Power vs. Energy: How to Make the Right Battery Choice for Your Application
Batteries are the unsung heroes of the clean energy and electrification transition. They store energy from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, to ensure a steady power supply whenever it’s most needed – no matter the weather or time of day. The transition to sustainable transportation also relies on batteries to power both EVs and EV charging stations. As multiple industries including buildings, transportation, electric grids, and data centers exponentially increase electricity demands, the question rises: which battery type is best?
There’s no one answer, because each battery chemistry has different strengths and weaknesses. By choosing the best-fit battery for each application, users can optimize the performance, cost effectiveness, and reliability of their power backup and energy storage systems.
Different rechargeable battery chemistries – such as lead-acid, lithium-ion, and nickel-zinc – are best suited to their own particular use cases. As the incumbent technology in many applications, lead-acid batteries often provide a sense of familiarity and security in addition to cheap prices. While they continue to have their place in energy storage, it’s worth looking into alternative options for applications that require significant energy or power density. For these specific needs, newer chemistries offer benefits including higher performance, longer lifespan, and greater reliability.
Energy Batteries for Long-Duration Needs
For instance, transitioning to cleaner transportation relies greatly on electric vehicle (EV) adoption. EVs demand energy density from their batteries: they must store and steadily release a supply of energy for prolonged periods, while being lightweight enough for cars to carry them easily. With a relatively low weight and high energy density, lithium-ion batteries serve long-discharge needs and thus excel in EV transportation applications.
Large-scale renewable energy storage is another ideal application for energy batteries such as lithium since the grid’s ongoing energy demands often require several hours of sustained energy release. These needs prioritize the duration of energy being provided, even if the discharge rate is moderate to low.
Power Batteries for Short-Duration Services
Other applications require batteries with high power density. Rather than supplying energy over a longer period of time, batteries with high power density supply vast amounts of power for relatively short periods of time – for instance, when a data center needs backup power to maintain its processing capability and preserve reams of highly valuable and sensitive information from outages.
In the context of Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems, lithium-ion batteries perform adequately – but it’s not their forte. While they’re energy-dense, they aren’t as power-dense as other options. For example, to house enough lithium batteries to power a data center for even a few minutes, operators need to use up valuable space and spend more to get enough batteries for the job. Lithium-ion batteries are also prone to thermal runaway and require special fireproofing equipment, making them more complex and expensive to install. They do best in cars and phones, not data centers.
Improving Data Center Profits with Compact and Safe NiZn Backup Batteries
Read PostThese UPS applications require impressive amounts of battery power – but only for a few minutes, until the backup generators come online. Here’s where nickel-zinc battery chemistries shine. With a significantly smaller footprint per kW than lithium and lead-acid batteries, nickel-zinc batteries provide the same amount of power as lead-acid batteries up to twice their size. This allows data centers to save valuable space for servers while storing the vast power needed to safeguard their data.
Similarly, batteries are used to start generators that help power major operations, especially for backup power. According to Cummins Power Generation, “weak or undercharged starting batteries are the most common cause of standby power system failures.” Uptime Institute’s analysis notes that the single biggest cause of power incidents is failures to these standby power systems. Gensets don’t require prolonged periods of battery operation, as they only need power for the short time it takes to start the generators. As a result, the application’s priorities are reliability and a high discharge rate, at which power batteries such as nickel-zinc excel.
Some of the most challenging and significant battery system return-on-investment applications also require megawatts of power for mere seconds — even milliseconds. Numerous industrial and safety-related systems require this type of immediate power. Power batteries such as nickel-zinc are an environmentally and financially attractive alternative to running expensive generators and using utility power to support short-duration power bursts.
Hybrid Battery Approach for the Best of Both Worlds
To power microgrids and provide grid storage, operators can take advantage of multiple battery types. Lithium-ion batteries provide endurance for long-duration capacity needs, while nickel-zinc batteries’ power density can handle peak demand times at a lower infrastructure cost. Balancing the load between both chemistries enhances the grid’s efficiency in managing renewable energy resources. For data centers, this is a growing segment as customers look to supplement the grid, provide frequency regulation or peak shaving, while also maintaining their UPS backup runtime. A combination of power and energy where two chemistries can combine to give the data center operator the best of both worlds.
Choosing the Right Battery for Your Data Center
Read PostThe same hybrid principle applies to EV charging stations. Lithium-ion batteries can meet lower-power charging needs, while nickel-zinc batteries facilitate rapid high-power top-ups as fast charging becomes more prevalent. Including both in a charging station combines the strengths of each to optimize the charging experience.
In conclusion, now that the market offers numerous battery chemistries, securing an energy-resilient future relies on selecting the right battery for each application. While no single battery chemistry can fulfill all requirements, users can optimize their systems with the best fit for each use. The future of energy storage relies on a clever combination of numerous battery types to ensure reliable, sustainable energy across industries – no matter what.
