Eaton Updates Energy Management Software With Capacity Management, Load Simulation

Eaton has updated its Power Xpert Insight energy management software with real-time capacity management and load simulation capabilities. The new features simulate the impact of additional equipment on electrical loads, a feature useful in data center capacity planning.

Power Xpert provides a dashboard view into real-time energy usage, efficiency and power quality for a variety of facilities, such as data centers, schools, or manufacturing plants. Users can drill down to the device level, analyze trends, and get a unified view of the building data.

Dublin, Ireland-based Eaton is known in the data center industry for its physical wares. It has wide range of electrical equipment, as well as racks, cable trays, meters, and airflow management solutions. Some of this equipment is seen in action in the recent Iliad data center photo tour or Florida Poly’s new super computer.

The company noted last month that it was working on ways to tie the various infrastructure components in its portfolio into a single platform using software. It updated Power Xpert last March with enhanced alarm notification, advanced building integration capabilities, and simplified setup and commissioning.

“During periods of peak loading, or when installing new equipment, it is vital to ensure adequate electrical capacity to avoid unplanned power interruptions,” Marty Aaron, product line manager at Eaton, said in a statement. “By providing the ability to simulate load additions, the new capacity management and simulation features can help commercial and industrial customers proactively forecast peak capacity requirements to predict system performance more efficiently and reliably.”

Simplified integration of backup power devices from a variety of manufacturers is provided through a Modbus protocol adapter engineered into the software. It works with those that communicate on open protocols.

The Web-based energy management software includes support for installation and deployment.