It’s no secret that power infrastructure is a vital part of any data center. In fact, up to 40% of the total operational costs for a data center come just from the energy necessary to power the equipment in the data center itself. It’s no wonder then that the average data center has a power density 100-times that of a large commercial office building. But how exactly does the data center power infrastructure work? It all starts with AC and DC power.

Alternating Currents and Direct Currents

There are two options available for powering a data center: AC power and DC power. AC power refers to Alternating Current power, which is the same type of power you use to turn on your devices and appliances. AC power typically provides between 120 to 240 volts when you need it. All you need to do is plug in the device. What makes AC power so efficient is that Due to its oscillating nature, you can use smaller conductors to deliver a large amount of power to your devices, saving cost and minimizing your data center carbon footprint.

The other option available is DC power, or Direct Current power. This type of power is commonly seen where a device or tool uses a battery as its main power source. Many types of Enterprise-class IT devices can run on either DC power or AC power. Compared to an alternating current, a direct current only runs in one direction. Because of this, DC power requires larger conductors to deliver the same total energy compared to alternating current.

Different types of data centers use different types of power. Many colocation data centers rely on alternating current. Other types of data centers may incorporate both alternating and direct currents for power as a way to reduce downtime in their data center and to enhance energy efficiency. It’s crucial to use the right data center supplies and data center maintenance services to maintain your center’s servers, cooling, inverters, support, and security. Fortunately, LDP Associates has the data center supplies you need for optimal power distribution.

Find the Right Data Center Power Distribution Units for You

Power distribution is your data center’s last mile of delivering power to your networking components, servers, and storage. However, power distribution units and solutions aren’t one-size-fits-all. Fortunately, LDP Associates offers both traditional power distribution options and customized options to meet your needs so you can feel confident knowing that your data center’s power distribution solutions align with your goals. To learn more about our power distribution solutions and other data center supplies, contact LDP Associates today.