Demonstration Success: Verrus Showcases Flexible Data Center Tech
In an exciting development, Verrus, a company born from Alphabet's spinout Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, has emerged from stealth mode in early 2024, promising to revolutionise the data centre industry.
Verrus' technology allows for a groundbreaking shift in HVAC systems, enabling them to switch from grid electricity to battery electricity. This innovation is set to minimise unused power and improve efficiency by up to 30%.
The company's unique electrical distribution network in its data centres is at the heart of this efficiency boost. Each Verrus data centre building will be equipped with a 70 MW battery, providing four hours of storage capacity.
Verrus has already successfully demonstrated its technology in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Jeff Bladen, Verrus' head of energy, hailed the demonstration as showcasing a "truly flexible data center."
Utility-scale batteries in Verrus' design can be operated multiple times a day, don't need refueling, and offer the grid hundreds of minutes of flexibility. This flexibility is crucial in meeting the demand for new infrastructure, as recent studies have shown that the U.S. grid has over 100 gigawatts of spare capacity.
Verrus is also exploring the use of microgrids to make data centres flexible grid assets. The company plans to start construction on its first data centres later this year, with a goal of being ready for service for customers in late 2026.
The modular units can be assembled together in larger data centre campuses, all connected by the same electrical distribution network. This modular design allows for scalability, making Verrus' technology adaptable to various needs.
Embracing load flexibility solutions like the one demonstrated by Verrus could tap this spare capacity, helping to alleviate the strain on the grid. Interconnection queues for large customers have ballooned, with wait times reaching 10 years in some areas. Around 20% of planned data centre projects globally are at risk of being delayed due to these long wait times.
Verrus' data centres include demand response capabilities that allow them to curtail their load up to 100% within one minute of receiving a signal from the utility. This feature could prove invaluable in managing grid demand and preventing blackouts during peak usage periods.
A global coalition has been formed to explore how data centres can be leveraged as flexibility assets for the grid. As Verrus moves forward with its innovative data centre design, it is poised to play a significant role in this coalition, helping to shape the future of sustainable and efficient energy usage in the data centre industry.
