Microsoft Data Centers & SES transformers

Microsoft Data Centers & SES transformers

Microsoft has begun its $5 billion infrastructure investment in Australia. The project encompasses building hyperscale data centres around Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, and is designed to accomplish three main objectives:

• To expand its hyper-scale cloud computing and storage in Australia, and help the nation seize the artificial intelligence (AI) era to strengthen its economic competitiveness, create high-value jobs
• To improve Australia’s cybersecurity and continue to protect itself and its economy from cyberattacks
• To further Microsoft’s push to a become carbon-negative, water-positive, and zero waste by 2030, partnering with renewable energy suppliers to provide the huge energy draw of the centers

Solutions provided by Southern Electronic Services

Microsoft begun the project by focusing on the Melbourne-based data centres, awarding the contracts to construction groups Kapitol Group (MEL04, MEL05, & MEL11), and Besix Watpac (MEL07). The electrical works were contracted out to various major industrial electrical contractors, including Nilsen, Fuseco, Stowe, Appselec, and others.

At the core of any data center’s infrastructure lies the necessity for uninterrupted power supply (UPS). The Microsoft Datacentres being installed across Australia’s major cities are no different. Any fluctuation or disturbance in the power grid could spell disaster, leading to data corruption, hardware failures, and costly downtime.  Here steps in the isolation transformer, a stalwart defender against the vagaries of electrical anomalies.

So when it came time for the electrical contractors to source the isolation transformers for their respective sites, Southern Electronic Services (SES) was there to assist. The Microsoft data centres require extremely reliable isolation transformers, which is why each site chose SES to design, build and test each of their LV isolation transformers. Each Server room has its own isolation 75kVA transformer to ensure the rooms could be serviced without interruption to the UPS. Additional isolation transformers were built for various other applications including protecting the Admin rooms.

Thus far SES has supplied:

36 x 75kVA units supplied to MEL05 (x12), MEL07 (x12), & MEL11 (x12) 

4 x 120kVA units supplied to MEL04 (x4) 

3 x 150kVA units supplied to MEL04 (x1), MEL07 (x1), & MEL11 (x1) 

1 x 180kVA units supplied to MEL05 (x1)

Customers choose SES for their competitive pricing, fast turnaround, conservative design parameters coupled with our high-quality construction/materials that ensure great performance & long-life, as well as our ability to customize units to suit each data center’s unique requirements.

Each site has its own individual needs. Southern Electronic Services can assist whether it is uncommon voltages or loads, additional switchgear/monitoring systems, specific installation needs such as top, bottom, or side cable entry or any other adaptation to make installation as easy as possible. Being an Australian manufacturer, we can adapt our designs and transformers to best suit the needs of each site, and provide the optimal solution to our customers.

For any information on how Southern Electronic Services can assist with your next Data Centre build or refurbishment, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
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