Paper examines different types of electrical meters for data centers

A new white paper from APC-Schneider Electric provides guidance on the types of meters that might be incorporated into a data center design, explains why they should be used, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Meters provide data that offers insight into the operation of the data center infrastructure (i.e. power and cooling systems) within a data center. The paper notes that there are several different types of meters that can be designed into a data center, ranging from high precision power quality meters to embedded meters, such as those found in a UPS or PDU system. Each type has different core functions and applications.

See also:Guidelines for specification of data center power density

Specific types of meters exist for various reasons, from tracking the use of electricity to analyzing the power quality in a facility and reporting problems such as transients and harmonics to measuring the power usage effectiveness (PUE) of the data center. Example data centers are presented in the paper's analysis to illustrate where various meters are likely to be deployed.

View and download the white paper here.