Schneider Electric has enabled large data centers of all sizes to achieve high density, efficient power protection with its expansion of the Galaxy V-Series uninterruptible power supply (UPS) solutions for data center and industrial applications. New to the portfolio, the scalable 500kW, 1000kW, and 1500kW Galaxy VX UPS provide the efficiency, performance, redundancy and reliability required by large, hyperscale and colocation data centers — all in a streamlined design.

Scalable, flexible power protection

The digital economy is driving unprecedented data center growth as businesses manage an increasing volume of data generated by connected devices and the Internet of Things (IoT). At the same time, data is becoming a key competitive differentiator for businesses, and the need for real-time data access is more critical and downtime more damaging than ever before.

Galaxy VX’s extended power ranges, available from 500kW to 1500kW, answer the need for high availability by providing complete, versatile power support for a diverse data center market. This includes mid-to-large and hyperscale data centers that require an increasing amount of power for continuity and reliability of service. The Schneider Electric Galaxy V-Series platform was introduced in 2014 with the Galaxy VM Series, followed by the Galaxy VX Series in June 2016.

“As cloud computing and colocated IT models continue to expand in the enterprise, there is a growing focus on energy efficiency to support the move to hyperscale data centers globally,” said Pedro Robredo, vice president, secure power systems, Schneider Electric. “The Galaxy V-Series global platform offers high efficiency modes, scalability, modularity and Li-ion energy storage integration for high reliability.”

Built with growth in mind, the robust Galaxy VX solutions feature a modular, distributed-component design that scales power system redundancy and capacity through incremental 250kW per unit power cabinets. Additionally, by featuring two input/output (I/O) cabinets, Galaxy VX eliminates the need to change the I/O cabinet when upscaling the power rating, enabling power cabinet internal redundancy. This architecture enhances overall system reliability, reduces Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) and enables higher levels of protection and fault tolerance.

“Large and hyperscale data center customers voiced their requirements for the next evolution of three-phase UPS solutions; they want stable, protected power with increased fault manageability, flexibility in terms of installation, expansion and operating modes, and extreme high efficiency,” said Jay Owen, Senior Vice President, IT Division, Schneider Electric. “Schneider Electric has achieved these requirements and more with Galaxy VX, providing a family of solutions that offer high efficiency and reliability and that can scale as customers’ facilities and business needs grow.”

Flexible operation and management, up to 99% efficiency

Galaxy VX is fully managed through the Schneider Electric StruxureOn cloud-based remote monitoring as well as the EcoStruxure IT software suite, an integrated suite of data center infrastructure management (DCIM) applications. It enables businesses to manage their data centers across multiple domains, providing actionable intelligence for an ideal balance of high availability and peak efficiency. In addition, Galaxy VX offers three flexible operating modes to optimize IT environments, including:

• Double Conversion Mode: Through highly efficient Double Conversion Mode, Galaxy VX reduces switching losses using a four-level conversion technology. The reduced switching stress offers greater reliability and reduction in failure rate and delivers up to 96.4% efficiency.

• Eco Mode: Galaxy VX offers a traditional economy mode, which delivers up to 99% efficiency.

• ECOnversion™ Mode: With this operating mode, Galaxy VX offers a hybrid between Eco Mode and Double Conversion Mode, eliminating the need for additional hardware for power cleansing. ECOnversion delivers double conversion performance with up to 99% efficiency.

Galaxy VX is available with flexible battery storage options including Lithium-ion (Li-ion), which improves backup storage manageability, reduces maintenance complexity and costs, and decreases footprint. Optimized for the enhanced charging capabilities of Li-ion, Galaxy VX can rapidly discharge and recharge quickly in a multiple outage situation. Additionally, as Li-ion technology can store renewable energy for use during peak periods, Galaxy VX allows facility operators to more effectively deal with peak demand periods and enable greater efficiency throughout the data center.

For certain installations, Galaxy VX is available as part of a prefabricated power skid architecture to simplify UPS deployment and installation. The pre-assembled and pretested system incorporates the UPS and all major components of the data center electrical infrastructure, including batteries, Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) and switchgear to minimize installation time and errors on-site. This provides customers with a simple, integrated solution that enables rapid deployment of new power and compute capacity to support their data center growth.