UNRAVELLING DATA CENTRE POWER IN AN OFCI WORLD

Introduction

In this white paper we look at some of the key considerations when providing critical power systems to hyperscale data centres in an Owner Furnished Contractor Installed (OFCI) procurement environment. We look at;

• Today’s Data Centre environment
• Traditional procurement methods
• The pro’s and cons of OFCI
• Supply chain challenges
• How the move to modularisation can help

What is Contractor Furnished, Contractor Installed?

The traditional construction procurement model which has been used for decades to build infrastructure projects both large and small including data centres is what we now call CFCI – Contractor Furnished, Contractor Installed. It is a model that is still in wide scale use today including to build data centres of all sizes. This procurement model is where the owner / developer contracts individually with the design team, consultants and construction company in a linear process as the planning, design and construction phases of the project develop. The method brings with it many advantages such as

• Everyone involved clearly understands the project.
• The design and construction teams remain separate, bringing with them the appropriate checks and balances needed to help protect quality control and design intent as set out by the owner / client.
• The owner or client holds the reins of the project, maintaining control over all aspects of the design and how it is implemented.
• Financially, this method encourages competition, generally providing the cheapest option to the client.

The CFCI model also comes with its disadvantages, including things such as:

• The owner must have the expertise and resources in house to manage the project team, help resolve design and construction issues, and take responsibility for design errors and changes.
• There is limited opportunity for value engineering and collaboration across the project to try and achieve any programme enhancements as these are usually made by overlapping design and construction activities. These factors can and do affect final project costs.
• The owner / client is very reliant upon the contractor that they select having the technical expertise to support their selection process.
• The client generally ends up with the cheapest option rather than the best value.
• The client very rarely gets the option to consider or optimise “lifecycle costs” and operational costs.
• The owner or client rarely has a say in the selection of key equipment. This denies them the opportunity to achieve product commonality across sites, secure volume discounts and introduces the need for them to deal with multiple vendors for ongoing through life product maintenance etc.

There are of course also a number of hybrid versions where, for example, client tenders to ensure best price then up grades supply to his preferred choice taking the extra cost hit.

What is the alternative – OFCI? – Owner Furnished, Contractor Installed

Is there an alternative to the CFCI procurement model? The answer is of course yes. As we considered earlier, there are hybrid versions of CFCI and whilst very different the OFCI alternative can fit well into many project environments none more so than hyperscale data centres, however it brings with it some challenges.

So, what is the Owner furnished contractor installed model – OFCI? This method of procurement is where the developer/ owner / the end client directly procures (purchases) the high-cost capital equipment or long lead time plant with the intention of then issuing it to the contractor for installation. The owner / developer then tenders the construction contract in the usual way with the successful contractor and fit out partners between them taking on full design responsibility and all project completion liabilities.

This is the period of maximum risk for the project as

• The owner / developer has either already placed orders for key equipment or in a rush to place orders for other long lead time equipment.
• The contractor and team(s) are still getting to grips with the project itself, seeking to understand what the owner has ordered  or wants to order, whilst urgently trying to develop and complete a final design so that everyone can understand if things will fit and if everything will work when it comes to site. Alongside this, the contractor must also order equipment not included in the OFCI plan.

If this period is not managed well then significant time can be lost as well as money, therefore the owner/developer’s decision to directly procure equipment should be led by the overarching procurement strategy of his organisation. It is important though that where the OFCI strategy does not meet project or organisational requirements, it can also add significant risk to the project.

Here then are some of the advantages that the client / owner / developer of using this model are:

• They have direct access to the supply chain, facilitating a level of standardisation of products across his estate.
• Permits them to build strong relationships with supply chain providing “in project” involvement in the design and access to view the manufacture and testing processes.
• It allows increased client buying power, for long term procurement planning, for the pre-ordering of equipment and hence shortening lead times.
• It provides the opportunity for improving value within a project.
• The opportunity to spread project cash flow over a longer period.
• Ease in securing agreements for on going through life maintenance and access to spare parts.
• Can also improve quality by utilising modular offsite manufacturing and repeatable design.

