Power technology company ABB says it can cut data centre power demands, using a modular system powered by direct current (DC). The use of DC power can cut power wasted in transmission compared with alternating current (AC), and ABB is showing a commercial product that takes advantage of this, at its user conference this week.

Last November ABB said it would work on a data centre module powered by DC, using prefabricated units from IO, which can be deployed to build custom data centres with a minimum of time and expense. The finished module is on display at Automation & Power World in Houston this week, ABB said. Traditionally data centres are fed AC power at a high voltage, which is
converted to DC in the UPS system, before being converted back to AC to power the servers and other systems. The use of DC throughout the data centre module reduces power conversion losses, reduces complexity and requires less space, allowing customers to spend less on equipment, installation and maintenance, according to ABB, which has been working on DC technologies since the 1950s.

Source: Tech Week Europe