Hello and welcome to DCD>Critical Power Virtual Live Blog. My name is Shaun, Content Marketing Specialist here at DCD and I'll be covering all three days' worth of content from the industry's largest virtual events.

I'll be posting content, links, and listening in on discussions happening in the social sphere as the day goes on. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @dcdnews and use the hashtag #DCDPower to join in on the discussion. Remember, if you're a registered delegate you can access our dedicated networking platform to connect with other delegates and speakers - it's 100% free.

• DCD>Critical Power Virtual - Networking

2:55PM EDT // 7:55PM BST

A big thank you to our panellists this evening, make sure you access our dedicated resources to get the presentation on-demand:

• Panel discussion: How's the facility manager view of critical power changing as data centers become more complex?

That wraps up Day Two of DCD>Critical Power Virtual. A big thank you to all our panelists and presenters, what a fantastic opportunity for us and the audience to hear insights from some of the most influential thought leaders in the industry today. We'll kick off again tomorrow bright and early at 7.00AM EDT (12.00PM BST). We'll have another fantastic day with some DCD regulars and others who are kindly lending us their thoughts.

Remember you can catch up on any of the presentations from today, and connect with the speakers and other delegates on our dedicated networking platform.

• DCD> Critical Power Virtual - On-demand
• DCD>Critical Power Virtual - Networking

2:18PM EDT // 7:18PM BST

"You really need to make sure that you've got a team that's willing to learn it all and understand it all because you never know when you need an extra set of hands."

This is true now more than ever, your employees and your organisation need to be agile to respond to changing demands.

2:15PM EDT // 7:15PM BST

"If you don't the right product it's gonna be hard [for staff] to do their jobs."

Great point from Frank, the products and the people need to fit for everything to go smoothly.

2:00PM EDT // 7:00PM BST

Another fantastic penultimate panel. Make sure you connect with other delegates with what is sure to be some interesting discussion on the evolution of UPS. You can also access the panel discussion for free, on-demand.

• Panel discussion: The future of UPS; where's the innovation coming from and who is leading the charge?
• DCD>Critical Power Virtual - Networking

Our next, and final panel for the day, takes a look at the role of the Facility Manager. We're asking our panel how are facilities and engineering teams managing maintenance and testing.

• Panel discussion: How's the facility manager view of critical power changing as data centers become more complex?
• Frank McCann, Principal Engineer - Construction Power and Grounding, Verizon
• Steven Shapiro, PE, ATD, Partner, EYP Mission Critical Facilities
• Mark Swift, Vice President of Engineering and Marketing, Starline

1:53PM EDT // 6:53PM BST

"The UPS today... fundamentally have the capability to be bi-directional, and there is demand from the grid, they can push energy back."

Valid points from Jack that it is possible to supply energy back to the grid, but other elements often come to play.

1:50PM EDT // 6:50PM BST

Chris shares that a number of groups are looking at whether they have the viability to temporarily provide power back to the grid in times of lower demand (on the data center decide). If we see a trend towards data centers generating their own power, will this become more commonplace?

1:47PM EDT // 6:47PM BST

As we delve deeper into data center innovation, be sure to register for or virtual conference DCD>Control & Automate broadcasting on 28-29 July. During 14 free-to-view webinars, we'll be bringing together leading mission critical operations professionals and technologists for a deep dive into the future of data center command and control. Plus - registration is entirely free.

And remember to connect with our team on LinkedIn. Get involved in the conversation!

"Lead acid has to go away...the disposable fees of old batteries when you replace them is a monumental cost [but] lithium-ion is still a bit too volatile though for what we want to use it for."

Interesting position from Chris - what will be the next iteration in stable battery elements?

1:29PM EDT // 6:29PM BST

"We figured out how to make it cost effective. These data centre operators have always wanted to get rid of these lead acid batteries they've always been problematic... lead is dead and lithium is the way to go"

Great point from Mike on new chemistries and how they gained prevalence in the industry.

12:54PM EDT // 5:54PM BST

If you're enjoying DCD>Critical Power so far, be sure to check out our full 2020 calendar of virtual conferences. All conferences are entirely free-to-join.

11:59AM EDT // 4:59PM BST

As George said, looks like need another chat with these panellists. Absolutely fantastic insights for our audience. Make sure you access the panel on demand, and connect with speakers and other delegates on our networking app.