Previously published with Data Center Frontier
Powering the Future: Nickel-Zinc Batteries Unlock Data Centers’ AI Potential
At this point, most people have heard of AI’s breathtaking potential via ChatGPT, industrial applications, and more. But data centers are looking under the hood of these shiny new features and finding the lesser-known truth: AI’s power demands are equally breathtaking.
As data centers face escalating power needs driven by AI and numerous other emerging technologies, rack densities continue to climb and force data center operators to rethink their battery backup strategies. Rather than relying on familiar but less powerful lead-acid batteries to back up increasingly vast applications and power, they’re turning to new chemistries that better balance resiliency, reliability, footprint, and sustainability under intensifying demands.
At this year’s Data Center Dynamics (DCD) Towards Net Zero virtual discussion, ZincFive’s Director of Product Management, Aaron Schott, joined Harry Handlin, Data Center Segment Leader at ABB, and Dave Buckner, Director of Engineering at Sabey Data Centers, in a panel moderated by DCD’s CTO Steven Warren to discuss guidance on data center power innovations, emerging trends, battery options, and strategies to meet intensifying capacity needs sustainably.
You can watch the full presentation for additional insights; meanwhile, we’ve summarized below the key takeaways from the discussion on optimizing data center power to meet future demand.
What’s Happening Now: Surging Densities Strain Existing Strategies
Many data centers are struggling to support the high-powered computing capabilities required by AI and machine learning applications. AI is driving demands for higher rack densities as data centers pack more compute power into servers. This additional need for power translates to the need for more powerful backup power systems, including uninterruptible power supply (UPS) equipment.
“We’re seeing a need for more powerful UPS modules, up to 1.5 megawatts, to support these densified racks,” notes Harry Hamlin, the data center segment manager at ABB. “This strains data centers’ space and power limits.”
Harry went on to note how some batteries used for UPS systems are unable to keep up with evolving demands.
Lead-acid systems have a relatively low power density, so they become impractical at such large UPS capacities. While lithium-ion batteries have been the primary alternative until now, they have supply chain, safety, and regulation issues. Some jurisdictions prohibit lithium batteries entirely, and at ABB we anticipate lithium costs rising substantially in the future given the enormous demand from energy storage and transportation electrification.
Harry Handlin, Data Center Segment Manager at ABB
Harry shared that, at ABB, he’s been leading research into more sustainable, cost-effective battery solutions for the AI era.
How to Optimize Backup Power with the Right Battery Chemistries
The panel agreed that data centers can optimize resiliency and sustainability by selecting targeted battery solutions for their ideal use cases. In particular, Harry said that nickel-zinc batteries offer distinct advantages for space-pressed data centers running intensive workloads. Their unmatched power density provides the same runtime capacity in significantly less space than lead-acid or lithium-ion options, freeing up precious data center real estate.
Nickel-zinc is a great product because of its circularity, cost, and sustainability benefits. Most of our customers see nickel-zinc as a no-brainer when evaluating total cost of ownership and return on investment.
Having the rack assembled with nickel zinc, instead of assembling on site as with other technologies, saves significantly on labor. They can also operate at higher temperatures than other batteries – up to 35°C / 95°F – which helps reduce cooling costs and related emissions.
We’re adopting nickel-zinc technology in our facilities. It offers at least twice the life of traditional lead-acid batteries. Getting ZincFive systems energized faster through prefab shipping and installation puts us into commissioning sooner. We’ve seen major cost savings from shipping, labor, and accelerated delivery.”
Dave Buckner, Director of Engineering at Sabey Data Centers.
Nickel-zinc batteries’ smaller size also further reduces their space claim, allowing more room for revenue-driving servers. They eliminate safety hazards posed by lead-acid and lithium-ion alternatives: they’re incapable of thermal runaway and contain no toxic materials such as lead, lithium, or cobalt.
Better for the Planet
As data center customers pursue ambitious ESG goals, sustainability has become a priority for them – and nickel-zinc batteries deliver.
Over the last few years, sustainability has become a much bigger part of my conversations with data center customers. We’ve seen increased interest from them in understanding scope 2 and scope 3 emissions, including from battery manufacturers like us.
Aaron Schott, Director of Product Management at ZincFive
Manufacturers need to consider batteries’ full sustainability picture – from materials to shipping to recyclability. Optimizing these factors for essential data center power infrastructure will be crucial moving forward. Nickel-zinc batteries’ lifecycle climate impact is significantly smaller than lead-acid and lithium batteries’ impact, making them an ideal solution for data centers looking to attract climate-concious clients.
“Nickel zinc is a great product for sustainability, using common metals like nickel and zinc that have great circularity and recyclability,” noted Harry. “It complements the sustainability story of data centers very well.”
