Electricity can seem both simple and confusing at the same time. A refresher on things like the differences between volts, amps and watts never hurts. Or a recap of where a direct current system may make the most sense. One particularly tricky concept to master is the idea of three-phase power, especially in a Delta configuration.
Plumbing and car enthusiasts: rejoice! In this post we'll present a plumber's (or car mechanic's) version of a three phase power system.
Topics: data center operations, Know your power, Data center power, Power basics, 3-phase power
Monitoring the power usage of any device that with a plug is simple with Packet Power’s Smart Power Cables. Just how easy is it? This short video explains the quick installation process and how quickly you begin collecting data.
Topics: data center monitoring, Know your power, power monitoring, smart power cables, Facilities monitoring, energy benchmarking, installation video
Easily add branch circuit monitoring to any RPP, PDU or power distribution panel to gather the information needed to allocate energy costs, avoid outages, balance loads, extend the life of existing equipment and plan future capacity. Packet Power’s flexible Branch Circuit Monitoring system is designed to minimize installation time and costs.
With our Monitoring Made to Measure approach, your branch circuit monitor is built to your specifications and arrives fully configured -- no field configuration required. This video walks you through the installation process.
Topics: wireless monitoring, Know your power, power monitoring, Technical Information, branch circuit monitoring, data center power monitoring, customer support
We live in a world of electrical power. It runs our lights, heating, cooling, computers, and machinery. Consider a data center or any large power-hungry facility -- they need power to function and they must ensure enough power is always available. But power isn’t free. Data center managers closely track power as the cost of energy used by a server over its useful life routinely exceeds its purchase price. And most data centers spend twice that amount to cool the servers and remove heat from the facility.
Here's a quick review on the basics of electricity -- Volts, Amps, Watts and Watt-hours. Adding information on cost at the bottom turns this review of the basics into a necessary part of any critical facility manager's job.
Topics: Know your power, Power basics, energy efficiency
Your power monitoring needs are unique. You need a system built specifically to meet these needs. Sound expensive? Packet Power’s "Monitoring Made to Measure" approach to building power monitoring systems significantly reduces installation time, saving you time and money compared to other power monitoring solutions.
Topics: data center monitoring, Know your power, power monitoring, wireless power monitors, Facilities monitoring, wireless power monitoring, Monitoring made to measure
Power and environmental monitoring can reduce outages and downtime by keeping you abreast of operating conditions within your critical facilities at all times. You can be alerted to issues quickly before they escalate into serious problems. And you might be able to save money with more efficient power consumption. You cannot entirely prevent outages, but you can be prepared by constantly monitoring conditions in your facility.
Topics: realtime alerts, data center operations, Know your power, power monitoring, Power basics, Facilities monitoring, remote monitoring, environmental monitoring software, facility downtime, wireless power monitoring
Topics: Know your power, power monitoring, Technical Information, Power basics
Power distribution units (PDUs), commonly referred to as power strips or rack mounted power distribution units (RMPDUs), are critical components within a data center's power hierarchy. They include multiple outlets that provide power to rack level equipment and can balance the demand to prevent circuits overloading. Having the right power distribution units for your facility can help you do even more -- like remotely access critical data on power usage in real time, examine historical trends, and even remotely manage power usage.
PDUs range from “basic PDUs” to various types of “smart PDUs.” The terms describing smart PDUs are often used interchangeably, making the distinctions confusing. Let’s clarify the PDU options and how they compare.
Topics: realtime alerts, Know your power, energy efficiency in data centers, Power basics, smart power cables, Facilities monitoring, reduce energy costs, smart devices, wireless power monitoring
You may be getting less power throughout your facility than you think, thanks to something known as power factor. Power factor affects power management, especially if you’re running very high power equipment such as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). Power factor also affects accurate cost measurement since you are effectively getting less usable power than you’re paying for. So it pays to understand power factor and how it affects your operations.
Topics: Know your power
Hot spots in a data center must be closely monitored: let the warmest areas in your facility get too warm and you risk degraded performance, outages, and potential equipment damage. Yet they can also drive how much you spend to cool your entire data center. The key is to find them, monitor them, and manage them.
Topics: data center temperature monitoring, Know your power, environmental monitoring, data center hot spots, remote temperature monitoring