• Panel discussion: Disruptive innovation versus fear of failure
• DCD>Critical Power Virtual - Networking

Our next panel, after our networking break, will focus on the future of UPS.

• Panel discussion: The future of UPS; where's the innovation coming from and who is leading the charge?
• Jack Pouchet, Vice President, Sales, Natron Energy
• Chris Brown, Chief Technology Officer, Uptime Institute
• Mike Mosman, Chief Technical Officer, Morrison Hershfield

11:52AM EDT // 4:52PM BST

"Six of the top 10 buyers of renewables are data center companies with extraordinary ambitious goals of going to zero carbon, so innovation in terms of carbon reduction is a big deal."

They certainly are big goals. Do you think the industry more broadly will follow suit?

11:47AM EDT // 4:47PM BST

"Major colo providers are looking at attracting hyperscalers into their data centers will not be bold in innovation unless they have the validation from their customers."

Great point from Peter, the major hyperscalers of the world need to buy in to push innovation across the board.

11:27AM EDT // 4:27PM BST

"I remember when from OCP wanted to build a server, and the computer market said 'no, I'm not going to build it for you I don't think there's a demand for it', then OCP said 'fine, I'm gonna go build 500,000 of my own', and the market literally laughed at then and look what happened. Two years later they're making it a standard product because there's a demand for it."

Interesting retrospective from Bill. Times are changing, and quickly.

11:25AM EDT // 4:25PM BST

We have an interesting question from the audience:

Do you think data centers are the new oil and gas industry?

What do you think? Let us know on social with #DCDPower

11:15AM EDT // 4:15PM BST

"Everyone loves innovation as long as it's been around for 10 years"

Do you agree with Peter?

11:13AM EDT // 4:13PM BST

"To be honest, from a electrical or mechanical point of view, solutions don't really look too dramatically different to what we were doing 10 years or even 20 years ago"

Great point from Chris Dow on conservatism in engineering.

10:52AM EDT // 3:52PM BST

Thanks to everyone who joined us for our tech showcase. Remember if you want to access any of the resources shared by our partners, or connect with them directly we have some links for you:

• Technology Showcase - Batteries and Monitoring
• DCD>Critical Power Virtual - Networking

We have on more session before we break for our networking roundtables. Make sure you tune in:

• Panel discussion: Disruptive innovation versus fear of failure
• Bill Mazzetti, Senior Vice President, Rosendin Electric
• Peter Gross, Founder, DCiRN
• Chris Dow, Director - Global Project Sales, Hitec Power Protection Inc

10:47AM EDT // 3:47PM BST

Thanks to Mike for that fantastic overview of the offerings from BTECH.

Make sure you connect with Mike and the team using our dedicated networking app.

10:42AM EDT // 3:42PM BST

For more Technology Showcases, be sure to join us for DCD>Control & Automate next week when product epxerts from RiT Tech, Exertherm and SoftIron will be taking you through the latest DCIM and remote monitoring technologies. Learn more and register for free.

10:26AM EDT // 3:26PM BST

Thanks Phil for that in-depth overview of Socomec's modular systems.

More reliability the better!

10:15AM EDT // 3:15PM BST

Thanks Christian for that overview of monitoring units from Janitza.

You can connect with the team from Janitza using the resources available in the resources tab and by using the free networking app.

10:04AM EDT // 3:04PM BST

Remember, if want to discuss today's panel with Cathal McLaughlin or the E+I Engineering team, head over to the DCD>Networking Platform where they're on hand to answer your questions or schedule a 1-2-1 meetings. Just click "Connect to Partners" to get in touch.

9:59AM EDT // 2:59PM BST

Thanks to all our panel members for another great session. Make sure you use our free networking app and access the panel on-demand to listen and share to some of the great insights from today.

• Panel discussion: Size matters - how are infrastructure operators maximizing power capacity when floor space is at a premium?
• DCD>Critical Power Virtual - Networking

Up next is our technology showcase of the day!

• Technology Showcase - Batteries and Monitoring
• Christian Laurenzano, Director of Sales, North America, Janitza electronics GmbH
• Phil Dunn, UK Sales Manager for Critical Power, Socomec
• Michael D. Phillips, Director of Business Development, BTECH

9:54AM EDT // 2:54PM BST

"It's still a zero sum game where, if you are going to outsource more to the cloud. Those cloud providers need need more space more capacity. They're pulling in more power [which means that] they need to think about these topics that we've been talking through today."

Poignant thought from Kristen on the role of virtualization.

