Energy Monitoring System

E-T-A’s Energy Monitoring System has two central components: the High Power-D-Box MRU for power distribution and load protection and the Monitoring & Reporting Unit (MRU10) for precise data recording and analysis.

This combination continuously monitors the power consumption of active IT components and forms the basis for the recording of important key figures - such as the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), an essential KPI for optimising energy efficiency.

The MRU10 measures values like current, voltage, power and energy (P). The recorded values are either displayed directly on site via an integrated 2.2-inch display, visualised via a graphical user interface (GUI) or transmitted to a central management system. All common protocols, such as SNMP, Modbus RTU and Modbus TCP, are supported. The system can be seamlessly integrated into existing IT infrastructures. A single MRU10 can monitor up to ten High Power-D-Boxes. It is also possible to place the MRU10 up to 10 metres away from the power distribution system. Even with these distances, the MRU10 still achieves a measuring accuracy of approx. +/-1 %.

Thanks to the MRU10, electricity costs can be billed according to actual consumption.
The High Power D-Box MRU has measuring sensors for both supply groups (Feed A and Feed B) to precisely measure and verify the actual energy consumption per IT rack. This allows precise allocation of electricity costs based on individual consumption and increases transparency for operators and customers. The MRU10 supports decision-making on energy efficiency measures and optimises the distribution of operating costs within the data centre.

The solution also impresses with its compact design: With only three height units (HU), it enables optimal space utilization in data centres. The Monitoring & Reporting Unit itself requires only 1 HU, while its power distribution system, the High Power-D-Box MRU, only occupies 2 HU.

Another clear advantage is that the system is future-proof: It is possible to retrofit the MRU10 without interrupting operation. Therefore, existing High Power-D-Boxes with current sensors can be used for power distribution immediately and if necessary, can be expanded with the monitoring technology later. This flexibility ensures that data centres are prepared for increasing requirements in the long term without cost-intensive downtimes for retrofitting.

The High Power D-Box MRU power distribution system meets this requirement, for example, by the hot swapping principle, which allows circuit breakers to be replaced or plugged-in during operation. This is ideal if additional loads need to be connected in the IT rack.

The High Power D-Box MRU has a redundant design, which ensures uninterrupted operation of the connected loads - even in the event of a fault. The integrated group alarm signalling also ensures reliable alarm management.

The combination of MRU10 and High Power D-Box MRU offers a flexible, scalable and future-proof solution for energy-efficient and reliable data centres.