Greetings,
Some predictions state that the hurricanes (Irene and Sandy) of the past two years will occur more often in the future due to climate changes, polar icecap melting, and other global changes. If that is the case, it makes sense for more companies to invest in an emergency generator.
Outside of ordering a generator from Home Depot for your house, a generator is not something you just order online and wait for delivery when it’s related to your business. With hundreds of thousands of $$$ (or more) invested in your IT and facility supporting infrastructure and the potential for lost business being anywhere from thousands to hundreds of thousand of $$$ per hour, it is critical to consider various items before ordering an emergency generator.
PTS has prepared many sites for the installation of gas and diesel generators as a part of business continuity planning. Our approach considers certain items before, during, and after a generator is commissioned and deployed. Let PTS’ experienced facilities engineers help you determine the right generator to support your business!
And, as always, please think of us for your other data center project — whether infrastructure, facility, or IT related.
Pete Sacco
President & Founder
PTS Data Center Solutions, Inc
Experts For Your Always Available Data Center |
PTS Story: Considerations for Generator Deployment |
Generators can be a key to implementing a business continuity plan and supporting data center reliability. The right sized generator can not only keep your IT infrastructure up and running in your data center, but also provide a means of keeping your complete operations up and running (i.e. office equipment, personal computers, lights, etc.).
Supplementing a battery-based Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) with an emergency generator should be considered by all data center operators. PTS Data Center Solutions supports clients before, during, and after a Data Center Generator is deployed.
BEFORE: Generator System Design Considerations
- Generator physical location & site map
- Generator classification/use type (i.e. standby, prime, etc.)
- Proper sizing
- Critical, essential, and non-essential load distribution design
- Fuel requirements
- Structural requirements
- Exhaust, emissions, and environmental limitations
- Run-time requirements
DURING: Generator System Construction Considerations
- Lead time
- Construction methods / techniques
- Commissioning approach
- Rigging requirements
AFTER: Generator System Operations Considerations
- Operating procedures
- Maintenance management & procedures
- Service agreements
- Monitoring methods
- Warranty management
PTS helps business operations managers and data center operators prepare, procure, commission, monitor, and maintain data center backup generators by leveraging the eleven-step PTS process for proper management of a data center. As shown below, each of the red stages plays a role in the lifecycle of a generator:
PTS provides full consulting services to support generator deployments. Following is a list of generator services:
Contact PTS for additional information about PTS generator-related services or to access our full line of gas and diesel generators.
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PTS Data Center Solutions Showcase: Diesel & Gas Generators |
For PTS, there are four primary mission critical data center generator manufacturers we recommend for clients. The vendors are Caterpillar, Cummins, Generac, and MTU Onsite Energy. PTS is also an advocate for the Bloom Energy fuel cell technology solution, but we’ll reserve that solution for another day.
Our manufacturer partners provide solid generator sets using either gas or diesel fuels. Each solution is sized to the required IT and facility load, which is best calculated by an experienced data center design engineer knowledgeable in the appropriate sizing tools and techniques.
Below are overviews for each generator solution family:
Caterpillar
Caterpillar is the world’s largest manufacturer of high-speed diesel generator sets and engines, offering the largest range of specifications available.
Cat® Diesel Generator Set Features:
- Ratings from 13kW to 17,460kW
- Powered by Cat® engines
- Wide range of factory-designed options
- Easy to specify, permit, install and test
- World-class fuel efficiency and low life-cycle costs
- Excellent transient response and steady state performance
- Emissions compliance with most worldwide regulations
- Single source and turnkey support from the Cat® Dealer network
Learn more about Caterpillar Generators.
Cummins
Diesel powered generator sets remain the number-one choice for standby and emergency power systems, worldwide. Able to start and assume load in less than 10 seconds, and rated load in a single step, Cummins diesel generator sets are the epitome of rugged dependability and reliable mechanical and electrical performance. Diesel generators are also well suited to utility peaking plants, Distributed Generation (DG) facilities, peak shaving (or peak lopping), and power management at large commercial or industrial sites. Cummins Power Generation has fully redesigned its high-range generator sets to deliver the reliability, efficiency and versatility that your customers want.
