Siemens plans standardized infrastructure for data centers

Siemens and Rittal want to standardize power distribution in data centers. The aim is to achieve faster construction times and a stable infrastructure for increasing power densities.

Siemens and Rittal have entered into a strategic partnership for standardized power distribution solutions in data centers. The aim of the collaboration is to accelerate the construction of high-performance data centers, shorten commissioning times and serve the growing power densities resulting from artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

According to a statement from Siemens, the cooperation will focus on markets in which International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards apply. These are around 170 countries worldwide. The focus is on a standardized infrastructure for power distribution. Siemens is working together with the Friedhelm Loh Group and its company Rittal, which offers racks (server cabinets) and infrastructure for power supply and cooling.

According to the companies, power values of 100 kW and more per rack are already common in AI data centers. By 2030, the power density could continue to rise sharply. This will result in new requirements for energy distribution, cooling and heat recovery.

One of the first joint solutions will be an application that is installed directly in the core of the data center, i.e. close to the server and storage cabinets. A dedicated power rack is planned, which will supply several server racks and bundle the power electronics. In addition, both companies are working on a standardized low-voltage distribution system for modular and containerized data centers as well as solutions for operational and personal safety.

According to the companies, initial customer projects are already being implemented. The collaboration is also set to be extended to other sectors and applications in the future.

Author: Katia Meyer-Tien