Qubits Energy
Blog
As data center portfolios grow, electrical infrastructure becomes increasingly complex. While new facilities are often built using standardized physical designs, EPMS implementations frequently evolve in a fragmented way. Different sites end up with different naming conventions, alarm structures, graphics, and operational behaviors, even when the underlying electrical systems are similar.
This lack of standardization creates challenges for both operators and engineering teams.
The EPMS Standardization Problem in Multi-Site Data Centers
In multi-site environments, EPMS systems are often built project by project. Decisions are influenced by local integrators, specific edge platforms, or historical practices. Over time, this leads to inconsistencies in how devices are modeled, how alarms are configured, and how data is presented to operators.
As a result, operators and integrators must adapt to different EPMS behaviors depending on the site they are working in. Training becomes more difficult, troubleshooting takes longer, and operational risk increases.
Separating Standards from Edge Platforms
One of the core challenges is that EPMS standardization is often tied directly to the edge system or platform used at a specific site. When different platforms are introduced, standardization breaks down.
A more scalable approach is to define EPMS standards independently of the edge system. Device profiles, control point lists, alarms, graphics, and operational logic can be defined once and reused across different platforms. This allows organizations to maintain consistency even when different technologies are used at the edge.
This is precisely what we are solving at Qubits Energy through our vendor-agnostic AI platform to centralize development and information about standards, templates, points lists, screens, and more. Also, to manage version control of systems given the complexity of in-office engineers working in parallel with on-site deployment engineers.
Templates and Digital Models for EPMS
Standardization can be achieved by creating reusable device profiles, templates for digital representations of EPMS systems. These templates define how electrical assets are modeled, monitored, and visualized. When applied consistently, they function as a digital reference for how EPMS systems should be built and operated.
This approach supports faster deployment, reduces configuration errors, and ensures that operational teams interact with a familiar system regardless of the data center location.
Centralized, Cloud-Based Standardization
Managing EPMS standards centrally enables organizations to apply updates, improvements, and best practices across all sites. A cloud-based model allows standards to evolve over time while maintaining consistency across existing and new facilities.
This is especially valuable as data center portfolios scale and operational complexity increases.
Why Standardization Matters Beyond Technology
At its core, EPMS standardization is not only a technical initiative—it is a human one.
In complex, mission-critical environments, electrical operators and engineers often work under constant pressure. Fragmented systems, inconsistent interfaces, and repetitive manual tasks increase cognitive load and operational stress. Over time, this affects not just performance, but also job satisfaction and work-life balance.
The purpose behind standardizing EPMS systems is to create an environment where operators and integrators can focus on meaningful work instead of repetitive configuration and troubleshooting. By automating and standardizing the majority of routine tasks—such as device modeling, point mapping, alarms, and graphics—engineering teams can reduce friction and variability across projects.
This approach follows a practical balance: automating roughly 80% of repetitive, rule-based work while preserving 20% for human judgment, supervision, and decision-making. The goal is not to replace engineers or operators, but to free them from tedious tasks so they can focus on oversight, critical thinking, and system-level responsibility.
When systems are predictable and consistent, operators gain confidence. Training becomes simpler, transitions between sites are smoother, and teams spend less time adapting to tools and more time managing outcomes. Standardization, in this sense, becomes a foundation for healthier operations and more sustainable engineering practices.
Looking Ahead
Standardizing EPMS systems across multiple data centers is ultimately about creating clarity—both in systems and in operations. While the technical components can be defined through templates and centralized models, the real challenge lies in aligning processes, teams, and governance around those standards.
How these standards are created, maintained, and applied across different platforms and projects is a topic of its own. In a future post, we’ll take a closer look at how this standardization process can be structured in practice and what it takes to implement it successfully at scale.
Platforms and Systems Qubits Works With
Power SCADA, Power Operations, Power Monitoring Expert (PME), Ignition, Niagara, EcoStruxure™ Building Operation (EBO), and the next generation, AI-powered platform by Schneider Electric EcoStruxure™ Foresight Operation