Uptime and cooling performance both depend on something that is often overlooked during the data system design process: power quality. In this podcast, "Power Quality: The Conversation Data Centers Can't Afford to Ignore," we talk with a Power Quality expert about harmonic distortion in data centers — what it is, how it is created, and how poor power quality impacts data center cooling, uptime and performance. We will also dig into solutions engineers can employ to mitigate poor power quality in their data center.

Power quality deserves a seat at the table alongside the metrics data center operators already obsess over — availability, PUE, and thermal performance. Total Harmonic Distortion, or THD, gives engineers a real, measurable way to gauge the health of their electrical system, turning power quality from an abstract concern into something concrete that can be monitored, benchmarked, and acted on.

This discussion will focus on where harmonics actually come from — and it's something of a paradox. Many of the same components installed specifically to make data centers more efficient, such as variable frequency drives and EC fans, are also responsible for generating the harmonic distortion that undermines power quality. Understanding which specific equipment, in which specific areas of a facility, pose the greatest risk to power quality, gives engineers a practical way to identify where problems are most likely to originate.

Once data center engineers understand the source of harmonics, we’ll dig into the interdependency between power quality and thermal cooling in data centers. Clean, stable power is required to cool a facility properly, and proper cooling is required to run a data center efficiently — the two don't operate independently, one relies on the other. When harmonics go unmanaged excess heat accelerates equipment wear, protective devices trip unexpectedly, cooling systems degrade, and thermal throttling sets in. Left unaddressed, the result is unplanned downtime — the very outcome every data center is designed to avoid.

The physical layout of a facility matters too. "Grey space" and "white space" — the mechanical/support areas and the core IT data hall, respectively — each present different harmonic challenges and require different mitigation approaches. There isn't one single location in a data center where power quality can be fixed once and for all; effective mitigation means evaluating the facility as a whole, rather than searching for a single point of resolution.

Finally we’ll explore solutions available for engineers to help mitigate harmonics in data centers. One of the primary solutions we will focus on will be active harmonic filters. Active harmonic filters continuously monitor power quality of the system and make real-time corrections to mitigate harmonics. Where these filters are installed matters as much as the technology itself, and getting placement right has a direct impact on effectiveness. We’ll also discuss how engineers can take a hands-on approach to maintaining power quality by calculating their own harmonic distortion levels to determine how much filtering capacity they actually need — turning an otherwise theoretical challenge into something they can size, plan for, and solve.

Ultimately, this podcast makes the case that power quality deserves the same level of design attention as uptime and cooling — because in reality, all three are connected. Whether you're a data center engineer, facility owner, or simply responsible for keeping systems running reliably, understanding harmonic distortion isn't a peripheral concern. It's foundational to how well a data center performs.