{"id":16815,"date":"2026-01-15T21:47:04","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T21:47:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/?post_type=case_study&#038;p=16815"},"modified":"2026-01-15T21:47:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T21:47:05","slug":"helping-a-data-center-and-utility-work-in-harmony","status":"publish","type":"case_study","link":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/case-study\/helping-a-data-center-and-utility-work-in-harmony\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping a Data Center and Utility Work in Harmony"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When a public utility experienced an influx of flicker complaints from customers in northern Virginia, they needed to find and fix the issue quickly. Fortunately, they knew just where to look. Using a PQube<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> 3 power analyzer already installed in the system, the utility was able to quickly diagnose the source of the problem \u2014 the interaction between a mission-critical data center conducting load testing nearby and the utility\u2019s capacitor bank. Combined together, these factors created the flicker issues experienced by customers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"font-400\">A significant harmonic event caused by the data center\u2019s uninterruptable power supply (UPS) system.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-400\">An improperly sized capacitor bank tied to the utility\u2019s network, exacerbating the impacts of the harmonic distortion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, the flicker issue was a symptom of a system resonance condition caused by the shared responsibility of the data center and utility, but \u2014 with the right tools and communication \u2014 it was a solvable problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br>The Solution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Equipped with the insights of the power quality diagnosis, the utility quickly switched the data center off of the bridging circuit and onto a different feeder to mitigate the impact on customers while both parties implemented a long-term solution. For the data center, this meant the installation of a harmonic filter to counteract harmonics and interharmonics and prevent unintended strain on the grid, plus replacing the capacitor bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout the process, the utility shared detailed power quality insights with the data center from <a href=\"https:\/\/powerside.com\/products\/software-solutions\/qubescan-monitoring-software\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"133\">QubeScan<\/a>, Powerside&#8217;s cloud-based monitoring platform, enabling both teams to work together to resolve the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Impressed by the precise diagnostics of the PQube 3, the data center decided their team needed these capabilities, as well. In close collaboration with the data center operators, the Powerside team designed and deployed a tailored monitoring solution to meet their needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The turnkey monitoring solution consisted of:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list  font-400\">\n<li class=\"font-400\">Five PQube 3 power analyzers retrofitted into the data center\u2019s switchgear \u2014 the ideal location to monitor each circuit connected to the facility.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-400\">High-accuracy voltage sensors and metering-class current transformers, enabling ultra-precise power quality analysis.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-400\">Rugged outdoor antennas for dependable remote monitoring.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:16px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/powerside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/pqube3-datacenter-switchgear-gear.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17187 lazyload\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/powerside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/pqube3-datacenter-switchgear-gear.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17187\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Figure 1 | PQube 3 power analyzer retrofitted into a data center switchgear. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:4px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once installed, the equipment began immediately uploading to QubeScan, allowing operators to access real-time power quality data from any location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br><strong>The Results<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks to the compact, plug-and-play design of the PQube 3, which comes preconfigured out of the box, the Powerside team was able to integrate and activate the solution in a fraction of the time required by other power quality devices employed by the facility. With minimal setup required, the center\u2019s engineers can now remotely monitor system health, track trends and rapidly troubleshoot issues though one intuitive platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beyond delivering in-depth power quality insights, the QubeScan platform also operates air-gapped from the data center\u2019s SCADA system, providing an independent layer of visibility and ensuring continued insight even if SCADA becomes unavailable. The engineers can now set up automatic compliance reporting and custom alerts for harmonic distortions, as well \u2014 so their team can take action at the first sign of trouble, before an issue impacts their facility or the grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:16px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/powerside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/switchgear-retrofit-pqube3.jpg\" alt=\"PQube3 with Qubescan data screen.\" class=\"wp-image-17188 lazyload\" style=\"width:474px;height:auto\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/powerside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/switchgear-retrofit-pqube3.jpg\" alt=\"PQube3 with Qubescan data screen.\" class=\"wp-image-17188\" style=\"width:474px;height:auto\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Figure 2 | QubeScan power quality data uploaded from the PQube 3 power analyzer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:4px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Data centers demand the very best power quality. See how we can help your team stay ahead of unseen issues, prevent downtime and promote more efficient, resilient operations.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-63375db1 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/powerside.com\/industries\/data-centers\/\">Explore Data Center Services<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:12px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":16816,"template":"","categories":[148,108],"class_list":["post-16815","case_study","type-case_study","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-data-centers","category-industries"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case_study\/16815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case_study"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/case_study"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}