RALEIGH, NC … Power management company Eaton today announced that its collaboration with Microsoft to transform essential data center backup solutions into value-generating assets has been awarded the 2018 DCD Global Award for Mission Critical Innovation by Datacenter Dynamics. Presented in London on December 6, 2018, the award recognized Microsoft and Eaton for a demonstration project at the Microsoft test facility in Boydton, Virginia, with results that hold significant implications for the future of the power generation industry.

“At Eaton we’re constantly looking for opportunities to leverage our intelligent power solutions in a way that provides greater value for our customers,” said Katheron Garcia, Eaton. “In this case, working in close collaboration with Microsoft, we set out to answer the question: what if an uninterruptible power system (UPS) could generate value for the data center when there isn’t a power outage?”

The Eaton and Microsoft team working in Boydton created a demonstration in which they added enhanced capabilities to an Eaton UPS to serve as a distributed energy resource (DER) for grid operators, engineering the UPS specifically to enable communication with the power grid. Serving in this role, the UPS can charge and discharge energy from the grid, aiding in frequency regulation initiatives and creating an additional revenue stream for operators.

Though still in its infancy, the technology carries potentially game-changing implications for the data center industry. Leveraging their UPS as DER, data centers go from power users to power providers, lowering their overall energy costs while offsetting carbon emissions from their energy usage.


“The results of our demonstration were incredibly promising and it’s exciting to see this innovation recognized by the judges at the DCD Global Awards,” said Garcia. “We congratulate Microsoft on their award victory and look forward to our continued collaboration as we advance this technology.”

Click here to learn more about Eaton and Microsoft’s collaboration in Boydton. To learn more about Eaton’s innovative line of UPS solutions, visit Eaton.com/UPS.

Eaton’s electrical business is a global leader with expertise in power distribution and circuit protection; backup power protection; control and automation; lighting and security; structural solutions and wiring devices; solutions for harsh and hazardous environments; and engineering services. Eaton is positioned through its global solutions to answer today’s most critical electrical power management challenges.

Eaton is a power management company with 2017 sales of $20.4 billion. We provide energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more efficiently, safely and sustainably. Eaton is dedicated to improving the quality of life and the environment through the use of power management technologies and services. Eaton has approximately 98,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 175 countries.

source：https://www.eaton.com