Effective data center construction is in many ways an exercise in risk reduction. Reducing the risk of downtime is paramount, since the chief goal is to build a facility that operates flawlessly for many years. But the build process itself is also fraught with risks that OEMs need to address. For data center cooling, HVAC, and PUMP original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), reducing the risk associated with that integration can help support faster, more predictable project execution and reliable long-term operation.
A sound way to reduce risk both during the build and in ongoing data center operations is to limit the number of vendors involved in the process. By sourcing power and cooling components as well as management software from a smaller set of proven partners, OEMs can reduce integration complexity, accelerate deployments, and ensure more reliable, long-term data center operations. In this post, I’ll outline five ways this strategy reduces risks for OEMs.
1. Reduced financial risk
First is financial risk. The faster a data center is built and starts generating compute power, the quicker its owner can secure revenue-generating tenants. Having a unified power, cooling, and management platform from a single vendor helps speed the time to compute by reducing sourcing and integration issues. It’s similar to how reference designs can speed up data center deployments, the subject of my last post.
2. Faster acceptance testing
Part of the speed-to-compute equation involves passing a factory acceptance test (FAT). As the name implies, it’s a test performed at the manufacturer’s facility before the component ships to the data center to ensure it meets performance and quality requirements, reducing the risk of failure later on.
When you’re getting multiple components from a single supplier, the FAT is more far-reaching. The supplier can ensure that the various components work as expected in tandem, not just individually.
Schneider Electric, for example, uses digital twin technology to provide a complete, digital view of the system in question. An OEM’s chiller, for example, will be logically connected to the rest of the data center infrastructure, with all required physical connections and programming in place – before it ever ships on-site. If Schneider Electric is supplying multiple components – say for cooling, power, and management systems – they are all included, right down to monitoring and alarming systems.
3. Speedier commissioning
As with the FAT, reducing the number of partners involved also speeds up the commissioning of the entire data center while reducing risk. If Schneider Electric designs much of the data center infrastructure and handles commissioning as part of its contract, that will obviously speed things up because we know our own components well.
But even a third-party contractor or systems integrator can perform commissioning tests faster and more efficiently if they’re familiar with our digital EcoStruxureTM and/or AVEVA platforms. They provide a comprehensive view and advanced management capabilities for data center infrastructure, including AVEVA digital twin capabilities.
To the extent that more Schneider Electric components are involved, this also reduces risk compared with integrating equipment from other providers, which requires a deep understanding of each vendor’s protocols and interfaces. More vendors mean more time and a greater possibility of error. Systems integrators who are familiar with Schneider Electric solutions will benefit from a more seamless, less risky process.
4. Reduced operational risk
EcoStruxure and AVEVA platforms also help reduce operational risk throughout the data center’s lifetime. EcoStruxure enables operators to view the entire data center from a single pane of glass, including how different systems interact.
EcoStruxure Automation Expert (EAE) tracks local KPIs and analytics, sending insights to the cloud to enable advanced AI and predictive maintenance capabilities. If a chiller is under-performing, we’ll detect it. EAE also helps optimize energy use, for example, by ensuring chillers aren’t running at full bore when they’re not necessary. And the digital twin capabilities in the AVEVA platform help operators perform what-if analyses to detail the effects of changes to infrastructure before they’re actually made, reducing the risk of unintended consequences.
5. Improved cybersecurity
All data centers must also defend against a range of cybersecurity risks that extend beyond the compute infrastructure. Schneider Electric embeds security in our components by design, in line with IEC standards and the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).
The CRA shifts numerous cybersecurity responsibilities from end users to manufacturers. It establishes mandatory cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements, including connected hardware, software, industrial control systems, IoT devices, automation equipment, and embedded software. As a French company, Schneider Electric is aggressive in implementing CRA requirements across our data center infrastructure portfolio, including PLCs, HMIs, variable-speed drives (VSDs), and more. You’ll have to verify whether other providers follow the same strict cybersecurity standards.
Reduce complexity to reduce data center deployment risk
For data center cooling, HVAC, and pump OEMs, reducing risk starts with reducing complexity. Working with fewer proven technology partners can simplify integration, accelerate factory acceptance testing and commissioning, strengthen cybersecurity, and help ensure systems perform reliably through the data center lifecycle. Learn more about how accessing comprehensive HVAC control solutions can not only speed up deployments but also deliver solutions designed for reliable long-term operations.
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