Efficiency Analysis of a Solar Photovoltaic DC and Existing AC Distribution System for Bahirdar University Data Center

Abstract

AbstractData centers are multipurpose internet based centers which needs to perform different tasks without any perturbation of electric power. It is a very fast growing structures with significant contribution to the world’s energy consumption. For this paper, Bahirdar University data center is selected for reliability and efficiency evaluation of both AC and DC distribution system architecture. The study is based on the existing AC power distribution layout of the selected case area which gets supply from Ethiopian electric utility (EEU) with a nearby diesel generator as a backup power supply system in a case of power outage from the utility system as well as the proposed data center power distribution model with an off grid solar powered 380 V DC distribution system. Results show that an AC distribution system has an average efficiency of 72.96% while a proposed DC distribution system has an average efficiency of 82.63%. This demonstrated that a DC power distribution system is 9.67% efficient than AC power distribution architecture. The simulation analysis was done in MATLAB. KeywordsData centerDC distributionEfficiency analysis