Learn more about Cummins Generators.
Generac
Generac manufactures the widest range of power products in the marketplace including portable, RV, residential, commercial and industrial generators. Generac protects the things that power your life by providing quality, affordable power solutions.
- Major components are designed and manufactured by Generac in a vertically integrated environment, ensuring the highest reliability standards.
- National industrial dealer network of factory-certified technicians with expertise in everything from system design to diagnostics and repairs.
- Readily available replacement parts and maintenance items.
Learn more about Generac Generators.
MTU Onsite Energy
Backed by decades of experience and complete system expertise, MTU Onsite Energy provides reliable gas generator sets for a wide variety of applications. Industries and locations may vary, but the need for constant power never changes. Whether it’s emergency, continuous or prime power; power generation or combined heat and power production (CHP), MTU Onsite Energy gas generator sets are effective, dependable and configured to meet your exact requirement.
Learn more about MTU Onsite Energy Generators.
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PTS Education & White Papers |
Check out the latest white papers and case studies added to our website by signing in or joining our new PTS Media Library! We’re sure there will be some interesting content for your reading pleasure. For up-to-the-minute educational information don’t forget to check out the PTS Blog – Data Center Design, consider joining the LinkedIn Computer Room Design Group, or visit our Data Center Design Channel on YouTube.
Corporation Service Company (CSC) Case Study: Computer Room Upgrade
CSC realized the limitations of their data processing environment and was investigating the process of upgrading and/or making substantial improvements to their computer room and support spaces. CSC expressed the need to redesign their Computer Room with the purpose of providing a designated UPS and electrical room, disaster recovery and/or command center as well as still providing future expansion area for their IT equipment.
Genpro Case Study: Computer Room Relocation
Due to their growing business volume and the changing needs of their customer base, Genpro needed to relocate to a new colocation facility. Genpro was tasked with relocating its computer room from Rutherford, NJ to a colocation facility in New York City. The organization had three (3) enclosed server cabinets and forty-one (41) miscellaneous servers, switches, and routers that were to be relocated to the new site.
Empower Federal Credit Union Case Study: Data Center Design Consulting
Empower was already involved in the process of working with the architecture and construction teams of the building owner for the new property they intend to relocate their headquarters and primary data center operations to when they realized they were going to need outside guidance for the computer room facility design if they were going to realize the data center they actually need. So, they contacted their ‘go to’ vendor Dell for the task. Dell in turn, quickly realized that this was a job for PTS Data Center Solutions.
Virtualization and Cloud Computing: Optimizing Power Cooling and Management Maximizes Benefits by APC
IT virtualization, the engine behind cloud computing, can have significant consequences on the data center physical infrastructure (DCPI). Higher power densities that often result can challenge the cooling capabilities of an existing system. Reduced overall energy consumption that typically results from physical server consolidation may actually worsen the data center’s power usage effectiveness (PUE). Dynamic loads that vary in time and location may heighten the risk of downtime if rack-level power and cooling health are not understood and considered. Download |
In the News |
Scenes from the NJ Data Center Summit
Datacenterknowledge.com, December 14, 2012
The New Jersey Technology Council held its annual Data Center Summit Thursday at the Eisenhower Corporate Center in Livingston, N.J. More than 120 data center professionals and industry watchers were in attendance for the day’s program, which examined issues such as the economics of cloud computing, how to assess data center infrastructure management (DCIM) tools, the state of the New Jersey data center market, and lessons learned from SuperStorm Sandy.
Read the Full Article
PTS Data Center Solutions Planar Digital Signage Installation NYC
Data Center Design Channel, YouTube, January 17, 2013
PTS Data Center Solutions recently designed and deployed the Planar Clarity Matrix LCD Video Wall digital signage solution for a client in New York City. The display is located on Broadway, between 9th and 10th Streets in downtown New York City.
Watch the Video
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