November 17, 2025
Data Centers, Part Three: Power Supply
Contributed by Josh Goldberg, Technical Market and Business Analyst
Reliable power, backups, and overall redundancy are necessary for data centers. Currently, many data centers in urban areas draw power from the local grid. As power demands increase, data centers will incorporate on-campus power generation, and everything is currently on the table.
Currently, the most widely used off-grid power source for data centers is natural gas, for which the infrastructure is well developed and easily accessible in many locations across the country. The use of solar and wind power as alternatives is being explored in some areas and represents a significant opportunity for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Finally, on-site or near-site hydrogen generation is also being studied for feasibility at some data center campuses. In the near future, off-grid power generation will become a much larger factor in these data center projects, so expect rapid development of these technologies over the next ten years.
Power backup is of the utmost importance in a data center design. If the power grid fails, data centers need a way to keep the servers powered to minimize downtime or data loss from sudden power outages. Typical backup power for a data center consists of an Uninterruptible Power System (UPS) backed up by batteries, and a series of generators running on either natural gas, diesel, or a combination of the two. If the power grid fails, the UPS will automatically kick in to provide battery backup. During extended power outages, backup generators will kick in to provide power, and, as redundancy is the name of the game, there are usually secondary backup generators for the primary backup generators.
The batteries used in UPS systems are typically valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) or lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are becoming the battery of choice for new data centers due to their reduced weight and footprint, and their increased reliability. Other large-area battery types, such as vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs), are also being considered, but the technology is still very new to data center designers.
Asahi/America Product Spotlight
For larger diameter pipes up to 14″, Asahi/America’s Type-57 butterfly valves are a good general choice and include several advantageous features. The Type-57 butterfly valves have been specially engineered for better flow control and to minimize “wetted” parts. The disc in the Type-57 valve features a special spherical design that improves laminar flow, promoting better flow control. Additionally, the valve includes dry stem technology—i.e., the only wetted parts of the valve are the disc, liner, and inner seals—that isolates the stem and body from process fluid, thereby reducing the potential for corrosion. The final feature of this valve is the inclusion of a special locking liner with body stops that allow the disc to seat tightly in the seals while preventing mating flange over-tightening during installation, increasing the overall service life of the valve.
For parts of the water system that may require pneumatic actuation, Asahi/America maintains the Series 79 line of pneumatic actuators. With body types including cataphoresis-treated aluminum coated with Rilsan®, glass-reinforced polyamide, and stainless steel, these actuators can be placed in a wide range of environments and conditions. These actuators are ideal for larger Type-57 butterfly valves up to 24″, and can also be used for Type-21 ball valves and Type-23 Multiport™ ball valves. The Series 79 pneumatic actuator offers air-to-air or air-to-spring (failsafe) options, along with industry-standard NAMUR mounting, which allows for the addition of numerous components, such as positioners, solenoids, and limit switches. The last feature to note is that all Series 79 actuators can be provided with a de-clutch manual override gearbox, permitting manual operation of the actuated valve in the event of power loss. The expansive selection of options for the Series 79 pneumatic actuator gives facilities engineers several key safety options to consider when incorporating it into their system.
Double containment is crucial for plumbing around people and electronics, and Asahi/America offers a wide range of options with its Duo-Pro® and Poly-Flo® double containment piping systems. Duo-Pro®, a fabricated double containment system, offers flexibility in material selection for both the inner pipe and the containment pipe. The system allows you to mix and match many of our pipe products for your design, and provides annular space for all leak detection, including continuous cable systems.
Poly-Flo® is a special double containment system exclusive to Asahi/America that consists of co-extruded PE100-RC or PP-R pipes. The co-extrusion process joins the inner pipe to the containment pipe, creating a double containment pipe with a smaller footprint than other double containment systems. In data centers, where every inch of space counts, a small footprint that also provides double containment is highly valued by designers. To top it all off, there are numerous accessories for these double containment systems, including molded pressure-rated fittings, drainage fittings, and specially designed Dogbone® fittings that can isolate, compartmentalize, or tap various parts of the double containment system.