“I visited ZincFive’s factory,” shared Dave, “They have a good sustainability story, as well as a good recycling story with those batteries… it contributes in many ways to sustainability.”
The Future of Data Center Backup Power
While lead-acid batteries sufficed for data center power demands in the past, the new AI era calls for solutions beyond just adding more – it’s neither space nor cost-efficient at today’s scales.
“Nickel-zinc technology has been around for over a hundred years – it’s just more readily available now because recent innovations made it economically viable,” concluded Harry. “It’s a well known, thoroughly tested technology embraced by many customers with great success.”
Nickel-zinc batteries’ unparalleled power density optimizes data center resiliency, delivering ample backup capacity at a fraction of the footprint. Their straightforward integration and operation ensure power continuity without introducing new hazards or expenses. And their sustainable qualities align with data centers’ growing environmental commitments.
For data centers pursuing reliable, efficient backup power at scale, the future is nickel-zinc. That’s The Power of Good Chemistry!
How to Make the Most out of UPS Battery Retrofits
Tod Higinbotham, COO, ZincFive, explains how new battery chemistry retrofits offer the chance to expand capacity with better long-term solutions.
Lead-acid batteries’ dominance of data center UPS systems is fading – and that’s good news for data center operators. Newer UPS battery chemistries such as lithium-ion and nickel-zinc offer greater long-term savings, reliability, sustainability, and UPS lifetime duration. Battery upgrades provide the perfect opportunity to exchange lead-acid batteries for improved performance. But often there’s a catch.
Some newer technologies, including lithium-ion, pose challenges in replacing a lead-acid based system, since they require additional safety considerations. Additionally, with changes to recent Codes and Standards, it can be more difficult to gain approvals from authorities having jurisdiction (AHJ) for this change in battery chemistry. Unless batteries are replaced with counterparts of the same type and size (with no more than 10% additional capacity), the replacement will have to be permitted as new installation.
Some battery types have a significantly reduced maximum capacity limit under both the NFPA 1 (and NFPA 855) and the International Fire Code. In addition to reduced capacity, some will require additional fire and explosion control systems and upgraded fire-resistant separations from other areas. These issues can complicate and add expenses to the retrofit process, so data center operators can become wary of retrofitting new chemistries. As a result, they continue to retrofit with lead-acid batteries and miss out on the benefits of making a switch.
A Comprehensive Guide to the U.S. Codes and Standards for ESS
Read PaperFortunately for data center operation teams, some battery solutions on the market today allow them to reap the benefits of more advanced technologies without worrying about complex approval processes, unnecessary costs, or safety risks. For instance, nickel-zinc chemistry offers data centers the best of both worlds: a smooth and pain-free retrofit resulting in a more reliable, sustainable, and long-lived battery system.
While lead-acid batteries have the advantage of familiarity, newer chemistries outperform them in several ways. Lithium-ion and nickel-zinc (NiZn) batteries are proven chemistries that save data centers money with their 10-15 year lifespan, up to three times as long as lead-acid batteries’ average five-year operating life. According to The iMasons’ Climate Accord, there are 100GW of built data center capacity globally. Roughly over half of the annual battery replacement market in data centers is the cost of replacing existing lead-acid batteries. By replacing these with one of the newer technologies, the operator can realize a real total cost of ownership (TCO) advantage over the operating life of the facility. This increased life expectancy can save the operator 30% to 50% in replacement operational expenditures over the life of the longer-lasting batteries.
Nickel-zinc batteries also offer greater reliability, which helps avoid costly power shortages for data centers – no small thing when over 60% of power failures result in at least $100,000 in total losses. A single failed cell in a lead-acid or lithium battery can cause the entire battery string to fail. This reduces runtime significantly and requires an expensive emergency maintenance visit to avoid the risk of power backup capacity failure. In contrast, depleted nickel-zinc cells allow the battery string to continue operation with no emergency maintenance, and no risk of backup power unavailability.
Companies have also come under pressure from investors, regulators, and the public to record and reduce their supply chain emissions. Nickel-zinc batteries’ greenhouse gas emissions footprint is four times lower than lead-acid batteries, and their production avoids toxic materials. These improvements in sustainability, including ready recyclability, help data centers attract clients developing and pursuing ambitious ESG goals.
Closing the Emissions Gap: Data Center Sustainability
Read MoreThis array of sustainability, reliability, and cost benefits makes certain new chemistries more than worthwhile – but there’s a reason data center operators might pause before moving on from lead-acid. Since most data centers were built to house lead-acid batteries, installing alternatives can sometimes be complex. While this can’t be said for all new chemistries, some do offer a hassle-free, straightforward process that lets operators access their benefits without having to face the headache of redesign.
