GE says its Critical Power business can help data centers, hospitals, telecommunication networks and other facilities reduce energy consumption and keep electricity flowing to equipment during power disturbances and outages.
The company’s new business includes power-switching products, UPS technology, DC energy systems and embedded power supplies such as board-mounted power and front-end rectifiers.
GE says by combining these into a single unified business allows it to supply power needs of mission-critical applications, from the building infrastructure (UPS, switchgear or DC energy systems) to end devices, by working with OEMs to provide overall power to the system and at the board level.
GE’s Critical Power portfolio provides products and services for the following markets:
- Data Centers: Currently, information technology and telecommunications facilities account for approximately 120 billion kWh of electricity annually, or 3 percent of all US electricity use, according to the DOE. Not only can this put a strain on the local grid, but it also drives up operational costs. GE has been working with network providers to improve the efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of their data centers. The company’s Energy Star-rated, eBoost-equipped uninterruptable power supply (UPS) increases UPS operating efficiency from 92-94 percent in double conversion mode, up to 99 percent in multi-mode operation, and improves data center overall efficiency as measured by power use effectiveness (PUE), GE says.
- Healthcare Facilities: GE’s automatic transfer switches and UPS technology provide backup power in the event of a power disruption, ensuring that patients’ medical equipment stays on. This technology has been installed in Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center to supply emergency power in the event of a local grid disruption.
- Financial Markets: GE’s power-switching and UPS technologies allow real-time trading and help currency exchanges remain unaffected in the event of a power disturbance.
- Telecommunications: Telecom, wireless and cable broadband service providers can use Critical Power business products and services to ensure an uninterrupted power supply and to convert AC power from a primary power source, such as the electric utility grid, into precisely controlled DC power used for datacenters, central offices, cell towers, outside-plant fiber optics and customer premise facilities.
In addition to products, GE’s Critical Power business also provides customers with global support. Through a partnership with GE Capital, GE customers can access financial lease programs and terms to support equipment upgrades and retrofits.
The products and services offered by the Critical Power business add to GE’s broader Industrial Solutions portfolio of technologies for customers across multiple industries.