Vertiv, a provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions, has announced the opening of its Vertiv Customer Experience Center, featuring a microgrid power solution to help data centers address electrical grid capacity and availability challenges.

The microgrid and experience center are now active at the Vertiv Delaware facility.

According to the company, microgrids for data centers have become increasingly popular as trends such as AI require more power than is available from traditional electric grids.

Additionally, microgrids can be used to reduce reliance on the electrical grid for power capacity and availability and to reduce diesel generator backup starts.

Data center infrastructure

Vertiv says that it will be leveraging the application as proof-of-concept to test operational functions of the microgrid and Vertiv data center infrastructure technologies, including reliability, backup duration and the responsiveness of the microgrid during a variety of normal and extreme operating conditions.

“Our customers are evaluating the role of microgrids and battery energy storage systems (BESS) for their mission critical power systems,” said Kyle Keeper, Senior Vice President, Global AC Power product development and engineering at Vertiv.

“Standing up a microgrid that serves as both a customer experience center and a test lab for performance will enable Vertiv to help our customers make critical decisions on whether a microgrid and BESS are right for their data center and how to deploy their own microgrid sites.

“This is an important step in helping our customers operate more efficiently and effectively with the electrical grid.”