gaps make business and policy planning incredibly difficult.” 43
Data centers consume less energy than thought

Addressing these knowledge gaps was a major motivation for the research team’s work. electrical raceways,
“We wanted to give the data center industry, policy makers, and the public a more accu- busways, wiring and
cabling
rate view of data center energy use,” said Masanet. “But the reality is that more efforts
are needed to better monitor energy use moving forward, which is why we have made 4 ways software
companies can
our model and datasets publicly available.”
improve financials
when deploying with
hardware
Mitigating future growth
By releasing the model, the team hopes to inspire more research into the topic. The re- Your questions
answered: How to
searchers also translated their findings into three specific types of policies that can help specify backup,
mitigate future growth in energy use, urging policy makers to act now by: standby and
emergency power in
• Extend the life of current efficiency trends by strengthening IT energy standards such
Is your exclusively
as ENERGY STAR, providing financial incentives, and disseminating best energy effi-
ciency practices customers on the
table?
• Increase research and development investments in next generation computing, stor- Case study: Data center
age, and heat removal technologies to mitigate future energy use, while incentiviz- piping
ing renewable energy procurement to mitigate carbon emissions in parallel  Data centers
consume less
• Invest in data collection, modeling, and monitoring activities to eliminate blind spots energy than
thought
and enable more robust data center energy policy decisions.
Designing power
systems in mission
Amanda Morris critical environments
Amanda Morris, science and engineering writer, Northwestern University
44
Designing power systems in
mission critical environments Specifying the right
busways, wiring and
Learn about the choices and criteria for the planning and design of mission cabling
critical facility switchgear, transformers and UPS 4 ways software
companies can
M
improve financials
ission critical facilities typically require electrical engineers to design and specify
when deploying with
significant amounts of power to increase reliability, limit outages and provide for hardware
redundancy. Common examples of mission critical facilities include hospitals, laborato-
Your questions
ries and data centers. With the need for extensive power, these facilities often require answered: How to
specify backup,
the engineer to design medium-voltage primary services, primary service transformers,
standby and
low-voltage distribution gear and uninterruptable power supplies. In some smaller mis- emergency power in
sion critical facilities, the local utility may furnish primary medium-voltage equipment, mission critical facilities
leaving the engineer to focus on low-voltage systems design. Is your exclusively

customers on the
IEEE defines voltage classifications High-voltage is anything above 69 kilovolts. Me- table?
dium-voltage systems in the United States typically range from 69 to 5 kilovolts. The
most specified and installed medium-voltage equipment within a mission critical facil- piping
ity is either 15 kilovolts or 5 kilovolts rated. Low-voltage in the United States typically
ranges from 480 to 120 volts. Most recently, data center equipment has been using less energy than
415-volt power to racks. thought
 Designing power
Medium-voltage primary equipment systems in
In smaller to medium-size facilities, the utility company often provides medium-voltage mission critical
environments
equipment where required. These maybe located in a special utility vault inside the
building or located outside the building. In addition, many owners lack the mainte-
nance personal or contractors qualified to operate medium-voltage equipment. 45
Designing power systems in mission critical environments

However, in larger mission critical electrical raceways,
facilities, it can be advantageous to busways, wiring and
cabling
the facility owner from a cost, main-
tenance and reliability standpoint 4 ways software
companies can
to own and operate their own medi-
improve financials
um-voltage equipment. In selecting when deploying with
primary medium-voltage switchgear hardware
there are basically two types of Your questions

equipment that can be specified: answered: How to
specify backup,
metal clad and metal enclosed. standby and
emergency power in
Metal-clad switchgear is defined
Figure 1: The utility’s 69 kilovolts Is your exclusively
in ANSI C37.20.2-2015 IEEE Standard for Metal-Clad
switchyard is adjacent to the owner SaaS delivery leaving
Switchgear as metal clad switchgear with the following 69 to 15 kilovolts transformer yard. customers on the
features: Courtesy: SmithGroup table?