There are of course disadvantages to the use of this model and this includes things such as:

• Introducing additional risks into the project by the blurring of the lines of the contractor’s responsibilities, exposing the potential to undermine the design responsibility of the contractor as they have not been responsible for the selection of key equipment. If the client then attempts to reallocate this risk using more stringent contractual terms, it risks the possibility that contractor(s) inflate their costs to account for this increased risk.
• A failure to capture full design scope or local regulatory requirements which can make integration into a local setting more complex with the potential for changes required to the client “standard” product. This can delay final design or even add costs if discovered later into the project programme.
• Limits the supply of key equipment to one or two manufacturers.
• Can erode value in the project.

Modularisation of the Power Train

As a supplier of critical power systems, I guess you would expect me to look at how modularisation can bring advantages to clients in the OFCI environment. It is possible to fit all elements of the critical power train across two or three containers depending on rating configuration and scope of requirement. This offers a significant reduction in the space needed to deploy the equipment as a number of different module configurations are possible, for example on a two or three deck gantry configuration.

• The modular critical power train can include all or any of the following:
  • 11kV/400V Tx and RMU
  • LV switchgear including generator changeover panel
  • UPS and Battery system also including room cooling
  • Generator, fuel storage system, Flue system including SCR
  • Busbar and cabling
  • POD Cooling
  • Fire detection and suppression
  • Lighting and small power
  • Gantry and access systems
  • Installation
  • Cable or busbar solutions
  • Full Factory Testing, Commissioning and Site Testing
  • Full all product service and maintenance support

Using this approach means that the entire power train is available as a “Plug and Play solution”.

Advantages of a one stop shop modular design

What could a one stop shop solution include? The design, fabrication, fit out, FAT, gantry system, site installation, off load positioning, external busbar and cable, commissioning and SAT. It can also include partial or full procurement by the vendor depending on client preference, which again  comes back to the procurement model the client is using. Additionally;

• Modular units are designed to match the external requirements of the build space.
• The package can be configured in a way best suited to the site, optimising the available space. Equipment can be located on the ground or on a gantry, modules or PODs can be configured side by side end on end or a combination of both.
• External plant permits maximum internal white/IT space the internal space saving can be significant.
• Power train specification and design can often be concluded more quickly than rest of DC fabric and infrastructure reducing lead time.
• Often OFCI equipment is available ahead of space being available on site.
• Early availability of key equipment permits early modular integration, testing and delivery to site.
• Stage 3 testing and integration of power train can be conducted away from site ahead of delivery.
• Avoids potential accidental damage to equipment when being installed in a pressured “on site” working environment.
• Early delivery to site can advance site programme by
  • Allowing earlier installation of cables to all areas of site.
  • Allow early power up of critical equipment to facilitate commission and testing, again advancing programme.

Knowledge, Experience and Expertise

We all know that knowledge, experience and expertise play an important role in ensuring that projects of the type we are talking about here all come together. Sometimes it is just those little things, an informed input here, a small tweak there at the design can make all the difference. This is so important in the OFCI environment when the client is very reliant on the design team to ensure it is right and it works. We conclude this paper with just a couple of examples where an experience design team can help optimise the design and save cost.

• When bringing together and integrating into a package, a number of products from suppliers selected by a client can come with challenges. The kit can be too big, dissipate too much heat for the given accompanying cooling plant, or it doesn’t meet some of the criteria imposed by the planning or permitting consents etc.
• We had recent experience where a client selected a vendor to supply a switchboard into an E-POD package. The switchboard configuration didn’t readily lend itself to the use of busbar which they had also requested to be used on the project for all the main power connections. This anomaly was picked up very early in the design stage and flagged to the client. The close working relationship with the client and the resultant direct route to the client and his team was quickly resolved well ahead of any steel being cut.
• As we know there are variations in product packaging sizes between manufacturers; for example,  rated UPS do vary in length and depth. These variations can open opportunities for optimising overall module footprints. The same is true with the UPS batteries. The most cost-effective solutions don’t always provide optimal use of space and can add cost to the project.

These are just a couple of small examples of where that knowledge and experience can pay dividends for the client.