For data centers, power outages could have disastrous consequences as it would mean the shutdown of servers and therefore the loss of all stored data. If a data center loses all of a client's data, it will lose that client and also have to pay penalties. Power outages thus pose a real threat to the sustainability of data centers.
However, data centers have equipment that protects servers against a potential power outage. Indeed, all data centers are equipped with at least one UPS and a generator that take over in the event of a power outage.
These two devices have a very specific role:
Generators: they autonomously provide energy to different devices. However, there is a delay between the moment of the outage and the moment the generator starts and takes over. Thus, if the data centers only have a generator, there will still be a power outage, and the servers will need to restart.
Inverters: they play a complementary role with the generator. Indeed, they are the ones who will provide the necessary electricity to the servers while the generator starts up. It also helps protect the various devices since repeated outages can damage computer equipment.
These two devices thus allow the data of the clients to be secured, with this arrangement having no risk of disappearing.
For data centers, equipping with generators and uninterruptible power supplies ensures the continuity of their operations and avoids risking losing everything overnight.
For Dc2scale as well as for our clients, it is the guarantee of increasing the availability level of the equipment hosted within our data centers.
Getting equipped before a difficult winter:
In France, there is a significant risk of power outages every year. Indeed, during the coldest months of the year (December, January, and February), there is a higher risk of power outages since these are the months when we consume the most energy. However, these risks are further increased this year due to the various issues we mentioned earlier. Nevertheless, the severity of these power outages will largely depend on the weather conditions. If we experience a severe cold wave this winter, we will be forced to consume more electricity to heat ourselves, which will consequently increase the risk of outages. Therefore, this winter will be heavily dependent on weather conditions because if the weather conditions are challenging, January and February will also be harsher and present more risks than in previous years.
At Dc2scale, to not depend too much on these weather conditions, we have chosen to prepare for the winter by equipping ourselves with a brand-new generator. For this, we called on the company Pramac which specializes in the manufacture of generators and handling equipment. On November 4th, they came to install a new generator with Dc2scale branding at our historic Vélizy site.
Among all the generators offered by Pramac, we have selected the model GSW275V, it is the one that best matched our needs, and here are its main characteristics:
This generator set has a rated power of 249 kVA and an emergency power of 275 kVA.
It weighs 2990 kg empty and the dimensions are 3.95 m x 1.43 m x 2.08 m.
He has a Long-Range tank of 2330 Liters.
Synchronization of the voltage and frequency of the generator with the Enedis electrical grid to ensure a stable power supply and avoid power outages during the generator's operational tests.
This model allows us to have significant autonomy in case of a power outage since we have a substantial fuel tank and it is possible to add a second external tank to increase the generator's autonomy.
To give you an idea of the fuel consumption of our generator, here is a diagram of the fuel consumption of our generator:
* PRP = maximum power a generator is capable of providing continuously
With this brand-new generator, we are ready to face the winter with complete peace of mind.