Scalable and right-sized solutions that can grow with IT load offer the best opportunity to improve electrical efficiency, reduce energy costs -- and contribute ecologically.
Reduce Costs & Better the Environment
Data center power consumption is rapidly becoming a global issue--as both an environmental concern and a business matter. As energy costs skyrocket, IT departments are facing increased C-level demands to bring the escalating power and cooling expenses of today's high-density deployments under control. And growing public concern over the long-term health of our planet has forward-thinking corporations (as well as governments) looking at ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Clearly, improved electrical efficiency within the IT room--the "greening of the data center" -- has become a priority.
As a technology innovator and industry leader, APC has been in the forefront of the movement to lower the overall power consumption of data centers around the world. A founding sponsor of the Green Grid--an open nonprofit organization chartered with helping IT departments wrestle with the problems of heat, cooling, energy consumption, and costs by serving as a forum for sharing best practices--APC introduced the first practical fuel cell solution for data center extended-run applications. (Fuel cells emit very low greenhouse gases to the
atmosphere.) APC's modular, scalable solutions "right-size" the power and cooling infrastructure to cut down on electrical waste. APC has long recognized that "going green" is good for business. Reducing data center energy consumption is not only good for Earth, it's good for the bottom line.
Why are Data Centers so Energy-Inefficient?
Most IT rooms have been designed to meet the maximum future estimated power and cooling needs. Conventional thinking holds that you are "better safe than sorry" when building out the data center. This approach often comes with a high energy price tag and usually leads to in underutilized equipment and poor energy efficiency. The consequence:
a negative effect on both the corporate bottom line and the environment.
In a perfect world, data centers would operate at 100% efficiency.
However, this is neither practical nor possible. A 100% efficiency would mean that the IT equipment used all the electricity that you put into the data center. Typically, only 30% of the electricity is used by the IT equipment. The remaining 70% is consumed by chillers, UPS systems, computer room air conditioners, power distribution units, and other infrastructure components. So, when you pay your electric bill, 30% of it is for your IT and 70% for your infrastructure. In other words, data centers typically draw more than twice as much power as their IT loads require, of which a significant portion can be avoided.
10 steps to improve data center efficiency
In the future, data center design may be helped by efficient IT and infrastructure equipment, but data center managers need to improve their efficiency now. APC offers some practical tips to improve the electrical efficiency of your data center.
1. Right-size your infrastructure.
Use a modular, scalable power and cooling architecture that allows you to deploy as needed and avoid "just in case" over- sizing. This is the single best strategy for improving data center efficiency. Savings are even greater for redundant systems.
2. Virtualize your servers.
By consolidating your application into fewer servers, typically blade servers, you free up power and cooling capacity for expansion.
3. Use a more efficient air conditioner architecture.
Instead of room-based cooling, deploy row-based units, which promote higher efficiency in high-density environments. Shorter air paths require less fan power. CRAC supply and return air temperatures are higher, preventing dehumidification and greatly reducing humidification costs.
4. Use air conditioner economizer modes.
Many air conditioners have economizer options that can offer substantial energy savings, depending on your geographic location.
5. Use an efficient floor layout.
Floor layout has a huge impact on the efficiency of your data center air conditioning system. Employ a hot-aisle/cold-aisle configuration with suitable air conditioner locations.
6. Use more efficient power equipment.
New best-in-class UPS systems significantly improve efficiency at typical operating loads. Light-load efficiency is the key parameter, not the full-load efficiency. And don't forget that UPS inefficiency losses must also be cooled, doubling their cost.
7. Locate vented floor tiles correctly.
Data centers using a raised floor often do not have the right number of vented tiles, nor are they located correctly. Correct locations are not intuitively obvious. Get a professional assessment to ensure optimal results. Locating tiles properly will also reduce hot spots.
8. Coordinate air conditioners.
Many data centers have multiple air conditioners that actually undermine one another's performance. One may heat while another one cools; one may humidify while another one dehumidifies. The result is gross waste. Get a professional assessment to diagnose and correct any such problems.
9. Install energy-efficient lighting.
Use more efficient lighting. Lighting power must also be cooled, doubling its cost. Turn off some or all via time-of-day or motion settings.
10. Install blanking panels.
This strategy reduces hot spots and saves energy by increasing the CRAC return air temperature. New snap-in toolless blanking panels make installation easy and inexpensive.
APC is a global leader in integrated critical power and cooling services. |