• Removable draw-out protective devices (breakers). piping
• Completely enclosed grounded sheet metal compartments for each protective Data centers consume
device or control section. less energy than
thought
• Stacked protective devices in each vertical section; typically two breakers.
• Automatic shutters to isolate the breaker connections (stabs) from the rear bus.  Designing power
• Insulated bus and connections. systems in
mission critical
environments
Metal-enclosed switchgear is defined in ANSI C37.20.3-2013 IEEE Standard for Met-
al-Enclosed Interrupter Switchgear as metal enclosed switchgear with the following
features: 46

• Fixed mounted switches electrical raceways,
with power or load inter- busways, wiring and
cabling
rupter fuses.
4 ways software
companies can
• Noncompartmentalized
improve financials
single vertical sections when deploying with
(one fused switch per hardware
section). Your questions

answered: How to
specify backup,
Metal clad switchgear is gen- standby and
erally viewed as the preferred emergency power in
selection for most mission
Figure 2: This illustrates metal Is your exclusively
critical operations due to the safety of enclosed compart-
enclosed load interrupter SaaS delivery leaving
ments and ability to remove breakers for servicing. The switchgear. Courtesy: customers on the
ability to automate breakers and reclose after trips is also SmithGroup table?
an advantage. Metal enclosed switchgear offers simplicity of operation, fast acting fus- Case study: Data center
es, low maintenance and often costs half as much as metal clad switchgear. piping

Primary transformers less energy than
thought
For projects receiving primary service from the utility company, local use power will
need to be derived from medium-voltage transformers. Transformers are available in  Designing power
multiple types, ratings and packages, and have advantages depending on the location systems in
mission critical
installed and intended use. environments
The two main types of transformers are dry-type and liquid-filled. Dry-type transform-
47

ers are typically installed indoors and liquid-filled transformers are typically installed electrical raceways,
outdoors, but both types can be installed in either location with proper consideration busways, wiring and
cabling
of the installed environment.
4 ways software
companies can
Dry-type transformers are available in multiple types. Generally ordered by increasing
improve financials
cost and resiliency, these types include open wound, vacuum pressure impregnated, when deploying with
vacuum pressure encapsulated and cast coil. These configurations are called dry-type hardware
because they use air to cool the windings. An open wound transformer only has a Your questions
baked varnish coating to protect the windings from its environment. VPI and VPE trans- answered: How to
specify backup,
formers start out as open wound but then are either impregnated with a polyester resin standby and
or fully encapsulated with a silicone resin under vacuum pressure to draw the material emergency power in
into the windings. These two methods offer increased resistance to dusty or humid en-
vironments in the case of VPI or harsh and hazardous environments in the case of VPE. Is your exclusively
Cast coil transformers take things one step further and cast the windings in an epoxy customers on the
resin using a mold to fully encapsulate them. Cast coil transformers are recommended table?
for extreme environments. Case study: Data center

piping
Liquid-filled transformers use an insulating liquid such as oil or dielectric fluid to cool Data centers consume
the coils instead of air. For these, the windings are enclosed in a tank and submerged less energy than
thought
in the liquid. The tanks are sealed, but can leak or rupture due to age or excessive
stress. As such, when used within a building, nonflammable liquids shall be specified  Designing power
and spill containment such as drains or curbs should be used when appropriate. The systems in
mission critical
2020 edition of NFPA 70: National Electrical Code Article 450 requires that a “liquid
environments
confinement area” be provided when less-flammable or nonflammable liquid-filled
transformers are installed indoors. It should be noted that only transformers rated 35
48