Nickel-zinc batteries are incapable of thermal runaway, which eliminates the need for extra safety measures and equipment that lithium-ion batteries require. NiZn batteries are accepted by NFPA, listed in NFPA 855, and accepted in IFC Codes and Energy Storage Standards using the Hazard Mitigation Analysis (HMA) process. They can ship in fully populated cabinets and are backwards-forwards compatible with traditional UPS systems designed for lead-acid batteries. These characteristics provide a smooth retrofit and a way to maximize battery benefits without the vexation of a complicated re-design and approval process.
While lead-acid batteries are familiar, new chemistry retrofits offer the chance to expand capacity with better long-term solutions. Nickel-zinc batteries balance both priorities by boosting UPS system’s reliability, sustainability, and long-term savings with a straightforward deployment. In the end, it’s more than just an upgrade—it’s a strategic move toward a sustainable and reliable future.
Previously Published by Data Center Frontier
“Safe enough” is not safe: Assessing battery tradeoffs in data centers
Safety in data centers goes beyond the immediate concerns of uptime and data protection; it encompasses aspects such as potential fire hazards, risk of equipment damage, and environmental harm caused by toxic leaks.
Data centers’ uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems play a crucial role in ensuring reliable backup power – and some battery chemistries are safer than others.
The choice of battery chemistry not only impacts these critical systems’ efficiency and longevity, but also plays a significant role in defining their safety profile.
In this search for reliable and safe energy storage, different battery chemistries present different trade-offs. For instance, many data center operators have traditionally leaned towards lead-acid batteries for their familiarity and known safety risks.
Data Center Power Disruptions are Expensive — The Right Batteries Can Prevent Them
Read moreFor most of the industry’s history, lead-acid chemistries have been the only choice. Lithium-ion batteries have recently become more widely adopted in the industry, but there is concern over thermal runaway, in which battery heat can build up faster than it can be dissipated.
NFPA standards and fire codes are outlining clear mitigation steps, including lithium battery placement restrictions as well as the installation of additional fire prevention, ventilation and explosion control equipment. These requirements can motivate some data center operators to remain with their traditional lead-acid battery choice.
However, lead-acid batteries have other drawbacks: higher maintenance needs, lower efficiency, a shorter lifetime, and less reliability than newer storage battery chemistries. Moreover, they pose safety risks of their own: potential for swelling, cracks, venting due to overheating, and potential electrolyte leakage.
Fortunately, newer chemistries are breaking this dilemma: they offer both greater safety and the convenience of a drop-in replacement for lead-acid, without the need for expensive retrofits and additional safety-related equipment.
One alternative, nickel-zinc (NiZn) batteries, are made of abundant materials and do not go into thermal runaway. This safety advantage reduces site risk, which addresses potential insurance concerns and eases the approval process by Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).
As a result, NiZn batteries don’t need the safety equipment for greenfield or retrofits required for lithium-ion batteries. Instead, they are a convenient drop-in replacement for lead-acid batteries in data centers.
Nickel-Zinc UPS Battery Cabinets are Built For an Easy Upgrade at Data Centers Worldwide
Read PaperNickel-zinc batteries’ benefits extend beyond safety too, they offer higher power density than lead-acid and lithium batteries, packing more power into a smaller footprintthat saves data centers valuable space. They’re also more reliable, longer lived, and more sustainable than other chemistries, which makes NiZn batteries an excellent fit for data center UPS systems.
Ensuring data center safety is crucial to protect valuable data and infrastructure. Nickel-zinc batteries are a compelling alternative to address many of the safety concerns associated with traditional battery types, promising superior safety profiles and a straightforward installation along with greater efficiency, sustainability, reliability, and longevity. They’re a solid option for operators to pave the way for a safer future in data center energy storage.
Previously Published with Data Center Dynamics
Choosing the Right Battery for Your Data Center
For data centers, few things rival the importance of ensuring service reliability 24-7. Without this consistency, the day-to-day operations of countless critical sectors — from telecommunications to emergency medical services — can be severely disrupted, risking individuals’ safety and hampering economic growth.
This underlines why data centers are cautious about protecting their assets, and why choosing the right uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system is particularly important. To ensure that these systems can support the data center’s needs at any time, they require the best battery technology to power them.
Lead-acid batteries have a long history as the default choice, but the proliferation of new innovations and technologies has changed this in recent years. Now, data center operators have the option of choosing between a variety of battery chemistries, each of which comes with unique advantages.
When analyzing what battery type is best for their data center workflow, managers should keep in mind these key components:
Physical Footprint
The physical size of a UPS system plays a significant role in the layout and internal organization of data centers. Out of the commercial battery varieties, lead-acid has the largest footprint: it possesses the lowest power density, and therefore requires significantly more space than lithium-ion or nickel zinc (NiZn) technology to accommodate the same amount of storage. While this doesn’t pose a challenge for every facility, it does mean that lead-acid batteries are poorly suited for modular facilities, as well as for data centers in expensive urban areas. In comparison, NiZn batteries use up to 65% less linear footprint and thus allow modular builders and construction teams to better optimize their buildouts.