9:48AM EDT // 2:48PM BST

"...with the right battery technology, you can really make use of smart grids, and you can unlock the problem with renewables which can help you reduce your reliance on local generation."

Cathal highlighting a key point of battery and renewable technology, and how they intersect.

9:44AM EDT // 2:44PM BST

"One barrel of diesel fuel gives you 540 kilowatt hours of power [and] to get that same from VRLA battery, you'd need 25 tons of batteries and that would take up 40 cubic meters. So look at the trade off. If you are pressed for space, it might be worth it to have additional generators as your backup"

Interesting example from Frank - one to think about.

9:26AM EDT // 2:26PM BST

How is the modular approach helping?

"The increased attention on supply chain efficiency... has been a win."

Great points from Kristen on how modularisation and offsite production is improving building speeds.

8:50AM EDT // 1:50PM BST

Thanks very much to Christian for joining us this morning. Make sure you take advantage of the networking app to connect with other delegates, and download the session on-demand.

• Is RCM at the heart of the 24/7 data center?
• Christian Pietsch, Sales Area Manager, Janitza electronics GmbH

Up next is our first panel session of the day - all about size. Our panel members will answer a series of questions including: Is it possible that a modular approach to power capacity will speed up deployment and eliminate some site works, two powerful benefits given the current COVID-19 climate? Make sure you tune in.

• Panel discussion: Size matters - how are infrastructure operators maximizing power capacity when floor space is at a premium?
• Frank McCann, Principal Engineer - Construction Power and Grounding, Verizon
• Cathal McLaughlin, Technical Director, E+I Engineering Ltd
• Kristen Vosmaer, EVP - Global Operations & MD Europe, Salute Mission Critical

8:40AM EDT // 1:40PM BST

Don't forget to join our roundtable discussion this afternoon, "Will UPS ever be redundant?" and "How can you improve inter-discipline collaboration on energy efficiency?". They're shaping up to be full roundtable discussions, so save your seat now on the DCD>Networking Platform.

DCD>Critical Power Virtual - Networking

8:21AM EDT // 1:21PM BST

If you want to access more exclusive case studies, be sure to join us for DCD>Control & Automate next week for a deep-dive case study with Mark Vaillancourt, Senoir Director - Global Operators Command Center, Digital Realty. Mark will open the conference with his session, "Case Study: Keep control and carry on - how are Digital Realty monitoring their global data center portfolios mid-crisis?" on 28 July. Registration is free - click to secure your place.

8:16AM EDT // 1:16PM BST

"Residual Current Monitoring (RCM) is the first point of notification before a breaker trips..you have small problems developing before that happens and that is what RCM will detect"

These types of analytics and insights are becoming a lot more of a focus across the industry.

7:56AM EDT // 12:56PM BST

Thanks to Bill for joining us at a great session to kick off the morning. Remember to utilise the networking app to connect with Bill and other delegates, and watch the session on-demand.

• Case study: Can solar-powered batteries supercharge storage innovation and give rise to power independent of the grid?
• DCD>Critical Power Virtual - Networking

Make sure you tune into our next session: Is RCM at the heart of the 24/7 data center?

• Christian Pietsch, Sales Area Manager, Janitza electronics GmbH

7:31AM EDT // 12:31PM BST

"We're looking at 522 gigawatts of solar PV being brought online between 2019 and 2022."

Do you think data center operators ready to take advantage of clean power at scale?

Let us know using #DCDPower and on LinkedIn

7:20AM EDT // 12:20PM BST

"76% of new generation being added is wind or solar, it's clean."

Bill sharing how a significant portion of new power generation being added are renewable energies. These developmental forecasts are demonstrating a massive shift to renewable energy over the past 5 years.

7:07AM EDT // 12:07PM BST

As we kick off Day 2 of DCD>Critical Power, we remind end-user delegates that they can collaborate on industry challenges and networking with their peers on our DCD>Networking Platform. To join the dicussion, simply log in with your email address here.

• DCD>Critical Power Virtual - Networking

5:20AM EDT // 10:20AM BST

Good Morning, and welcome to to Day 2 of the DCD>Critical Power Virtual Live Blog. In just a few hours we'll begin day two with a fantastic case study on large-scale solar powered batteries and their viability in data center campuses.

• Case study: Can solar-powered batteries supercharge storage innovation and give rise to power independent of the grid?
• Bill Mazzetti, Senior Vice President, Rosendin Electric