kilovolts or less can be installed indoors per NEC 450.23. When installed in transformer electrical raceways,
vaults meeting the requirements of NEC 450 Part III, drains shall be provided to collect busways, wiring and
cabling
any accumulated liquid.
4 ways software
companies can
When specifying transformers, the first thing to consider is its load rating. This is typ-
improve financials
ically rated in kilovolt-amperes and can be determined by load calculations. Some when deploying with
transformers may list multiple load ratings. This usually includes a base rating when hardware
cooled by ambient air and then possibly an increase rating between 20% and 50% Your questions
higher when cooled with the assistance of fans. It should be noted that fans can fail so answered: How to
specify backup,
loading a transformer consistently to its fan-assisted rating may cause extra stress on standby and
the transformer and may lead to decreased equipment life. emergency power in
The second thing to consider when specifying transformers is the insulation class. This Is your exclusively
is described as the maximum allowable winding (hot spot) temperature of a transform- customers on the
er to have a normal life expectancy and is listed as a temperature in degrees Celsius. table?
The insulation class is also often described as the temperature rise above ambient. Case study: Data center
piping
For example, a transformer with an insulation class of 130°C will have a temperature Data centers consume
rise of 80°C over an ambient of 40°C. The extra 10°C is a factor to account to local hot less energy than
thought
spots. Exceeding this temperature is possible and won’t necessarily result in an equip-
ment failure, but it will likely impact the service life of the transformer. Dry type trans-  Designing power
formers are typically rated with 80°C, 115°C or 150°C rise. Liquid-filled transformers are systems in
mission critical
typically rated for 55°C or 65°C rise.
environments
At a fixed insulation class, higher temperature rise will yield a longer life for your trans-
former, but will also be more expensive. Most dry-type transformers are constructed 49

with 220°C insulation electrical raceways,
regardless, so the oppo- busways, wiring and
cabling
site is true. For critical
applications, going with 4 ways software
companies can
a lower temperature rise
improve financials
dry-type transformer can when deploying with
extend the life of the hardware
transformer. Your questions

answered: How to
specify backup,
Where to locate a trans- standby and
former and in what ar- emergency power in
rangement is heavily
impacted by site con- Is your exclusively
ditions. When space inside the building is a limiting factor, Figure 3: Shown are
customers on the
uninterruptible power supply
pad-mounted installations are common, and an underground table?
and power distribution
vault is also an option. Clearances, accessibility and main- equipment. Courtesy: Case study: Data center
SmithGroup piping
tainability should be considered when locating a transformer
outdoors. For critical applications, the engineer should pay careful attention to ac- Data centers consume
cessibility as damage could be caused by vehicles, intruders or nature depending on less energy than
thought
accessibility of the location.
 Designing power
For indoor locations, liquid-filled transformers are typically installed in transformer systems in
mission critical
vaults, but dry-type transformers are regularly installed directly in the main electrical
environments
room. Small- and medium-sized transformer are typically installed on concrete pads
adjacent to the low-voltage distribution equipment, but larger transformers can be
installed in direct contact with primary overcurrent protection or isolation and second- 50

ary switchboards or electrical raceways,
switchgear in one long busways, wiring and
cabling
lineup. Called unit or
unitized substations in 4 ways software
companies can
this configuration, the
improve financials
primary and secondary Table 1: A summary of applicable standards is for when deploying with
connections of the transformers can be the design of applicable distribution equipment and
hardware
overcurrent protective devices. Courtesy: SmithGroup
close-coupled to the busing in the pri- Your questions
mary and secondary equipment. This arrangement is both a cost savings and space answered: How to
specify backup,
savings option and can offer increased reliability. standby and
emergency power in
Every mission critical application will have different demands of a transformer. Where
extra capacity maybe needed for peak load demand such has N+1 failure or future Is your exclusively
load growth the addition of fans can allow for up to 33% increased capacity. For hospi- customers on the
tals, airports or other critical civil or institutional locations, cast coil may have a shorter table?
life than a VPI as the regularly load variability can cause degradation of the encapsulat- Case study: Data center
ing epoxy over time. For critical industrial applications, VPE or cast coil offer increased piping
resilience to overloads and harsh environments. Data centers consume

less energy than
thought
Low-voltage switchgear
Engineers, architects, contractors and facility owners often use the terms “switch-  Designing power
board” and “switchgear” interchangeably when referring to 480-volt (600-volt class) systems in
mission critical
circuit breaker distribution equipment. But there are notable differences in configura- environments
tions, components, standards, applications, reliability and selection criteria between
these two types of power distribution equipment (see Table 1). While switchgear is the
51