Improving Data Center Profits with Compact and Safe Backup Batteries
Read BlogTotal Cost
Cost inevitably plays a decisive role in selecting the right battery type. It’s important for data center managers to factor both capital expenditures and long-term operational costs into their investment decision.
Lead-acid batteries have the distinct advantage of being the lowest upfront-cost option on the market. They do, however, require regular maintenance to preserve their average 5-year lifespan. Though an attractive option because of their low initial capital cost, lead-acid batteries are the most expensive to operate in the long run — an important consideration for data center managers.
On the other hand, lithium-ion and NiZn batteries have a higher upfront cost but have a longer life and require less maintenance once installed. For example, by lowering operating expenses (OpEx), NiZn solutions reduce ownership costs by up to 28% over lead-acid based UPS products across the total UPS useful life.
Sustainability
The environmental impact of data centers has gained increasing attention in recent years as businesses face growing pressures from investors, consumers, and regulatory agencies to integrate sustainability into their operations. A third-party expert analysis was conducted to assess the sustainability of various battery chemistries. The study compared factors such as GHG emissions, water footprint, energy use footprint, and volatile organic compounds. The study also provides GHG Protocol Scope 3 level emissions analysis. This information helps data center operators make sustainability one of the top factors in picking a technology – the best choice for both the environment and their company’s reputation.
Closing the Emissions Gap: Data Center Sustainability
Read BlogReliability
Unfortunately, the very UPS system meant to prevent an outage too often causes one; accounting for 37% of data center outages, on-site power failure is still the most common cause of significant data center outages. The majority of these on-site outages (53%) are caused by UPS failure and often cost over $100,000 to repair.
One distinct reliability advantage is the ability to sustain battery discharge despite failure of an individual battery cell. In a UPS system, individual batteries are connected in a serial string (with multiple strings often paralleled) to support the required system voltage, power output, and run time. When a lead-acid or lithium-ion cell fails, it creates a high impedance or an open circuit that halts battery string operation. One single cell could be the difference between having the backup capacity needed or none at all, leaving the data center at unnecessary risk. Unlike lead-acid and lithium-ion, NiZn cells remain conductive when weak or depleted, allowing for continuous string operation and uninterrupted uptime.
Safety
The safety of data center workers and equipment is paramount when choosing batteries. Selecting a battery type that’s inherently non-flammable removes significant risks and makes the data center safer. For example, cell-level testing with the UL 9540A test method has revealed that NiZn batteries do not exhibit thermal runaway and are non-flammable, making them a safe choice for data centers and their workers alike.
Whichever battery type they choose, data center operators can help ensure their batteries’ safety by having them adhere to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1 (National Fire Code), the NFPA 855 standard, and the International Code Council’s (ICC) International Fire Code (IFC) 2021. These standards list both the installation safety rules for energy storage systems and testing procedures for batteries.
Additional Resources
As the number of options on the market grows, choosing the storage technology best suited for your data center has major impacts on cost, energy efficiency, sustainability, and safety. That’s why the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE’s) 1679 document family helps users, integrators, and servicing organizations compare traditional stationary battery technologies with newer, advanced technologies. These documents guide the user to select the best battery type for their needs. If you’re considering an energy storage purchase, the IEEE 1679-2020 document and its child documents (IEEE 1679.1, 1679.2, 1679.3 and 1679.4) are invaluable tools.
Previously Published with Energy Storage Journal
Closing the Emissions Gap: Data Center Sustainability
Tim Hysell, Co-founder and CEO of ZincFive, shares how data centers can reduce their customer’s scope 3 emissions.
Although scope 3 emissions form the vast majority of many organizations’ carbon footprints, they’re also the most difficult to track. As a result, many organizations have been hesitant to disclose this category of emissions. However, investor pressure to disclose scope 3 emissions is growing, and as companies look to reduce their emissions, data centers are increasingly under the microscope as an opportunity for impactful reductions, considering they are one of the most energy-intensive components of their customer’s supply chains.
The data center industry, and its associated energy use, is in the midst of rapid growth. In the US market alone, data center demand — measured by power consumption to reflect the number of servers a data center can house — is expect to reach 35 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, up from 17 GW in 2022. According to the iMasons Climate Accord, data centers currently account for around 2.4% of today’s global energy consumption.
When data center services are contracted out to outside parties, these emissions are classified under the data center clients’ scope 3 emissions. Data centers looking to address scope 3 emissions can leverage vendors that employ environmentally friendly practices and thus offer a reduced carbon footprint compared to their competitors.
