The event was attended by more than 100 customers, suppliers, and senior staff, who were invited to the opening ceremony, a tour of the Crestchic site, and lunch. A ceremonial ribbon-cutting and speech were carried out by former BBC journalist and Times Radio Presenter John Pienaar, and a plaque unveiled by Councillor Philip Hudson, the Mayor of East Staffordshire.

Despite the economic pressures of the pandemic and global political events, Crestchic has seen strong growth in demand for its products. Data centre and energy transition markets are growing rapidly, and demand continues from well-established, traditional sectors, such as critical infrastructure, marine engineering, and extractive industries. The new factory will allow the company to increase manufacturing capacity to respond to the growing demand for sales and rental of load testing equipment in the UK and beyond.

Peter Harris, Executive Chairman at Crestchic, commented, “As well as responding to customer demand, the investment in both our new and existing factories is part of our commitment to continuous improvement. Our vision is to be world-class manufacturers in every sense of the word – in our commitment to innovation, design excellence, product build quality, meeting delivery times and exceeding customer expectations. We’re continuing to invest in our people and technology – bringing on board new expertise and investing in R&D to ensure that Crestchic continues to lead the market.”

Paul Brickman, Commercial Director added, “Power resilience is becoming increasingly important across all industries. Load testing is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s an absolute necessity for any modern business that needs power to operate effectively. We’re undoubtedly seeing this reflected in our order books. The factory will allow us to fulfil demand across all of our existing locations, as well as our new depots in Antwerp and Texas. As we ramp up our production, we hope to open more depots to serve our rapidly growing global market.”

The senior team also thanked everyone who had been involved in the delivery of the new building, including architects and structural engineers AJS Structural Design; project manager/quantity surveyor Amsons-Barlow; main contractors BFG; electrical contractors SCI; planning advisor JMI Planning and everyone at Crestchic who had played a part. Everyone who works across the three Crestchic manufacturing and office sites was also invited to enjoy a celebratory lunch.

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Here, Paul Brickman, Commercial Director for Crestchic Loadbanks, a leading manufacturer of state-of-the-art load bank technologies asks ‘Is load bank testing necessary for containerised data centres?’

Typically housed within shipping containers, containerised data centres can be deployed easily, powered up quickly and scaled without delay in line with changing requirements. For the data centre sector itself, containerised solutions are widely used to accommodate surplus demand for data centres that need to grow but cannot yet do so, and often deliver continuity of performance when a primary data centre needs critical maintenance or refurbishment.

In other sectors they are equally as important. They provide “pop up” IT and communication services for music festivals and sporting events, support office relocations and major construction sites, and are a staple resource for the military, as well as complex industries such as offshore oil and gas, where data and communications demands are often remote and temporary.

Temporary by name, essential by nature

The temporary nature of these data centres often results in them being commoditised and overlooked when it comes to the maintenance procedures and performance best practice that would be considered essential for a bricks-and-mortar data centre.

But when in operation, these mobile data centres are just as much a necessity as their permanent counterparts, safe housing the same valuable data, and preventing the same financially catastrophic losses engineers so dread when maintaining their primary data centres.

It is important to remember that a data centre, is a data centre, whether that is a purpose built hyperscale campus, a colo or a temporary solution in a shipping container, and that means the same risks apply, and the same preventative measures are required.

No matter the type of data centre being used, the primary cause of unplanned downtime is power failure, something that the Uptime Institute calls “common, costly and preventable”. In fact, in its most recent Risk and Resilience Report, the Uptime Institute calculated that power failure accounts for around 36 per cent of all outages.

It is essential therefore that backup generators for containerised data centres are regularly tested, the same as permanent data centre facilities.

Critical applications require guaranteed resilience

Music festivals and sporting events aside, the vast majority of containerised data centre applications are critical. Military communications, major construction sites, data centre refurbishments and a temporary expansion of primary data centre capacity may all have a clear expiration date, but the situation is already fragile – risking a power outage in an already difficult environment could be catastrophic.

Although mobile data centres are designed to provide facilities with the perfect mix of temporary generators, networking essentials, cooling equipment, servers and UPS, the fact remains that a single point of failure can immobilise the entire data centre. This is an important consideration when deciding which maintenance procedures to uphold, and which if any, can be overlooked.

With power outages proven to be the biggest point of failure, correct load bank testing should be maintained at all times to provide reassurance that if required, the backup power system is capable of accepting the required load and maintaining uptime in the event of a power failure.

Understand the possibilities, prevent downtime

If it is not the temporary nature of a containerised data centre that prevents the required maintenance, then it is often the location, and the assumption that access will be impossible. Afterall, these small, highly portable load banks are often located in areas that have not been specifically constructed for such essential kit.

That said, leading load bank manufacturers have created backup generator testing equipment that can meet the testing demands of containerised data centres.

