As well as providing UPS capability, the battery storage system stores energy provided by the site’s rooftop solar PV when the site’s energy demand is lower. In turn, this stored energy can be tapped into when solar is generating less power than the site requires, such as overnight, or to minimise energy costs during periods of peak energy costs. The battery also opens up the option to generate new revenue streams by providing National Grid with support in balancing demand or frequency on the grid.
Alongside the BESS, a Powerstar HV-MAX unit combines a low-loss transformer with voltage optimisation technology, which significantly reduces the data centre’s energy losses. The benefits of voltage optimisation are threefold: energy costs are substantially lowered, sustainability is improved due to reduced Scope 2 emissions, and lower, conditioned voltages reduce wear and tear on electrical infrastructure.
The installation also substantially bolsters the energy security of the site, minimising the risk of a damaging outage and loss of data. As well as replacing an aging transformer that was a potential point of failure, voltage optimisation can also prevent minor dips or spikes in voltage from disrupting sensitive computer infrastructure.