Making The Most of Your Modular Data Center Power System
Read BlogData centers can practice several methods to reduce their carbon footprint, such as modular construction, optimizing cool airflow, and alternative fuels for generators. Alternative battery chemistries for backup power systems can also help data centers improve their sustainability. For instance, nickel-zinc batteries save an average of 112kg of CO2 per kWh compared to lithium-ion batteries, and 36kg of CO2 relative to lead-acid batteries. They’re also manufactured more sustainably, with fewer emissions per kWh of stored energy. Over their lifecycle, nickel-zinc batteries provide four times the greenhouse gas avoidance of lead-acid batteries and six times that of lithium-ion, giving the technology a 9.4 out of a possible 10 Climate Impact Score according to Boundless Impact Research and Analytics.
As the appetite for scope 3 emissions disclosure increases, data centers should look to improve their value by adopting sustainable practices. Data center operations offer various opportunities for emission reductions, and those who want an edge in attracting and retaining customers should embrace and promote their sustainable practices, letting businesses know that they’re ready to support their data needs while also helping meet their ESG targets.
Previously published with Data Center Frontier
Making the Most of Your Modular Data Center Power System
The demands on data centers constantly change. On top of the ever-expanding need for data services, the very operations they’re supporting also evolve rapidly. In the U.S. market alone, data center demand — measured by power consumption to reflect the number of servers a data center can house — is expected to reach 35 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. That’s over twice the 17 GW demand in 2022. In just a few years, data centers currently addressing the needs of A.I., cryptocurrency, and other cutting-edge technologies may be serving sectors that don’t even exist yet.
As companies adapt to a new era of digital transformation, data centers have also adapted to meet this increasing demand and unpredictability. Due to the constant improvements needed to adjust and expand data center capacity, new construction for data centers has rapidly shifted from traditional construction to prefabricated modular data center systems (PMDCs).
PMDCs are a design approach in which prefabricated units are assembled and outfitted with preselected, preconfigured equipment. This approach allows more flexibility in location and timing, and easier as-needed scaling and replacement of the center’s equipment and systems over time – perfect for the ever-shifting needs of data centers.
Organizations are already taking advantage of the cost savings, locational flexibility, and quicker construction periods of PMDCs. A recent survey of 228 data center executives found that over half had already deployed PMDCs, while 99% shared that they have plans to use modular data center designs in the coming years.
Modular Data Centers Offer Increased Efficiency and Flexibility
Modular data centers can be deployed in nearly any geographical location and avoid some of the more complicated aspects of traditional construction such as labor, transportation, and material constraints. Modular designs also allow for elements to be added over time as needed, aligning realistically and in real-time with capital and operational resources. This helps the site avoid the costs of maintaining underutilized or completely unused equipment.
A modular power system’s preselected, preconfigured equipment includes components like switchgear, power distribution units, and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). Operators can take the flexibility of PMDC design to ensure that the best equipment for their facilities are selected. By selecting power system products that boast strong synergy with modular design, data center power systems can be smaller and more efficient enabling a significant reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO).
Improving Data Center Profits with Compact and Safe Backup Batteries
Read BlogFor instance, nickel-zinc UPS batteries’ high-power density reduces the space needed for backup power supplies. Some nickel-zinc UPS battery cabinets can deliver as much power as lead-acid battery cabinets twice their size and weight. This allows data centers to reduce cabinet count, which can make a major difference when modular power systems can average a cost of $10,000 per linear foot of container. The small footprint of these systems makes them ideal for incorporation into PMDCs.
Nickel-zinc UPS battery cabinets can also operate at higher temperatures than their counterparts. Modular designs pose an opportunity to create climate specific environments for the UPS and battery systems. By utilizing nickel-zinc batteries, these rooms can operate at higher temperatures and offer the combined benefits of lower CapEx for lower capacity cooling systems, and reduced OpEx over the life of the cooling system. As high temperature events increase in frequency due to climate change, investing in battery systems that can withstand harsher environments in 10-15 years is a distinct advantage for facilities being built today.
Battery safety can also be a strong contributor to lower TCO of modular power systems. Nickel-zinc batteries do not exhibit thermal runaway and don’t require the safety infrastructure needed with other volatile battery chemistries. The infrastructure savings include lower capacity fire suppression systems, decreased structural burn rated materials, no deflagration venting, and more. Additionally, the safety enables lower cost shipping and transportation costs because the batteries do not need to ship separately and get re-installed at the final site.
PMDCs Also Offer Improved Sustainability
In addition to the benefits listed above, modular design also supports sustainable construction and operation of a data center. Increased demands for scope 3 emissions transparency are gaining momentum, driven by pressure from data center customers, investors, regulators and the general public. Data centers who stay ahead of the competition in reporting and addressing emissions through scope 3 will attract customers and investors who are seeking comprehensive disclosure and commitments to sustainability. This not only applies to the sustainability of the data center companies themselves, but to the climate impact of the customers who utilize these data centers as part of their operations.