One example is Crestchic’s trailer mounted load bank solution that combines the powerful testing capability of its traditional resistive-only load banks, with the flexibility of a heavy-duty trailer for applications that require exceptional levels of manoeuvrability.

With load bank testing still achievable for mobile load banks, the risk of downtime is, as the Uptime Institute put it, preventable.

For More Information:

To read more about Crestchic’s experience within the data centre sector, download out handy guide and information leaflet.

To buy or hire a load bank for your facility, contact our team here.

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Here, we explore why this is not the case, and offer best practice advice for ensuring power resilience through regular testing of your backup generator power system.

1. The impact of onsite conditions

Factory conditions do not replicate the environment found onsite. It is, therefore, vital to consider variables such as climate, humidity and temperature differences, and how these will affect the performance of your UPS and backup power system once in-situ.

Even simple fluctuations in temperature can affect run time performance, battery capacity, cut off voltage, gassing and thermal runaway in UPS systems. Humidity and climate fluctuations can also cause longer-term performance issues including corrosion and condensation.

2. Factory conditions are rarely replicable

When tested at the factory, your backup generator will undoubtedly have been put through rigorous testing. However, even with the very best of testing, the fuel supply system, exhaust system, and cooling will differ from the system used in operational conditions. Equally, it won’t have been connected to your specific electrical system, with its own array of circuit breakers, instrumentation, and automatic changeover switches. The fact that the genset now has to operate to capacity with all these different supplying factors is reason enough to test at commissioning regardless of how recent a factory test was performed.

3. The impact of transportation and installation

At the point of factory testing, your equipment has been subjected to very little movement or human intervention. It has been constructed in a carefully controlled environment and handled with the utmost care. But by the time it reaches the point of installation, this sensitive equipment has been lifted, transported, installed, commissioned, and adjusted by human hands. Any one of these processes may throw performance off kilter. Again, the impact may not be visible straight away. For this reason, it is critical that power systems are tested in-situ, regularly and for backup power, this means using a load bank.

Testing backup power using a load bank

A load bank is used to create an electrical load that imitates the operational or ‘real’ load that a backup generator would use in normal operational conditions. In short, load banks are used to test, support, or protect a critical backup power source and ensure that it is fit for purpose in the event that it is called upon.

Ideally, all generators should be tested annually for real-world emergency conditions using a resistive-reactive 0.8pf load bank. Best practice dictates that all gensets (where there are multiple) should be run in a synchronised state, ideally for 8 hours but for a minimum of 3.

Where a reactive-only load bank is used, testing should be increased to 2-4 times per year at 3 hours per test. In carrying out this testing and maintenance, fuel, exhaust and cooling systems and alternator insulation resistance are effectively tested and system issues can be uncovered in a safe, controlled manner without the cost of major failure or unplanned downtime.

Secure power resilience for your facility

For more information on using a load bank to ensure power resilience for your facility, contact our team here.

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For many critical industries, interruptions in power supply can have a significant impact on revenue through lost productivity and damage to equipment – in some sectors, a loss of power could even pose a significant risk to health and safety with potentially fatal results.

Backup power systems are a common way to mitigate these risks, and to make sure backup power is available when you need it most, the maintenance and testing of these reserve systems is an important process – that’s where load banks come in.

Load banks test the efficiency and performance of a backup generator by imitating the operational or ‘real’ load that a generator would use should the primary power source fail. By testing your backup power system regularly, you can rest assured that should there be a power outage, the backup supply will provide adequate protection for your facility until the problem is resolved.

Like all critical equipment, the specification of load banks should be carefully considered, and one of the key deciding factors should be whether to purchase a load bank outright or rent the equipment as and when it is required throughout the year. As you can imagine, there are pros and cons to both options, and Crestchic is here to help you make the right choice for your business.

When is load bank rental right?

Right load bank, right time, right place: Rental can be right for many reasons. If you own, or are contracted to manage or maintain, generator assets across multiple sites or need a range of voltages and power factors to complete your tests, load bank rental will be logistically and financially more viable for you. It will enable you to access the right load bank for the right tests, in the right location each and every time.

Real-estate: Space is an important consideration too – if you are tight on space, it can be easier to clear an area for a few weeks at a time, knowing that you will regain that square footage once the back up generators have been tested, rather than lose space permanently to a purchased load bank.

Power testing expertise: You should consider expertise too; do you have the right expertise in house, or would you benefit from the experience and knowledge of a dedicated technician? Renting your load back will give you access to a team of specialists that can support you in the early days.

Affordability: Lastly, rental works well for new or smaller businesses that cannot afford the initial outlay to purchase a load bank, allowing them to spread the cost of testing throughout the year.

 When is buying a load bank right?

