Packet Power Blog

Understand Power: Volts, Amps, Watts, Watt-hours and Cost

Editor's note: This blog was originally posted in 2015. Although electrical definitions haven’t changed, it was updated in 2023 because the cost of electricity has increased and resources for monitoring power usage have been added. Read More

Three-Phase Power or the Magic of the Missing Neutral

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... Read More

Installing Packet Power Smart Power Cables [VIDEO]

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. Read More

How Does Branch Circuit Monitoring Work in Practice

When you ask how does branch circuit monitoring work, you're really asking how facilities and data center managers gain real-time, granular visibility into the load, health, and energy consumption of individual electrical circuits. Read More

Monitoring Made to Measure Simplifies Power Monitoring [VIDEO]

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,... Read More

Avoiding Disaster With Smart Power and Temperature Monitoring Systems

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... Read More

Metered, Monitored, Switched, Smart: Comparing Types of PDUs

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... Read More

Power Factor: The Difference Between Promise and Reality

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... Read More

How to Pinpoint Hot Spots in Your Data Center

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... Read More