IDNOs are your secret ally to unblocking the energization queue and optimizing data center energy efficiency.
At a time when demand for processing power is soaring, thanks to cloud computing, IoT, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI), new data center projects are growing apace and hyperscalers and data centers are notoriously power-hungry.
According to John Pettigrew, the National Grid's chief executive, the sector is expected to see a six-fold increase in power demand in the next decade. This is causing problems across the nation's electricity systems as more, and larger, projects want to be connected to the grid in a timely manner.
A range of constraints means that connection applications made to Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) or the National Energy System Operator (NESO) are being given dates 10 to 15 years in the future, putting projects and investments at risk.
Not getting a power connection for a decade or more could see the investment walking away and the customers looking for alternative locations in Europe or further afield.
Here come the IDNOs
However, the tide can be turned through Independent Distribution Network Operators (IDNOs). IDNOs were introduced in 2004 to increase competition in electricity distribution. They are licensed by Ofgem like regular DNOs, and they design, own, operate, and maintain electricity networks in the UK. They are not restricted to a geographical area and operate in a competitive environment. This provides the dynamic for IDNOs to look for solutions in an innovative way and be flexible in how they interpret the DNO's standards, which vary from region to region.
What does energization innovation look like?
A good example of this was a recent data center project that saw eight kilometers of dual circuit 132kV line connected directly to an overhead distribution circuit. DNOs require a point of isolation between their network and an IDNO's network, often requiring additional hardware such as switches and circuit breakers. Traditionally, this involves installing a substation either at the base of the tower or at the point of supply (the data center site).
Often IDNOs can suggest solutions that are outside the DNO's previous experience. For this data center installation, the equipment the IDNO provided was similar to that which the DNO would have deployed had they adopted the on-site substations, but there needed to be a switching point to isolate the IDNO's network from the DNO's network in case of a problem.
There was insufficient land to include both a DNO and an IDNO substation in the design, and an alternative approach was investigated.
The solution was simple and effective. It involved the DNO having operational control of the IDNO-adopted 132kV point of isolation circuit breaker. Giving the DNO control over the IDNO's equipment solved the dilemma. The customers avoided the expense of additional hardware, and the design fitted the data center substation's tight footprint.
The great pressure that DNOs are under can put constraints on what they can accommodate for customers. An IDNO has the flexibility to be innovative and offer solutions that a DNO may not have considered. Not because the DNO lacks empathy for the customer's position and challenges, but because the system is not set up to invite this kind of flexibility.
Unlocking innovation for efficiency and sustainability
IDNOs can also add value to data center energization projects by applying lessons learned from energizing other sectors, including renewable projects and microgrids. The biggest expense for a data center is the energy it consumes. So, taking advantage of cheaper renewable energy sources makes perfect sense.
Data centers can benefit from the idea of a private network that incorporates multiple types of generation, creating two-way power flows around the network to optimize the efficiency of the network and help meet the obligations placed on them from a zero-carbon perspective.
As our need for digital services and data grows, the pressure on data centers will intensify. Unlocking the queue for connectivity through innovation is an area where IDNOs add significant value. Similarly, as data centers continue to innovate to decarbonize and find new ways to work collaboratively with the grid, IDNOs are valuable allies within the complex energy ecosystem. They connect all of the constituent parts.
An experienced IDNO ensures that appropriate relationships are in place so that hyperscalers and operators can overcome energy connectivity challenges through a focused, customer-centric approach.