From Legacy to Global Standard: The 415 V Power Shift Data Centers Need
vertiv, Monday, August 10th, 2026
Vertiv makes the case for North American data centres to move from 480 V three-wire to 415 V four-wire distribution.
Vertiv argues North American data centres should move from 480 V three-wire distribution to 415 V four-wire distribution.
Under the legacy approach, 480 V is stepped down to 208/120 V before reaching IT racks, requiring multiple conversion stages plus PDUs and step-down transformers.
In the 415 V four-wire configuration, a neutral conductor runs from the transformer through the switchgear and UPS, delivering 240 V phase-to-neutral power directly to the rack.
Vertiv lists the benefits as higher efficiency and improved PUE, higher rack density for HPC and AI workloads, more usable white space, and consistency with the architecture already standard in Europe and Asia.