Market Segment
Power Monitoring Solutions for Data Centers
SATEC provides an integrated power-monitoring architecture for data centers, covering the electrical path from the utility/grid connection and main switchgear through UPS systems, cooling equipment, PDUs and branch circuits to rack-level loads.
For data-center operators, the objective is continuous visibility of power quality, energy consumption, capacity, PUE, tenant allocation and electrical events. This Segment page explains those operational needs and then directs visitors to the relevant SATEC Solution pages and products.
Why Power Monitoring Matters in Data Centers
In a mission-critical facility, energy monitoring is not only about reducing the electricity bill. Electrical data supports reliability, capacity planning, fault investigation and operational decisions across the entire power chain.
- Protect uptime — identify voltage disturbances, overloads, harmonics and abnormal conditions affecting critical infrastructure.
- Understand capacity — monitor feeder and branch loading to see where usable capacity remains before new IT loads are connected.
- Improve energy efficiency — compare facility consumption with IT load and supporting systems to find avoidable losses.
- Measure PUE accurately — use consistent metering points for total facility energy and IT equipment energy.
- Support colocation billing — allocate energy to customers, cages, racks or other billing groups using suitable devices.
- Investigate events — use time-stamped logs, waveform recording and power-quality data to understand electrical disturbances.
Complete Visibility — From the Grid to the Rack
A data center electrical monitoring system should match the physical power-distribution hierarchy. SATEC devices can be deployed at different levels so that high-level power quality and utility-interface data correlate with downstream load and branch-circuit information.
| Monitoring level | What to monitor | Typical SATEC role |
|---|---|---|
| Grid / MV connection | Incoming supply, power quality, events, synchronized measurements | PM180 for advanced PQ, event/fault recording and utility applications. |
| Main distribution / UPS | Power, energy, demand, harmonics, sags/swells, waveforms | PRO PM335 / EM235 for compact high-accuracy metering and advanced PQ. |
| Critical infrastructure | Generators, cooling, pumps, UPS auxiliaries, major loads | PRO Series or multifunction meters selected to required accuracy and PQ. |
| PDU / branch circuits | Per-circuit load, energy, demand, phase balance, capacity | BFM-II for high-density multi-circuit monitoring: up to 18 three-phase or 54 single-phase circuits. |
| Central monitoring | PUE, trends, alarms, reports, analytics, multi-site visibility | ExpertPower energy management platform. |
Improve PUE with Granular Energy Monitoring
Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) compares total data center energy with the energy used by IT equipment, so a useful PUE program depends on accurate, consistent metering at the correct points. By submetering main distribution, cooling, UPS losses, auxiliary systems and IT distribution, operators can see which loads drive facility overhead. ExpertPower centralizes meter data, trends, dashboards, alarms and reports. Learn more about our energy efficiency solutions.
PUE = Total Facility Energy / IT Equipment Energy
Power Quality Monitoring for Mission-Critical Loads
Servers, UPS systems and power supplies can be sensitive to disturbances and also contribute harmonic distortion. Power quality monitoring adds the diagnostic layer needed to distinguish a supply problem from an internal distribution issue: voltage sags/swells and interruptions, unbalance, harmonics, frequency and power-factor conditions, waveform and event recording, and long-term trending. Advanced analyzers such as the PM180 and PRO Series combine high-accuracy metering with event recording. Explore our Power Quality Analysis solution.
Branch-Circuit Monitoring and Capacity Planning
Capacity problems often appear downstream, where a facility has available power at the service entrance but limited capacity on a specific PDU, panel or phase. The BFM-II measures up to 18 three-phase or 54 single-phase loads from one device, reducing space and wiring while providing circuit-level energy and loading information for rack and PDU visibility, phase balancing, overload alarming and capacity planning.
Colocation Submetering and Customer Billing
Colocation and managed-hosting operators need to separate facility-level energy use from customer consumption. SATEC metering supports submetering architectures that allocate energy by tenant, cage, rack or branch, and ExpertPower centralizes consumption data, reporting and billing workflows. See our Billing & Revenue Metering solution.
Integrate with EPMS, DCIM, BMS and SCADA
Meter measurements may feed an EPMS, DCIM, BMS, SCADA or enterprise energy-management platform. Depending on the product and configuration, integration can use Modbus and, on supported products, BACnet, DNP3, IEC 60870-5-101/104 or IEC 61850. See our SCADA solution.
AC and DC Energy Monitoring & 800 VDC Architectures
Most data-center distribution remains AC, but high-density AI and HPC facilities are moving toward high-voltage DC distribution to reduce conversion stages and losses. Emerging architectures converge around an approximately 800 VDC level. SATEC PRO Series meters support direct DC measurement up to 820 VDC and, with UHACS high-accuracy DC current sensors, measure DC voltage, current, power and bi-directional energy; the VRM extends the range to 1,500 VDC. Explore our DC Metering solution.
Recommended SATEC Products for Data Centers
| Product | Recommended positioning |
|---|---|
| PM180 | Advanced Class A power quality analyzer for grid/MV interfaces and critical points. |
| PRO Series — PM335 / EM235 | Compact high-accuracy meter and analyzer for main distribution, UPS, generators and critical loads. |
| BFM-II | High-density branch-feeder monitor for PDUs, panels, racks and multi-circuit submetering. |
| ExpertPower | Central energy-management platform for dashboards, alarms, PUE analysis and billing. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is data center power monitoring?
The continuous measurement and analysis of electrical parameters across the facility power chain, from the incoming supply through UPS systems, distribution panels, PDUs and branch circuits. It supports reliability, capacity management, energy efficiency and event investigation.
How is PUE measured?
PUE is calculated by dividing total facility energy by IT equipment energy, and depends on accurate, consistently defined metering points for both values.
Why is power quality monitoring important in data centers?
It helps identify disturbances such as sags, swells, interruptions, harmonics and unbalance that can affect UPS systems and critical IT loads, and event records help determine whether a disturbance originated upstream or inside the facility.
Can SATEC meters integrate with DCIM or BMS?
Yes. Depending on the meter and configuration, SATEC devices provide electrical data over standard industrial communications for integration with DCIM, EPMS, BMS and SCADA platforms.
Can SATEC support colocation tenant billing?
Yes. SATEC offers submetering and energy-management capabilities that separate consumption by tenant, circuit, cage, rack or other defined measurement point.
