It’s summer, the thermometer is showing 25°C, and you head off to the nearest supermarket to buy some ice cream. A parking space in the shade would be great right now. Ah, a kind woman is just driving out of a gap between the cars in front of you, freeing up a shady spot for you. A glance to the left shows you that it’s not a truck or a van that you have to thank for the welcome shade this time, but rather a shipping container roughly 40 feet long.
Power for an entire supermarket, on just 18 square metres
his container houses the power for some of the outlets of a large German supermarket chain. The power comes in the form of 144 grid | Xtreme VR batteries. They ensure that the outlet’s server has a constant power supply, that online shopping is possible and that the outlets can communicate with each other through their goods management system and can order stock. Or in other words: they make sure that your favourite ice cream stays available for you in the frozen food cabinet.
Start of pilot project in May
Since the summer of 2023, three of these container systems have been in operation in Germany for the supermarket giant. For the moment, this is a pilot project. Its purpose is to test whether the operation of the supermarket server systems can be assured inhouse again in future, and no longer through an external data center.
High power density in minimal space
One aspect, in particular, was decisive for the choice of the HOPPECKE system: its space savings. On a surface area of just 18 square metres the entire electrical system for securing a 500 kW server can be accommodated. A special feature: the batteries are not only installed beside each other, but also horizontally without any gaps in between. This provides enough space to include the UPS systems, air-conditioning units and power distribution. And the grid | Xtreme VR battery has yet another plus: lower air-conditioning costs. Thanks to the special HPPL technology, grid | Xtreme VR batteries can withstand even high temperatures up to 55°C with no problems. That means further energy and cost savings for the grocery discounter