typical choice for primary services in mission critical facilities, it is important to under- electrical raceways,
stand the differences and where switchboards might be used. busways, wiring and
cabling
A major difference between switchboards and switchgear is the type of breakers used. 4 ways software
companies can
The basic types that we are concerned with are: sealed, semi-open and open types.
improve financials
Specifically, these are called molded case, insulated case and power circuit breakers. when deploying with
hardware
Molded case circuit breakers: MCCBs are the most common, used in all types of Your questions
low-voltage switchboards and panel boards. One will find these breakers in ratings answered: How to
specify backup,
from 15 to 3,000 amperes. The breaker mechanism is totally sealed within external standby and
molded case. If the breaker has a failure or problem, it must be replaced. These break- emergency power in
ers are typically bolted onto the bus or may have plug-in designs. The removal or ad-
dition of MCCBs to a switchboard should only take place with the switchboard power Is your exclusively
turned off. customers on the
table?
Insulated case breakers: ICCBs are a type of MCCB designed to provide features typi- Case study: Data center
cally available in power circuit breakers. Typical ratings range from 400 to 5,000 amps. piping
These breakers are available as options in switchboards and can be fixed or draw-out Data centers consume
design. Designed to the same standards as MCCBs, they provide access to replaceable less energy than
thought
parts such as contacts.
 Designing power
Power circuit breakers: Typical ratings range from 800 to 5,000 amps. PCBs are de- systems in
mission critical
signed and tested under much different standards from MCCBs or ICCBs. PCBs are
environments
connected to the bus in a draw-out design, allowing the breakers to be withdrawn par-
tially or fully while the entire switchgear is powered on. PCBs have numerous compo-
52

nents that can be inspect- electrical raceways,
ed and replaced, such as busways, wiring and
cabling
contacts, pole assemblies
and arc chutes. 4 ways software
companies can
improve financials
Switchgear, switchboards when deploying with
and associated breakers hardware
are designed and tested Your questions

to different standards as answered: How to
specify backup,
shown in Table 1, result- standby and
ing in different capabili- emergency power in
ties and application considerations. Figure 4: A typical arrangement
of uninterruptible power supply Is your exclusively
components is shown in this one-line SaaS delivery leaving
Application considerations drawing. Courtesy: SmithGroup customers on the
How much continuous current can you put on a table?
400-ampere circuit breaker? It depends on the breaker. With MCCBs and ICCBs, the Case study: Data center
breaker is typically rated for only 80% of its capacity within a switchboard or panel piping
board. In this case, you could put no more than 320 amperes continuously on that Data centers consume
breaker. This is a limitation not everyone is aware of. It is possible to specify optional less energy than
thought
100% rated MCCBs and ICCBs in some frame sizes. PCBs are 100% rated as standard
(see 2020 NEC Article 210-20).  Designing power
systems in
mission critical
Beyond continuous current there are important differences when considering short cir- environments
cuits and faults. While beyond the scope of this article, we will identify two key issues
for the three types of circuit breakers. The first issue is a breaker’s interrupting rating,
53

which is the maximum short circuit current the breaker can handle safely and still op- electrical raceways,
erate. This is the rating most often discussed as the short circuit rating or withstand. busways, wiring and
cabling
The three types of circuit breakers are available in a wide range of interrupting ratings.
However, it is important to note that PCBs are tested and rated to higher level of initial 4 ways software
companies can
(or asymmetrical fault) than MCCBs or ICCBs. Depending on the engineer’s detailed
improve financials
calculations using resistance and impedances, MCCBs or ICCBs listed fault rating may when deploying with
need to be de-rated. hardware
Your questions
However, beyond a circuit breakers ability to withstand and interrupt a maximum short answered: How to
specify backup,
circuit, there are trip levels or regions. Circuit breakers will open based on various standby and
magnitude and durations of current. These trip levels are expressed as a curve on a emergency power in
graph of current versus time. There are three regions to consider: long-time faults (con-
tinuous current range), short-time faults and instantaneous fault. Is your exclusively
customers on the
The area of difference between MCCBs, ICCBs and PCBs is in the short time regions. table?
Essentially, PCBs have higher short time ratings, which along with the ability to elimi- Case study: Data center
nate the instantaneous range, allows PCBs to “wait” for breakers further downstream piping
in the distribution system to trip and isolate faults. This is of particular use in large Data centers consume
distribution systems where one doesn’t want main circuit breakers to trip when a fault less energy than
thought
occurs on a smaller down breaker. This is referred to as a selective or fully coordinated
system. This type of coordination is more readily achieved with the use of PCBs at main  Designing power
service points. systems in
mission critical
environments
Another consideration is space. Switchgear is larger and requires front and rear access.
In addition, the NEC recently changed the clearances requirements to take into ac-
count the space needed to accommodate access doors and draw-out racks. Similarly, 54

