Phoenix NAP Power Distribution
Redundancy by Design
Phoenix NAP puts special emphasis on its power design. Employing a true 2N distribution system, four 10 megawatt feeds are delivered from utility substation transformers to the facility along two different geographic paths.And that is just the start of the redundancy.
- Two medium voltage uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units are fed by three sources; two redundant utility feeds and an N+1 backup generator system
- Each client rack is redundantly fed from two power distribution panels (PDBs) on separate distribution paths
All of this adds up to one thing — true A and B power distribution from the substation to client racks.
Medium Voltage
Typical 480 volt service entrance duct bank
A typical 480 volt service entrance duct bank usually requires multiple conduits, a sizable concrete footprint, thousands of feet of wire, and many terminations. Since Phoenix NAP uses medium voltage, that same configuration would require one conduit, a small concrete footprint, hundreds of feet of wire, and few terminations.
Medium voltage also requires fewer duct banks, limiting the chances of cross-duct overheating.
Less copper required=cost savings that Phoenix NAP can pass on to clients.
Figure 1
Sources: U.S. Geological Survey, [2007], [Mineral commodity, Copper] statistics in Kelly, T.D., and Matos, G.R., comps., Historical statistics for mineral and material commodities in the United States: U.S. Goelogical Survey Data Series 140, available online at http://minerals.usgs.gov/ds/2005/140/copper.pdf
U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries; January 2009 available online: http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/2009/mcs2009.pdf

