Build with confidence
Artificial intelligence (AI) computing is redefining data centers, and the future of this ecosystem is being reshaped right now. Extreme power densities, grid constraints and emerging architectures such as DC power and on-site generation demand a fundamentally different approach to safety and reliability, with UL Solutions at the forefront defining what comes next.
UL Solutions helps original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), suppliers, operators and integrators build with confidence, scale and operate smarter, and integrate without compromise through comprehensive testing, inspection, certification and advisory services that evaluate complex power systems, mitigate risk and enable more resilient, future-ready infrastructure.
Navigating safety in a changing data center power landscape
Designing power systems for modern data centers requires navigating a complex landscape of more than 55 UL Standards that apply to electrical infrastructure, equipment and components across the facility. As operators explore DC architectures to support rising power densities, new safety considerations emerge. DC systems behave differently from traditional AC systems, and phenomena such as DC arc flash remain less familiar and more difficult to predict and mitigate.
Addressing these evolving risks requires deep standards expertise and rigorous testing to help evaluate systems and components’ safety, performance and compliance.
Distribution system components
- Metering equipment
- Panelboards
- Switchboards/switchgear
- Conductors
- Raceways
- Surge protective devices
- Transformers
- Enclosures/boxes
- Receptacles and outlets
- Overcurrent protective devices (fuses and circuit breakers)
- Switches/disconnects
- Other protective devices, including ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) and arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs)
“Next-generation data centers operate at unprecedented power densities, making it critical to design safety and resiliency into the ecosystem from day one to support a reliable, scalable power infrastructure.”
Ken Boyce
Vice President, Principal Engineering, Industrial
“It’s critically important for us to have our standards keep pace with industry innovation.”
Lisa Grams
Senior Director, Product Management, Energy and Industrial Automation, UL Solutions
In the news
Advancing Safety and Scalability in New AI Data Center Innovations
Collaboration with industry experts is driving safer, scalable energy innovation for data centers. In collaboration with Open Compute Project, ABB and Eaton, this initiative will help drive innovation in AI data center design by mapping and enhancing the advanced safety standards applicable to next-generation power infrastructure.
Benefits of working with UL Solutions
UL Solutions delivers science-based insights to maximize uptime, efficiency and resilience across an evolving energy landscape. We simplify complexity, help reduce deployment risk for OEMs and integrators, and help operators meet rising power demands and safety requirements with greater predictability and confidence.
Accelerate data center deployment
Certification expertise and third-party assessment help move power infrastructure from design to operation faster with confidence.
Support high-density power architectures
Evaluate AC and emerging DC systems while defining and evaluating next-generation architectures across the grid to chip ecosystem.
Evaluate new power technologies
From grid to chip, UL Solutions provides trusted expertise to assess equipment, interoperability and enable safer adoption of new technologies at scale.
Identify safety and reliability risks early
Science-based insights help uncover design and integration issues early, reducing deployment risk and supporting uptime, efficiency and resilience.
Demonstrate compliance and safety
Independent, third-party testing and certification establish trusted, compliant systems while building a safer foundation for next-generation workloads and evolving standards.
Related resources
Power Distribution and Data Centers White Paper
This white paper outlines foundational concepts and safety considerations regarding the evolution to higher power and new DC architectures.
Field Evaluation and Data Centers
Learn how UL Solutions Field Evaluation Services can help general contractors close the standards gap with modified or newly installed equipment in the data center environment.
Power distribution infrastructure and data centers
Learn where next-generation data center power meets scalability and resiliency.
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