The Benefits of Remote Power Panels and Busways in Today’s Data Center - Rahi
DC Infrastructure

The Benefits of Remote Power Panels and Busways in Today’s Data Center

By Bill Evanger

June 15, 2022 - 6 min



Traditionally, data centers have had power distribution systems purpose-built by electricians. However, custom solutions require significant upfront planning to ensure that the power distribution system will meet the long-term needs of the facility. Lead times for installation tend to be long, and changes to the system can be complex, as fixed power distribution from standard breaker panels essentially “lock-in” common power configurations.

Today’s data centers require greater flexibility to keep up with growing power requirements and dynamic IT demands. This has led to the increasing use of remote power panels (RPPs) and busways to bring AC power to rack-level power distribution units (PDUs). Additionally, today’s modern RPP and Busways offer greater levels of intelligence, which in turn allow for greater operability and efficiency.

What Are Remote Power Panels?

As the name implies, RPPs allow electrical panels to be placed throughout the data center. They connect to branch circuits and other primary sources to simplify power distribution for new facilities, expansions, or reconfigurations.

RPP units are housed in cabinets that have the same footprint as server racks and cabinets for easy integration within the data center environment. They typically accommodate multiple 225A or 400A electrical panels, and more panels may be added when greater distribution capacity is needed.

The latest RPPs have intelligent monitoring features that enable data center staff to respond quickly to power issues that could harm equipment or cause downtime. Some units can be monitored and controlled through a centralized dashboard and be configured to send alerts when certain thresholds are met.

What Are Overhead Busways?

A busway is a modular overhead power distribution system that doesn’t require additional circuits or take up space on the data center floor. Best-in-class solutions offer a variety of connection and capacity options that enable them to adapt to a wide range of environments and support future enhancements. Like their distribution counterparts, they can distribute power in 225A or 400A configurations but allow for greater flexibility in changing power configurations. As an example, by simply swapping a Tap-box, an operator can switch a 3-phase receptacle to a single-phase receptacle, or vice versa.

Busways are highly reliable and scalable, and can quickly pay for themselves by simplifying moves, adds, and changes. Redundancy can be built-in to reduce the risk of downtime due to power problems while minimizing stranded power capacity at the cabinet-level. Busways can also be connected to building management systems (BMS) or data center infrastructure monitoring (DCIM) systems to monitor all loads in the power path, issue alerts when thresholds are exceeded, and collect a variety of metrics to visualize trends and generate reports.

Overhead busways also facilitate airflow in the data center. When power is distributed under a raised floor system, the wires can restrict airflow and create hotspots. Overhead busways save energy by allowing the cooling system to operate more efficiently.

How Rahi Can Help

Rahi has extensive experience in the design and buildout of data center infrastructure, including electrical systems. We offer a comprehensive suite of power distribution solutions, including RPPs and busways, that allow for faster installation and greater flexibility in today’s dynamic data center environment.

More importantly, Rahi’s power distribution experts are here to help. Our team has completed projects for some of the world’s largest hyperscale data centers. We can apply that expertise to data centers of all sizes, and help you select the right RPPs, busways, PDUs, UPSs, and other solutions to meet your power requirements.

Rigid, purpose-built power distribution systems are showing their limitations in the modern data center. IT managers simply cannot afford long lead times and complex changes. Remote power panels and overhead busways provide the flexibility and scalability to create a more agile environment.

Author

  • Bill has been in the IT industry for nearly 30 years. For the past 20 years, he has been specializing in data center operations, including presales and engineering. In particular, Bill has spent the last 12 years focusing on data center infrastructure management (DCIM) and other monitoring-related technologies.

, Solutions Architect

DC Infrastructure
Apr 12,2023
Increasing Power Densities Call for a New Approach to Data Center Design

For years, data center power and cooling requirements remained relatively stable, enabling organizations to plan for...

DC Infrastructure
Mar 09,2023
How Hyperscale Data Centers Address Changing Demands

Money, identities, books, art, movies, appliances, medical devices, automobiles… it seems as though there’s a...

DC Infrastructure
Feb 22,2023
Overcome These Top 5 Challenges as a Data Center Manager

Data centers are experiencing rapid growth to meet the burgeoning demand for processing power and storage capacity....

DC Infrastructure
Jan 25,2023
The DCIM Evolution

Once thought to be “nice to haves”, data center infrastructure management (DCIM) tools have become essential to...

DC Infrastructure
Jan 05,2023
Exploring the Various Data Center Models

Although businesses continue to migrate more applications and services to the cloud, most also need to maintain a...

DC Infrastructure
Dec 28,2022
The Benefits of Combining Managed Services and Colocation

As the costs of building and maintaining an on-premises data center continue to escalate, more and more organizations...

DC Infrastructure
Dec 21,2022
Micro Data Centers Overcome the Complexity of Data Center Build-Outs

Traditionally, organizations build data centers from the ground up by installing cabinets and racks and then adding...

DC Infrastructure
Oct 27,2022
Enhancing Business Resilience with Hyperconverged Infrastructure

Unplanned network outages due to natural disasters, system failures, cyberthreats, or human error are on the rise,...

DC Infrastructure
Sep 28,2022
Rahi Systems and Daxten Enable Data Centre Staff To Easily Lift Heavy Loads

Fremont, Calif. — June 22, 2017 — Rahi Systems announced today a partner agreement with Daxten, a leading...

DC Infrastructure
Aug 24,2022
Weighing the Alternatives to an On-Premise Data Center Refresh

Despite predictions of its impending demise, the U.S. on-premise data center market remains healthy. More than half of...

DC Infrastructure
Aug 17,2022
The Significance of Physical Security within the Data Center

While most discussions of IT security focus on logical controls, protection of the physical data center infrastructure...

DC Infrastructure
Jul 29,2022
Does Your CI/CD Pipeline Support Modernization Efforts?

Outdated or obsolete applications make up nearly a third of the typical organization’s software portfolio,...

DC Infrastructure
Jun 01,2022
7 Questions to Ask When Evaluating Colocation Providers

More and more organizations are choosing to get out of the data center business and partner with a colocation provider...

DC Infrastructure
Mar 30,2022
A Cost-Efficient, Time-Saving Method to Capture Power Monitoring Data

Power Usage in Data Centers Data Center power consumption has long been a concern of budget-conscious IT managers....

DC Infrastructure
Feb 23,2022
Taking Advantage of the Return-to-Office for IT Upgrades

Most organizations had to rush to shift to work-from-home models. Now, they’re taking a more strategic approach to...

DC Infrastructure
Oct 27,2021
Data Center Fire Suppression: is Your IT Infrastructure Protected?

OVHcloud Data Center Fire in France In March 2021, OVHcloud’s five-story, 5,400-square-foot SBG2 data center in...

DC Infrastructure
Oct 20,2021
How can a Workspace Utilization Analysis Enable a Safe Return to Work and Hybrid Work Model?

Why is Workspace Utilization Analysis more important now than ever before? Organizations need to understand how many...

Get in touch with our experts for a free 30-minute strategy
consultation

Let our experts design, develop, deploy and manage your requirements while you focus on what's important for your business

Book a Consultation
error: Content is protected !!