by Shane Henson — January 21, 2013—The Green Grid, an organization working to improve the resource efficiency of data centers and business computing ecosystems, has released a new white paper titled Evaluation of Eco Mode in Uninterruptible Power Supply Systems. The free paper offers an extensive look into how Eco Mode can improve data center efficiency and overall power usage effectiveness (PUE) when appropriately deployed, and makes recommendations regarding other power distribution equipment to ensure a reliable power system.
According to the global organization, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) Eco Mode is one of the Green Grid Data Center Maturity Model’s (DCMM) energy-saving recommendations and can increase overall efficiency when implemented correctly. In order to help understand and deploy what is typically the highest-efficiency mode, the white paper breaks down key elements such as UPS technology and performance, critical power systems configuration, information technology (IT) power supply ride-through, and utility grid reliability. The white paper explores each of these ideas and their trade-offs, helping data center operators understand Eco Mode from the ground up, says The Green Grid.
The paper also addresses two key points for data center owners and operators to consider before implementing Eco Mode technology:
- Power Distribution: It is extremely important to match switch-over time for an Eco Mode UPS to the power supply ride-through or static switch time. Data center operators should analyze the power distribution within their data centers and consult their UPS manufacturers for information prior to implementing Eco Mode.
- Utility Power Quality: UPS Eco Mode requires an acceptable level of utility power quality, and it must be within the voltage tolerance of all equipment to keep the UPS operating in the most efficient range possible. Additional details are included in the paper about moving from Level 1 UPS Eco Mode to Level 3.
