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by chopsueyar
5545 days ago
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A couple of guesses. They probably have a lot more cat5/cat6 around than 3-conductor 12 gauge copper wire (not sure if it is cheaper by the foot). Also, the network switches can output the PoE, so maybe it is easier to wire into/from the racks or overhead than a seperate AC line with conduit. Labor installation and material costs may be less. Also, since it is DC, and not an AC lighting source, interference may be less (just a guess). And as you mentioned, the lighting as instrumentation. |
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LED lamps use DC power. The LED lamps that you can buy that screw into a standard Edison socket contain electronics to convert the AC line voltage into DC. This is inefficient -- generates heat and wastes power (though still not nearly as much as a traditional incandescent bulb).
By using power over Ethernet for their lighting, the datacenter can use cheaper, cooler, more efficient bulbs, and save a lot of money on the wiring too.
I can definitely foresee a future where new construction includes wiring for both line voltage AC and also low voltage DC. It could eliminate all the bulky transformers scattered around a typical house and save energy and money.