There is a fairly easy rule of thumb that applies for most applications when it comes to purchasing a load bank rather than renting one. If you answer yes to the following questions, purchasing a load bank will be financially and logistically the right option for you:

• Will you always use it at the same voltage?
• Do you only need a load bank at one location?
• Will you use it for two or three weeks at a time?
• Will you use it multiple times per year?

There are many benefits to owning a load bank outright, including the convenience of knowing it’s always on hand should you want to run tests on your back-up generator, something which is of particular interest to mission critical environments such as data centres and hospitals. You’ll enjoy less admin and reduced OPEX costs too.

Combining the best of both worlds

Whether you want to rent or purchase your load bank equipment, choosing a provider that has a dedicated team for both can be beneficial in the longer term. Let’s say you purchase equipment in the first instance, but then open a second or third facility and would benefit from a rental option too?

Or the opposite, perhaps you want to rent for now because you cannot afford the financial outlay, but hope to buy a container load bank further down the line? Buying from the manufacturer you have rented from will mean the equipment is familiar to you and results will be consistent.

When it comes to the safety and performance of your back-up power supply, choosing a partner that can offer a combination approach, plus the expertise to support you whichever method you choose, will pay dividends.

Click the link to find out more about Crestchic’s rental load bank offering, or for help specifying a Crestchic load bank to purchase.

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Members of the Crestchic team will be available throughout the event on stand D1030 to discuss Crestchic’s capabilities and product offering, including: 

• Resistive-only load banks typically up to 300kW for heat load testing
• Rack mounted server emulators for heat load- testing
• Capacitive load banks to test with the leading power factor often associated with servers
• Large multi-megawatt, medium voltage load bank packages to test and synchronise multigenset systems on a common bus with a lagging power factor
• DC load banks to test UPS systems for close battery analysis and discharge performance
• Resistive-reactive load banks for testing the whole system operation in an emergency change-over scenario

As the world’s premier datacentre conference, Data Centre World offers attendees an unrivalled line-up of world-class suppliers to the datacentre sector together with excellent networking and conference opportunities.

Paul Brickman, Group Commercial Director at Crestchic Loadbanks, explains: “Reliable power is vital for data centres and testing of facilities under real working conditions is essential to ensure that power supplies cannot be interrupted. Power outages can lead to decreases in productivity, increases in production time, and an increase in costs. Using load banks for commissioning and ongoing testing of backup power solutions, as well as for heat load testing, can mitigate this risk. We’re looking forward to meeting customers and industry colleagues to talk about power continuity in the sector.”

Building on its past success, the event will be key for anyone looking to develop their understanding of the data centre market and source solutions and services to help manage cost and risk, and deliver unparalleled continuity and sustainably.

To register for this event, please visit: www.datacentreworld.com.

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To specify the right equipment for the job, your chosen supplier is likely to ask you for the capacity rating of the generator you wish to test. This information can be found on the nameplate (or data tag) on the generator itself. The capacity rating will be specified in KVA and kW at a specified power factor and maximum output voltage.

The primary difference between kW (kilowatt) and kVA (kilovolt-ampere) is the power factor.  kW is the unit of real power and kVA is a unit of apparent power (or real power plus reactive power).  The power factor, unless it is defined and known, is therefore an approximate value (typically 0.8), and the kVA value will always be higher than the value for kW.

The nameplate will also have information on the voltage, operating phases and configuration of your generator, all of which will impact the load bank your supplier will specify. Having a photo of the nameplate on your mobile phone will mean you have all the information to hand when talking to your supplier.

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Resistive: The most common type, a resistive load bank provides a simulated electrical load for generators and back up power systems. They work by mimicking the operational load that a power source would handle during actual use. When used as a controlled system test, the load simulates real-life resistive loads, such as incandescent lighting and heating loads, as well as the resistive or unity power factor component of magnetic (motors, transformers) loads.

It is important to note that, In many applications, resistive loads make up a small proportion of power consumption. In data centres, for example, it is generally only heating and lighting systems which use a resistive-only load. Alongside this, other aspects of the operation incur reactive loads; these create a lagging power factor (pf), typically around 0.8, which is not accounted for when undertaking a solely resistive test.

Resistive/reactive: Resistive/reactive load banks combine both resistive and reactive elements in one load bank package, which can also be switched to enable resistive only, inductive or lagging power factor testing. This type of system can be used to test the generator set fully at 100% nameplate kVA rating.

Resistive/reactive load banks provide a picture of how well an entire system will withstand changes in load pattern while experiencing the level of power that would typically be encountered under real operational conditions. The inductive loads used in resistive/reactive testing will show how a system will cope with a voltage drop in its regulator. This is particularly important in any application which requires generators to be operated in parallel (e. larger business infrastructures such as major telecoms or data centres) where a problem with one generator could prevent other system generators from working as they should.