rear connected switchboards, depending electrical raceways,
on specified options, may also require busways, wiring and
cabling
similar space considerations. Front acces-
sible switchboards have the least space 4 ways software
companies can
requirements and one may be able to
improve financials
locate it against a wall. when deploying with
hardware
Both switchboards and switchgear are Your questions

code-compliant and proven in the indus- answered: How to
specify backup,
try. But there are some advantages to standby and
switchgear and rear-connected switch- emergency power in
boards that can reduce downtime and
failures making them the best choice for Is your exclusively
Figure 5: An example arrangement of SaaS delivery leaving
mission critical facilities. First, there is the idea of in- modular uninterruptible power supply customers on the
equipment and its associated input table?
dividual compartments for breakers. In the event of a
and output buses and batteries are
short circuit on a breaker, the resulting energy will be contained within a common lineup. Case study: Data center
contained and isolated from other breakers and from This arrangement allows for additional piping
UPS units to increase capacity.
bus and cable compartment. Data centers consume
Courtesy: SmithGroup
less energy than
thought
Second, the ability to have draw-out breakers also permits repair, inspection and re-
placement of a breaker while the rest of the switchboard or switchgear continues to  Designing power
operate. Third, PCBs and, to a lesser extent, ICCBs, have exposed and accessible parts systems in
mission critical
that can be regularly inspected and replaced without having to buy an entirely new
environments
breaker. Lastly, PCBs have a more rugged construction and can handle more closing
and opening operations, including faults and provide for automatic remote control for
transfer schemes. 55

Switchboards have busways, wiring and
cabling
a place in mission
critical facilities, most 4 ways software
companies can
typically downstream
improve financials
in the electrical when deploying with
distribution system hardware
feeding mechani- Your questions

cal systems such as answered: How to
specify backup,
pumps and precision standby and
cooling units found emergency power in
in data centers. A
benefit to switch- Is your exclusively
board is their ability customers on the
Figure 6: In a unit substation
to have ratings of 1,600 amperes and higher where configuration, the transformer is close- table?
typical panel boards are limited to 1,200 amperes, coupled to the switchgear. Here, you
can see the transformer coils with the
making them a good choice for localized high pow- piping
dead-front panels remove connected
er demands in mission critical projects such as UPS directly to the secondary low-voltage Data centers consume
systems. switchgear. Courtesy: Eaton less energy than
thought
UPS  Designing power

An in-depth discussion of UPS systems is beyond the scope of this article, but several systems in
mission critical
fundamental characteristics should be understood for their applications in mission criti- environments
cal systems.
56

