Oak Ridge Schools to Monitor Voltage, Current, Power and Power Factor with CPI's Monitored eConnect PDUs

Chatsworth Products' (CPI) eConnect^® Power Distribution Units and data center solutions played a powerful role in Oak Ridge City Schools' 1:1 learning initiative.

Oak Ridge City Schools are some of Tennessee's most praised learning institutions. Comprised of preschool, elementary, middle and high schools that serve about 4,700 students, Oak Ridge Schools are known for their excellence and advanced academics within the educational system.

The school district strives for the success of every student. This mission inspired the "One to One" or 1:1 initiative, in which every student will receive a Microsoft Surface tablet to use at home and at school.

To withstand the heat loads of this high-density environment, which included high-tech fiber cabling throughout, Oak Ridge Schools needed a reliable PDU with remote monitoring capabilities.

With CPI's Monitored eConnect PDUs, Oak Ridge Schools would be able to monitor and measure voltage, current, power and power factor in each cabinet. Another huge plus for Oak Ridge Schools was the daisy chaining (IP consolidation) feature of the PDUs, which allows for a connection of up to 20 PDUs using a single IP address.

CPI's F-Series TeraFrame^® Cabinets with Vertical Exhaust Ducts and custom grommets were configured to hold up to 30kW of heat load, so if power requirements for equipment go up, the eConnect PDUs will be able to withstand the high temperatures within the cabinets. eConnect PDUs were designed to withstand high heat loads of any hot aisle environment, with an ambient temperature rating of 149 degrees F (65 degrees C).

"It's nice to have a single-vendor solution, so we don't have to worry about someone else's PDU fitting and the compatibility with the cabinet. It's a good package to go along with the cabinet," Robert Carneim, PhD, Supervisor of Instructional Technology at Oak Ridge Schools, said. "Setting them up inside the cabinet was also incredibly easy."

Now with a solid and redundant data center in place, Oak Ridge Schools are technologically prepared to attempt becoming top in the nation for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

For more information about CPI's eConnect PDUs and other power products, visit the website. To learn more about Oak Ridge Schools, read the full case study.