In addition to the main categories of loadbank listed above, DC load load banks can be used to provide an accurate load for the discharge of batteries, both following amps and voltage, from 24VDC to 700VDC, with power from 10kW to 664kW. Containerised medium voltage load banks can be used to provide higher voltages up to up to 33kV in both resistive and resistive/reactive configurations.

Tomorrow’s focus: Where will the load bank test take place?

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What is a load bank and why might I need one?

Where businesses rely on power to remain operational, having backup power such as a generator is crucial. Wherever there is standby power, there is also a need for a load bank – a device which is used to create an electrical load which imitates the operational or ‘real’ load that a generator would use in normal operational conditions. In short, the load bank is used to test, support, or protect a critical backup power source and ensure that it is fit for purpose in the event that it is called upon.

Should I hire or buy?

When looking at specifying a load bank, the first decision is whether to hire or buy the equipment. Consider how many generators you have on-site and how regularly you’ll need to test them. In applications such as data centres or hospitals, where power is absolutely critical, buying a load bank might be the best solution. However, for those who need to run testing at set intervals, or smaller businesses that have neither the space or the technical expertise on-site, rental can provide an ideal solution.

Generally speaking, load bank rental companies will have the expertise to help specify, transport, install and remove the machines. You’ll benefit from the experience and knowledge of their technicians and have access to a fleet of equipment which ensures that you have the right equipment for the job, all without the capital expenditure.

Tomorrow’s focus: What type of load bank do you need?

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As power consumption increases and the addition of more server technology generates additional heat, it is becoming more important that new data centres accurately test the infrastructure of the server hall. On the whole, this is done before the installation of the IT hardware, allowing operators to simulate the potential airflow and heat in the server hall as part of the testing and commissioning of the facility. Failing to do so could result in the servers overheating, causing unnecessary and expensive downtime.

Paul Brickman, from Crestchic Loadbanks, explains, “Heat load testing data halls is really important both in ascertaining the air conditioning capacity required and in terms of testing how the system would perform in the event of a cooling failure. In smaller data centres, in particular, it’s not unusual for operators to use small-scale heaters or fans to simulate server heat loads. Crucially, by using server emulator load banks, we are able to replicate the heat signature of the actual server, not just in kilowatts but in terms of the airflow and distribution around the hall. We emulate the exact heat distribution – helping to identify and eliminate hot spots – enabling testing to be equally distributed around the room just as it would be at installation.”

For large data centres, using small floor standing heaters can be a manual and time-consuming process, with unreliable results. As well as being cumbersome, this type of test can make it difficult to accurately control the test parameters. Using a server emulator load bank, in multiple rack configuration ensures an accurate heat signature that the future servers will produce. This allows the commissioning engineers to replicate the actual heat load to thoroughly test the server hall air conditioning output and performance.

The 6kW server emulator load bank from Crestchic can be integrated into a temporary rack or ideally the rack that will be used for the servers installation, as this will ensure all the electrical distribution up to the server is energised and tested in the commissioning process. The load banks can be configured with six different load steps and an operating temperature of between -10C and 50C, allowing test parameters to be set according to user requirements. The system has also been built with safety in mind, with thermal overload protection as standard.

Paul continues, “Hypercsale data centres can rapidly increase and decrease in size. Understanding the potential heat load when running at full capacity means that the centre has evidenced that it is capable of meeting any agreed KPIs, protecting the operator’s reputation and meeting the core design principles of industry bodies such as the Uptime Institute’s Tier Standard.”

Crestchic is no stranger to the development of bespoke solutions for the data centre market. Along with a range of long-established rental and permanent solutions designed for testing of back-up power generators, the company has also recently launched a trailer-mounted loadbank. The solution, which allows sites to move the load bank from one generator to another, was designed to meet the ever-growing number of sites with multiple generators, reducing the time and complexity of the testing process by facilitating easy movement of the testing equipment.

Crestchic’s server emulators are available for rental throughout Europe.

For more information about Crestchic’s range of load testing solutions for the data centre market, including the new server emulator load bank, visit our data centre page.

To buy or hire a load bank for your facility, contact our team here.

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Increasingly, data centre companies are pushing for trailer mounted solutions – especially hyperscale data centres which can have 20 – 30 or even 40 generators on a single site. Crestchic’s trailer-mounted load banks with cable storage and deployment provide a cost-effective solution for easier mobilisation and demobilisation of equipment around site. This in turn allows a more flexible / structured commissioning and maintenance programme onsite.

This load bank can be controlled by either Crestchic’s dedicated LC80 rugged tablet controller or a standard PC over super-fast, interference free fibre optic cable. It also incorporates our new NOVA/ORION control system, which is proving a real hit with customers!.

To read more about this market leading offering from Crestchic, please click here.

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