The most basic configuration of a UPS consists of a rectifier that converts alternating electrical raceways,
current power to direct current power, batteries that provide backup DC power upon busways, wiring and
cabling
loss of AC and an inverter that converts DC back to AC Power. Also, a static bypass is
usually included for any failures in the rectifier or inverter components. 4 ways software
companies can
improve financials
In mission critical applications, additional features are considered for UPSs. These when deploying with
include maintenance bypass systems, multiple AC inputs and multiple paralleled recti- hardware
fier/inverter modules. These parallel modules are often configured in what’s called an Your questions
N+1 configuration where any one module can fail yet still provide the capacity needed answered: How to
specify backup,
for continuous power. standby and
emergency power in
The typical battery choices for UPS systems include flooded cells, valve regulated lead
acid and lithium ion batteries. Is your exclusively
customers on the
Flooded cell batteries (or wet cell batteries) have a long history in UPS systems; they table?
usually have very long life, but require frequent maintenance such as fluid replacement, Case study: Data center
spill containment provisions and present off-gassing issues and special ventilation sys- piping
tems. Because of these issues they have faded from popular use in UPS systems Data centers consume
less energy than
thought
Valve regulated lead acid batteries are sealed and considered maintenance-free. The
electrolyte in the battery is immobilized using either gel or absorbed glass matt. VRLA  Designing power
AGM batteries are the current default standard for data center UPSs due to improved systems in
mission critical
safety and low maintenance. However, the battery life is often in the 5- to 10-year
environments
range and the batteries required a very stable room temperature around 77°F to avoid
reduced lifespan.
57

Lithium ion batteries are a newer technology that offers significant improvements over electrical raceways,
VRLA batteries, including longer life and tolerance to higher room temperatures. When busways, wiring and
cabling
first introduced, the cost increases where notable but have steadily decline. One area
of debate with lithium ion batteries is their safety, and new standards such as NFPA 4 ways software
companies can
855: Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems address the
improve financials
special accommodations for lithium ion batteries. when deploying with
hardware
Mission critical facilities require numerous considerations for designing and specifying Your questions
switchgear, transformers and UPS. This article highlights some of the primary types, answered: How to
specify backup,
choices and criteria for the engineer to review during planning and design stages. standby and
emergency power in
Brian Rener, PE, LEED AP; and Brandon Stanley, PE, LEED AP BD+C
Brian Rener is a principal and mission critical leader at SmithGroup. He is a member Is your exclusively
of the Consulting-Specifying Engineer editorial advisory board. Brandon Stanley is an customers on the
associate and electrical discipline leader at SmithGroup. table?

piping

less energy than
thought
 Designing power
systems in
mission critical
environments
58
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 Data centers consume less energy than thought

17  4 ways software companies can improve financials when

26  Your questions answered: How to specify backup, standby and

35  Is your exclusively SaaS delivery leaving customers on the table?

38  Case study: Data center piping

42  Data centers consume less energy than thought

45  Designing power systems in mission critical environments

ment). Is your exclusively

installed in plenum areas (when properly listed) and  Specifying the

systems, clock/intercom systems and security sys- Is your exclusively

Design considerations  Specifying the

a connection to a junction box. Designing power

for different raceway types within chapter 3, for  Specifying the

and rigid metal conduit (NEC 344.30(B)(2)). The Is your exclusively

Case study: Data center

quirements. Is your exclusively

or intentional damage. Designing power

toxins or spread flame through the plenum; the  Specifying the

building system HVAC; and there is a dedicat- Is your exclusively

Case study: Data center

Data centers consume

deploying with hardware busways, wiring and

Enterprises are shifting to alternative software consumption

all enterprise IT departments wish to consume cloud- Data centers consume

• Data-heavy workloads can be incredibly expen- Designing power

Specifying the right

ed growth and have seen a positive increase in valuation. Is your exclusively

Data centers consume

Specifying the right

Specifying the right

Specifying the right

Specifying the right

Case study: Data center

Specifying the right

Reduce risk and liabilities, while increasing cashflow Your questions

Specifying the right

Specifying the right

Data centers consume

emergency power in mission busways, wiring and

critical facilities 4 ways software

Data centers consume

Specifying the right

Specifying the right

Specifying the right

Specifying the right

QUESTION: Do you see the

Specifying the right

expectations for bulk fuel storage (if

Specifying the right

Specifying the right

Specifying the right

in the cloud vs. locally Data centers consume

Specifying the right

The added costs of deploying with hardware  Is your exclusively

Data centers consume

Specifying the right

Specifying the right

beneath the raised access floor. Your questions

Specifying the right

The closed–loop system incorporated expansion tanks to accommodate fluid expansion,

Specifying the right

vided to ensure that future chillers Your questions