Microgrid Installed at DataBank's ATL1 to Enable Smart Power Use

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Aug 12, 2020, 08:08 ET

DALLAS, Aug. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- DataBank, a leading provider of enterprise-class data center, connectivity and managed services, is announcing a unique addition to its ATL1 data center in midtown Atlanta's Tech Square CODA collaborative. A newly installed microgrid employs three power resources: a natural gas and diesel generator, energy cells, and a battery bank.

The microgrid serves as a collaborative effort in a research and development capacity for Georgia Power, Southern Company R&D, The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), and DataBank.

"The microgrid project will give us a better understanding of the resiliency, sustainability, and cost of microgrids to help develop emerging energy solutions to better serve our customers now and in the future," said Alan Goldin, project manager at Georgia Power.

In addition, the microgrid enables several measures, automatically. First, it acts as an emergency generator source in case of power failure. Second, it acts as a standalone power source delivering a maximum of 1.5 megawatts to the Georgia Institute of Technology's High-Performance Computer Center (HPCC), which is housed in ATL1. The microgrid can run parallel to Georgia Power's grid as an additional power source.

The cost of powering the HPCC during peak hours increases significantly. The benefit of the microgrid is that during peak hours, it can adjust energy draws and peak load to save costs. The microgrid is also capable of sensing the HPCC total kilowatt load and then delivering power based on the capacity needed.

"The microgrid is a 'smart grid' in effect as it can sense the capacity and power needed for the HPCC, and adjust automatically, for both optimum power consumption as well as cost-effectiveness," states Neal Bryant, Facilities Manager, ATL1. "The combination of mechanical equipment like cooling towers and mechanical pumping, along with IT infrastructure allows for varying loads during testing. The microgrid senses those varying loads and exports power accordingly."

"The microgrid is a winning situation for all the partners involved," states Tim Lieuwen, the Executive Director of Georgia Tech's Strategic Energy Institute. "It allows us to more efficiently run our supercomputing center, provides backup power for DataBank's facility and reduces load at peak times for Georgia Power."

"This microgrid, just like our heat recycling initiative, is another example of how DataBank smartly applies technology innovations to evolve the data center experience and meet the demands of customers, partners, and our environment," comments Brandon Peccoralo, General Manager, ATL1.

To learn more about ATL1 and its anchor tenant, Georgia Tech, click here. To learn more about DataBank, visit www.databank.com.

About DataBank

DataBank is a leading provider of enterprise-class data center, cloud, and interconnection services, offering customers 100% uptime availability of data, applications, and infrastructure. DataBank's managed data center services are anchored in world-class facilities. Our customized technology solutions are designed to help customers effectively manage risk, improve their technology performance, and allow them to focus on their core business objectives. DataBank is headquartered in the historic former Federal Reserve Bank Building, in downtown Dallas, TX. For additional information on DataBank locations and services, please visit www.databank.com or call 1(800) 840-7533.

SOURCE DataBank