Everyone knows earthing is critical. To prevent electric shocks, protect the equipment, and reduce risks to electrical safety. But despite the awareness, in many critical facilities including data centers, earthing continues to be a checkbox—something to “tick off” rather than scrutinize.
What we found on ground
UPS, Power Cables, Control Panels, Bus Ducts – all go through rigorous tests. What lies beneath is not scrutinised thoroughly. The critical importance of design, compliance in installations, testing of Grounding infrastructure faces neglect.
Here’s what we’ve observed to go wrong firsthand in data centers:
Damaged sensitive equipment due to poor earthing
We’ve encountered systems where fault currents had no clear path to discharge. Instead, they circulated dangerously within the system, damaging sensitive equipment.
Underestimating the risks of ignoring Lightning Protection
Lightning isn’t just a rare occurrence—it’s a real and present threat. Without proper lightning arrestors and grounding integration, a strike can fry hardware in milliseconds and put lives at risk.
Inadequate attention to simple aspects such as Bonding
When metallic components aren’t properly bonded, they carry different electrical potentials—setting the stage for shocks or equipment failure.
Critical failures due to lack of routine maintenance
An earthing system isn’t “set and forget.” Without scheduled inspections and testing, corrosion can creep in, resistance rises, and protection fails when it’s needed most.
What You Can Do In-House vs. What Needs Experts
While some checks and improvements in earthing and grounding can be done in-house, deeper evaluations require specialists. Here’s how to approach both
In-House Checks You Can Start Today:
- Visual inspections for physical damage or corrosion
- Simple resistance checks
- Bond continuity verification
Tests Requiring Expert Scrutiny:
- Soil resistivity tests
- Earth electrode resistance testing
- Step and touch potential assessments
- Verifying efficacy of earth fault protection w.r.t coordination between upstream and downstream systems
- Earth Fault Loop Impedance testing
- Ground grid assessments for EHV Substations
- Lightning protection system adequacy and deep dive audits
Ensuring safety in Data Centers isn’t just about redundancy or uptime—it’s about the invisible foundations that protect everything.
Regular audits, the right tests, and proper implementation of earthing, grounding and bonding systems are a must to prevent disasters that can dent the reputation of your Data Centre.
Efficienergi has been helping Data Center facilities to stay grounded—literally. To ensure your Data Centre facility is mistake-free, speak to us.