You are using 208V 30A power today. Is it worth switching to 208V 3phase power?

208 Single Phase vs. 208 3 Phase

When building your datacenter you may want to consider pulling 3 phase power to the rack level. 3 phase power is delivered more efficiently, increases total rack power and could save quite a bit of money in the long run. We have outlined the Pros and Cons of going to 3 phase below, but first, let’s briefly talk about how 3 phase power is delivered.

3 phase power is the most efficient way to produce and distribute electricity. Nearly all power in the world today is generated as 3 phase. 3 phase power combines three electric circuits into one and is supplied over three wires which are typically labeled X, Y and Z in the United States. The line voltages between the three possible pairs of wires are XY, YZ and XZ. For industrial applications 3 phase power is more constant over time making it better suited than single phase power for applications like large industrial loads. This is due to the fact that when a single phase is crossing through zero the two remaining phases are non-zero, either positive or negative, ensuring that the load has a more constant source of power.

Please take a look at the graph below, it illustrates the differences in power types.

3 Phase Pros

• Power is delivered more efficiently, for example may not need transformers meaning no step-down loss
• Greater power at the rack level
• Lower maintenance costs
• Lower number of whips required at the rack
• Less poles taken up at the distribution panel
• Less rework required as datacenter grows

3 Phase Cons

• High upfront costs if doing conversion from single phase
• Loads must be balanced
• High voltage can be dangerous if not handled properly

For more information, contact one of our solution specialists.