Increasing the Energy Efficiency of Your Data Center Cooling System
Proper data center cooling is essential to the operation of many companies. Without the right server cooling system or data center monitoring in place you risk degradation or even failure of critical systems. The failure of your data center cooling system can represent an existential threat to a business. Sever cooling can also make up a large part of the energy expenses of your building. Using current best practices it"s possible to save 20-50% in energy costs while extending the life of your equipment. That"s why so many building owners and mangers are choosing to retrofit more energy efficient data center cooling systems with advanced data center monitoring.
How to Improve Data Center Cooling System Design and Operations
When you hire an HVAC team to retrofit a new more energy efficient server cooling system you should:
" Benchmark current facilities
" Integrate both IT and facilities management staff to work together
" Establish intent of new design
" Make optimizing energy efficiency a priority early in the design process
" Perform life-cycle cost analysis
" Re-commission ongoing data center monitoring as a regular part of maintenance
Tips for Retrofitting an Efficient Data Center Cooling System
Proper Server Cooling Sizing-Data center cooling systems are often oversized because of the difficulty of determining what the cooling loads will ultimately be. Oversized data center cooling systems are a large reason for energy inefficiencies. To avoid over sizing, design for modular growth of equipment like variable speed fans, pumps and compressors.
Liquid Cooled Racks-Water is much more efficient than air on a volume basis when it comes to cooling servers. Liquid cooled racks are now available for cooling computers that are more efficient than air conditioning.
Air Temperature-Proper data center monitoring is essential to achieve optimal energy efficiency. Server cooling temperatures should remain between 64.4F-80.6F.
*Information on data center cooling, data center monitoring and server cooling provided by the U.S. Department of Energy.