Vertiv has announced plans to start expansion of its state-of-the-art AC power Customer Experience Centre in Bologna, Italy in early 2020.

The construction plan will include a new, 4 MVA power infrastructure to bolster testing capabilities, flexibility and efficiency. This enhancement aids in addressing the trend towards bigger data centres and industrial plants, and the growing customer demand for extended offsite pre-testing to speed up site deployments.

The planned enhancements to the Customer Experience Centre will more than double the testing capacity currently available for large Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), offering up to 7.5 MVA of power and the capability to host six simultaneous sessions.

The facility is already able to perform safe capacity tests utilising regenerative loads with a power-loop principle, to avoid unnecessary energy waste and re-use about 96% of energy.

More efficient and thorough testing, including dynamic tests on batteries, an advanced DC simulator to replicate any kind of battery set-up, and the ability to test 480V systems are also central benefits of the planned expansion.

The enhancements will create a comprehensive AC power testing facility where customers from all over the world can witness advanced technology solutions and latest innovations, as well as verify the performance of Vertiv systems simulating real site operating conditions.

This planned investment comes six years after the opening of the Customer Experience Centre. At the time of opening, it was the only facility in Europe that was purpose-built for the validation of data centre infrastructure, allowing customers to witness pre-installation demonstrations covering the technical performance, interoperability and efficiency of UPS systems under real-field conditions.

To this day, the facility enables Vertiv customers and prospects to experience first-hand a wide variety of technologies, supported by constant consultation from research and development (R&D) and engineering specialists. 

Andrea Ferro, director of the AC power line of business for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Vertiv commented, “The centre was pioneering when it opened six years ago and continues to drive innovation today.

“The latest investment is testament to Vertiv’s commitment to our growing customer base, as it will allow us to conduct more tests simultaneously. The unique opportunity to personally prove the reliability and cost-effectiveness of Vertiv products under a range of real-life conditions helps enable peace of mind for our customers.”

The expansion of the facility is planned to be completed by 2021, with the first phase starting in early 2020.