LOAD TESTING
Integrated
xxxxxxx System Testing
The Mega Data Centre Challenge
By Paul Smethurst, CEO Hillstone
Paul Smethurst
highlights the issues
of load bank testing
100MW data centres.
Introduction
The insatiable demand for data
coupled with the growth of cloudbased services has changed the
European data centre landscape with
the arrival of the mega data centre.
The mega data centre, which allows
global software giants like Microsoft,
Google and Apple to provide our
day-to-day IT services, is also the
foundation for colocation providers
such as Digital Reality Trust, Equinix,
Telecity and Interxion to facilitate
connectivity to the cloud for multinational conglomerates in banking,
telecoms, oil and gas. With such a rapid
expansion of cloud services, how do
you commission mega data centres of
20MW, 40MW, 80MW and 100MW?
Historically, the largest ever load
bank solutions have been in the oil
and gas sector and used 50-70MW
of containerised load banks. The
load bank would be situated outdoors
as part of very large temporary
generator power projects. Fortunately,
the evolution of the mega data centre
has taken a practical, modular build
approach, with roll out phases of
dual halls at 2500KW or as a single
5000KW empty white space. However,
such a reduction in rating does not
reduce the challenges of sourcing
the quantity of required load banks
needed to complete integrated system
testing (IST).
Integrated System Testing
The primary objective for data hall
IST commissioning is to verify the
mechanical and electrical systems
under full load opera [