What is a Volt?

A Volt is the standard measure of electrical potential and a fixed value for every circuit. Voltage is measured with respect to a reference point (usually between the two respective conductors of the circuit). Voltage is analogous to pressure in a water pipe. Higher pressures, or higher voltages, allow more energy to flow within a given amount of time for a given wire size. Standard voltages present in most data centers are 120V and 208V in the U.S., and 230V in continental Europe. Some newer U.S. data centers are being designed to utilize 230V.