The Sustainability Advantages of Nickel-Zinc Batteries
Read BlogAlternative battery chemistries such as nickel-zinc have shown advantages across a myriad of sustainability metrics, and offer users a method of minimizing their supply chain impacts and overall container material due to a battery system footprint reduction compared to other chemistries. PMDCs offer a greater opportunity to implement and enjoy such sustainability benefits.
To fully maximize these benefits, selecting the equipment that best aligns with modular design will set operators apart from their competition, and showcase the readiness to adapt that has remained an essential key to success for the sector.
Previously Published by Data Center Dynamics
Improving Data Center Profits with Compact and Safe Backup Batteries
Data centers are facing aggressive growth in demand, which in the U.S. alone is expected to double by 2030, according to McKinsey. To meet this demand, operators are constructing new data centers and retrofitting existing ones to improve efficiency. However, it’s important for data center designs to use space more efficiently and minimize their physical footprint to keep costs down, especially in urban areas that traditionally have higher real estate prices and taxes.
Data centers need to support increasing customer demand for more data, faster service, AI, IoT, digital content, and hybrid cloud solutions, which requires more equipment, to increase capacity. But the larger the data center’s footprint, the more expensive it is to manage and maintain. To maximize profitability, it’s essential to do more with less space.
Maximizing physical space leads to more efficient operations. Data centers categorize space into “white space,” which includes equipment that increases capacity and generates profits, and “gray space,” which includes back-end support systems that do not directly generate profit. Minimizing gray space with smaller, power-dense equipment allows operators to maximize the profit-driving white space. Upgrading to more efficient infrastructure equipment can be costly initially but leads to significant reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO).
Upgrading to a UPS battery system with a smaller footprint is a great place to start. You can choose a UPS battery with a smaller footprint to minimize gray space and create more white space. It is advisable to look for a battery cabinet with the smallest linear footprint so that you can use more power in a smaller space. By selecting batteries with higher power density, you can reduce the number of required battery cabinets, which creates more room for additional servers or a smaller facility.
Why Modular Data Centers are Good for the Environment
Read BlogFor example, modular data centers can reduce the footprint and cost of containerized electrical rooms by using smaller, more power-dense equipment. Modular data centers offer flexibility, scalability, faster and more cost-effective construction, better quality, and greater customization. They can be deployed in almost any location and can be added to over time, allowing for real-time alignment with capital and operational resources. They are built and tested in the factory, providing more consistent quality and lower cost. They also allow for more customization, with owners able to mix and match components to meet their needs and adapt to cost, space, and other considerations. In addition, a modular design supports sustainable construction and operation of a data center since components are only added when needed.
In addition to small footprint, non-flammable battery chemistries like nickel-zinc eliminate the need for additional safety equipment, permitting, and space requirements of lithium-ion batteries, reducing the footprint of batteries even further. Nickel-zinc batteries are safe, and non-flammable – they don’t exhibit thermal runaway. They can reliably deliver more power faster, at high temperatures, and do it safely, year after year. Compared to lead-acid and lithium chemistries, nickel-zinc batteries’ greater safety lowers energy storage infrastructure as well as costs for battery shipping and installation. This safety advantage delivers savings in materials, lower shipping weight, no transportation restrictions, and ability to ship energy storage systems completely assembled.
For instance, ZincFive UPS battery cabinet offers the industry-leading footprint with the smallest cabinet and fewest cabinets per megawatt in the industry while providing the same amount of power as larger lithium and lead-acid battery solutions. With an 84″ linear width, ZincFive UPS battery cabinets can deliver 1250kW of power, compared to lead-acid and lithium batteries, which require 65% and 45% more width respectively to provide the same amount of power.
The BC 2: Innovative Cabinet Design Meets Unrivaled Battery Performance
Read BlogThis not only saves space in the data center for equipment that generates revenue but also makes shipping, installation, and maintenance more straightforward. Additional space can be used for revenue-generating equipment, such as installing more servers or other IT equipment, resulting in higher profits.
Using smaller, more efficient equipment helps data centers save energy costs, reduce overall carbon footprints, and offer more affordable, sustainable services, which is a significant advantage in attracting and retaining customers in an increasingly competitive industry.
Previously Published by Data Center Frontier
Smaller Footprint, Big Impact: Saving Space and Increasing Profits in Data Centers
Data center demand is poised for continued, aggressive growth. In the U.S. alone, McKinsey’s analysis shows that demand is expected to increase from 17 GW in 2022 to 35 GW by 2030. While operators try to keep up with this growing demand through new construction of data centers and efficiency-focused retrofits, it’s crucial for these designs to utilize space more efficiently so they can minimize their physical footprint.
Data centers built for the future need to support the increasing customer demand for more data, faster service, AI, edge computing, IoT, increasing digital content, and hybrid cloud solutions. This will require more equipment, mainly servers, to increase capacity. But the larger the data center’s footprint, the more expensive it is to manage and maintain. This is especially true for the rising number of data centers constructed in urban areas, with higher real estate prices and related taxes. The key: do more with less space.
