helping data centers run lean

8/3/2019 Helping Data Centers Run Lean

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2011, All informa on contained herein is the sole property of Pipeline Publishing, LLC. Pipeline Publishing LLC reserves all rights and privileges regarding the use of this informa on. Any

unauthorized use, such as distribu ng, copying, modifyi ng, or reprin ng, is not permi ed. This document is not intended for reproduc on or distribu on outside of www.pipelinepub.com .

To obtain permission to reproduce or distribute this document contact [email protected] for informa on about Reprint Services.

Prior to 2004, data centers were kept at relatively low temperatures, around 68 degrees, per recommendedguidelines from the American Society of Heating,Refrigerating and Air- Conditioning Engineers

(ASHRAE). In 2004, ASHRAE raised those guidelines to 77 degrees. After further study in 2008, theASHRAE raised the recommendation to 81 degrees,and now is looking to raise the recommendation evenhigher.

Virtualization helps by cutting the number of serversby as much as a 10-1 ratio reducing the oorspace needing to be powered and cooled while alsooperating the remaining servers more ef ciently, saysBill Kosik, HP Technology Services Principal DataCenter Energy Technologist. Older, not-virtualizedservers still consumed energy even when operating at

very low levels, meaning wasted energy.

We took an approach, as a whole, to look at what isdriving energy waste, adds Ron Mann, HP Directorof Engineering, Data Center Infrastructure. Manycompanies just stop at the rack. We looked atanything that caused inef ciencies, from the UPS

to the conversion technology to redundant powersupplies.

Among the discoveries that HP is using in designing new data center facilities was that indirect cooling and variable speed fans permitted more ef cient

temperature control. More ef cient UPS andconversion systems reduced power loss whenconverting from AC to DC power. Monitoring andautomated systems power down systems whenunderutilized or not in use.

Another energy ef ciency technique data centers useis better containment for hot air, according to Jason

Yaeger, Director of Operations for Online Tech, whichoperates a couple of small collocation data centerfacilities in Michigan. Among the facilities clients area couple of telecom resellers.

Keeping hot and cold air separate is a long-standing practice. Data centers seek to eliminate the hot air asquickly as possible so they dont have to re-cool it. Buthistorically, there had been too much air ow between

the hot and cold air aisles, according to Yaeger. SoOnline Tech sealed unused panels in the data centerracks and installed barriers on top of the racks to

help prevent any warm air leaking back into the coldair area. A similar temperature containment strategywas employed in Comarchs design for a new datacenter in Lille, France, the company plans to open by

the end of the year. The facility will include a system to pump water directly into the raw exchangers inside the boxes and transform chilled water into cold air tocool the racks.

Similarly, HPs Wynyard, UK facility which openedin February 2010, leverages the cold climate in theNorth East of England for cooling IT equipment andplant rooms. A large quantity of fresh air is suppliedby fans and ltered, reducing the energy required forcooling by 40 percent compared to conventional datacenters. The building also features an energy-ef cientand sustainable design that incorporates recycledmaterials as well as harvested rainwater.

So-called natural air cooling is also more prevalentin the U.S., a phenomenon driven by growing energyneeds and recognition that data centers can run at

warmer temperatures than once was thought to beprudent. Improved ltering and monitoring of ltering systems helps to ensure exterior particulate matterdoesnt damage internal systems. However, encloseddata centers still provide better protection against theoutside contaminants.

Renewable Resources

Data centers are using a variety of renewableresources in an attempt to be greener. But in mostinstances, even the most aggressive of those effortsresult in only about a 10 percent reduction in energyneeded from other sources:

Emerson Electric has solar panels covering everysquare inch of its St. Louis, Mo. data center. But,

the solar energy represents only 13 percent of thefacilitys power needs.

The EPA estimates that utilitycosts for U.S. computer servers

rose to $7.4 billion in 2010, upfrom $4.5 billion only ve yearsearlier.


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2011, All informa on contained herein is the sole property of Pipeline Publishing, LLC. Pipeline Publishing LLC reserves all rights and privileges regarding the use of this informa on. Any

unauthorized use, such as distribu ng, copying, modifyi ng, or reprin ng, is not permi ed. This document is not intended for reproduc on or distribu on outside of www.pipelinepub.com .

To obtain permission to reproduce or distribute this document contact [email protected] for informa on about Reprint Services.

Under an agreement with SunPower, HP will installits rst-ever, large-scale power installation at its SanDiego facility. Once completed, it will transform suninto 1. MW hours of electricity which is enough to

provide more than 10 percent of the facilitys energy,which the company estimates will save approximately$750,000 in energy costs during the next 15 years.As solar technology becomes more advanced, it willbe a more viable source of power for data centers,said HPs Cosick.

ACT, providers of the well-known college entranceexam, employs a geothermal system that helps cool

the rms 10,000-square foot facility in Iowa City,saving about 30 percent on total power needs.

Use of renewable resources is largely geographydependent. While facilities in the Midwest can getsome bene ts from wind and solar, geothermal andhydroelectric sources are more abundant in otherparts of the world.

In Iceland, Verne Global receives all of the power forits data center from hydro electric and geothermalsources. The facility was far enough away that itwasnt affected by the Eyjafjallajkull volcano in thespring of 2010.

The greening effort of data centers will continue toexpand as usage and power demands continue toincrease.

Emerson Electric has solarpanels covering every square

inch of its St. Louis datacenter, but they only provide13% of total energy needs.

helping data centers run lean

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