Data Center Essentials: Power & Electrical

In this course we dive more deeply into the electrical and power systems and components that support data centers.  With data centers using about 5% of the world's energy and growing, these power systems are ever-expanding and improving.  With the internet expected to be an essential part of our lives, the electrical infrastructure supporting the data centers that power the internet are becoming more essential to understand and support. 

We will cover the many aspects of the most typical electrical systems and equipment for data centers, including terminology, standards, acronyms, operation, efficiency, and more.  Whether taking a walk through a data center or working in one every day, it is important to understand how the power around you is flowing to keep the internet humming along.

During the five lectures we will cover:

• Concepts, path of power, and diagrams - typical electrical terms, power path from grid to chip, and redundancy levels

• Voltages and primary equipment - AC/DC power, the major electrical equipment that supports all of the data center power needs

• UPS systems and components - primary & secondary purposes, types, operations, and efficiencies

• Power distribution - PDUs, RPPs, power monitoring, controls, receptacles & plugs

• Conductors, conduits and breakers - protection devices, standards, sizing, switches and other devices