The more power one can fit into a smaller real estate footprint, the less expensive real estate costs are relative to the revenue generated. For instance, modular data centers can reduce the footprint and cost of containerized electrical rooms by using smaller, more power-dense equipment. Smaller equipment footprints, especially for infrastructure, make more room for servers and for profits.
Maximizing physical space leads to more efficient operations. In data centers, we categorize space into ‘white space’ and ‘gray space’. White space includes equipment that increases capacity and thus directly makes a profit, such as servers, storage, and network gear. Gray space refers to back-end support systems that usually do not directly generate profit. Gray space equipment includes supporting mechanical and electrical infrastructure: generators, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, switchgear, chillers, and transformers.
Minimizing gray space with smaller, power-dense equipment allows operators to maximize the profit-driving white space. Replacing older, less efficient infrastructure equipment presents an opportunity for profitable upgrades as newer, more efficient technologies become available. While the initial investment into equipment upgrades may seem high, utilizing efficient equipment will lower long-term costs.
BC 2: Innovative Cabinet Design Meets Unrivaled Battery Performance
Read blogFor example, upgrading your UPS battery system is a great place to start. Choosing a UPS battery with a smaller footprint reduces gray space and frees up more white space. Look for a battery cabinet with the smallest linear footprint per watt so you can leverage more power in less space. By choosing batteries with a higher power density, you can reduce the necessary number of battery cabinets and have more room for additional servers – or even a smaller overall facility. Non-flammable chemistries, such as nickel-zinc, also eliminate the need for additional safety equipment, permitting, and space considerations required by lithium-ion batteries. This can help lower batteries’ footprints even further.
Smaller, more efficient equipment allows data centers to save energy costs, reduce data centers’ overall carbon footprints, and offer an avenue for their customers to lower their scope 3 emissions to meet regulatory and ESG targets. As the data center industry becomes more competitive, those who offer more affordable, sustainable services through profitable equipment upgrades have a significant advantage in attracting and retaining more customers.
Previously published by Data Center knowledge
The Sustainability Advantages of Nickel-Zinc Batteries
Nickel-zinc (NiZn) batteries are a more sustainably sourced and environmentally friendly alternative to other battery chemistries.
A Climate Impact Profile by Boundless Impact Research and Analytics compared the environmental impact of lead-acid, lithium and NiZn batteries, demonstrating that NiZn has advantages with lower GHG emissions, water footprint, energy footprint, carbon payback time, material use, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Combining these metrics, NiZn had a 9.4 out of 10 impact score on its overall performance, with higher scores representing higher positive environmental impact. The cradle to grave carbon footprint of a nickel zinc battery is significantly less than lead-acid or lithium batteries.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of each element on the chart:
- Material Use
NiZn batteries use common, highly available, conflict-free materials which are also highly recyclable. Nickel and zinc are respectively four and five times more abundant in the earth’s crust than lithium and lead. In addition, while lead exposure is a global health concern and lithium’s reactivity to air and water makes it a fire hazard, nickel and zinc are non-toxic and non-flammable. - Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Nickel-zinc batteries’ lifetime greenhouse gas emissions are four times lower than lead-acid and six times lower than lithium-ion emissions. Since nickel and zinc sourcing require fewer emissions and NiZn battery manufacturing carbon footprint is lower, users purchasing $1M of NiZn batteries save 148,255 tons of CO2e – a 537 percent improvement over lithium, and a 1,700 percent improvement over lead-acid batteries. - Carbon Payback Time
Carbon Payback Time (CPT) measures the time it takes for a battery to offset its cradle to gate carbon footprint. NiZn chemistry’s CPT is between 0.16 and 0.21 years – 400% faster than lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries. - Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Emitted as gases from solids – including those used to produce lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries – VOCs are infamous for causing short-and long-term adverse health effects. A healthier alternative, NiZn batteries do not use VOCs in production. - Water Footprint
Even including water requirements for raw material extraction, a NiZn battery still demands 96% less water from cradle to gate than the average lithium-ion battery. - Energy Footprint
The energy footprint, manufacturing to gate, for NiZn is 23-33% less than that of lithium-ion batteries and lead-acid pure-lead batteries.
ZincFive’s commitment to sustainability and the environment extends beyond its products.
ZincFive is a member of the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), as part of the company’s continued commitment to safeguard human rights, communities impacted by mining, and the broader environment.as part of the company’s continued commitment to safeguard human rights, communities impacted by mining, and the broader environment. IRMA works to advance responsible mining practices, providing third-party verification and certification against comprehensive environmental and social criteria for all mined materials. Membership in the initiative is the latest development in ZincFive’s commitment to promote ESG standards within the company for the benefit of all stakeholders.
