Cooling a Data Center - DP Air

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Cooling a Data Center Increasing Efficiency
to Cut Data Center Costs
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Cooling a Data Center

• Cooling a data center requires careful analysis
  and proper design techniques. Climate-sensitive
  environments such as data centers, computer
  rooms, medical facilities and telecommunications
  hubs, must be properly cooled to ensure ongoing
  operation and equipment maintenance. Without
  establishing and maintaining specific temperature
  levels, equipment will fail.

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Cooling a Data Center

• To ensure continuous data center availability,
  optimization of the right components is
  necessary. Cooling a data center is not just
  about installing an air conditioning system. The
  project is much more involved and must consider
  things like equipment options, air flow dynamics,
  facility structure, floor construction, hot and
  cold aisle containment options and environmental
  factors.

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Cooling a Data Center

• The appropriate design for cooling a data center
  should be based on a thorough analysis, company
  objectives and budget constraints. Numerous
  options exist for computer-grade environmental
  control. The best fit is dependent on the
  individual circumstances of the company and its
  data center operations.

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Cooling a Data Center

• Data center cooling systems come in various
  manufacturer packaged and non-packaged systems.
  Typical systems installed include process
  cooling, humidity control systems, cooling
  towers, centralized pump stations, chillers and
  system monitoring and controls.
• However, cooling a data center doesnt stop with
  a system installation. Just as important is the
  ongoing maintenance of the cooling equipment.
  Preventing failures is the key to systems
  availability and the costly consequences of
  downtime.

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Cooling a Data Center

• How to Increase Cooling Efficiencies
• Industry experts regularly talk about the rising
  cost of electricity and the increasing use of
  power consumption in the data center. For cost
  containment and green initiative purposes,
  company executives and data center managers are
  placing a premium on efficiency.
•  
• Data center cooling is a prime target for
  reducing energy costs. Some industry estimates
  place cooling consisting of approximately 37
  percent of power usage. If the data center is
  not designed properly, that percentage, along
  with associated costs, can increase drastically.

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Cooling a Data Center

• Data center operators and designers can adopt
  certain strategies to help control energy
  consumption related to cooling. Some of these
  strategies include the following
• Sealing the environment. Just like in a home,
  cool air escapes through vulnerabilities in
  floors, windows, doors, walls and ceilings. The
  same challenge exists in an data center. The
  facility must be properly sealed and protected
  from the outside environment to avoid cooling
  losses. Doors need to be kept closed as a
  starter when cooling a data center.
• Then, data center designers and operators can
  create a vapor seal. This seal is a covering
  of materials such as plastic film, paint and
  vinyl used on walls, floors, doors and any
  facility opening. Moisture cannot be allowed to
  migrate to or from the data center environment.

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Cooling a Data Center

• Promoting Cooler Air Movement. Data center
  designers and operators must make sure air flows
  efficiently throughout the facility. Optimal air
  flow will go a long way in cooling a data center.
  Where components, such as racks, air
  conditioners and cables, are placed is an initial
  step.
• The basic concept in promoting air flow is to
  move as much heat as possible away from
  equipment. The goal is to accomplish this
  efficiently using the least amount of energy.

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Cooling a Data Center

• One way data centers reduce energy usage is by
  using technology called economizers. During
  colder weather, the underlying concept is to
  bring outside air inside for cooling a data
  center. This saves significant energy usage and
  costs.
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• Another way to improve cooling efforts is to
  ensure the air conditioning equipment is
  operating for maximum efficiency. Technological
  advances continue to improve equipment operation.
  Improvements like variable capacity and better
  controls optimize air conditioning equipment
  operation.

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Cooling a Data Center

• Installing Supplemental Cooling Systems. To
  counter the effects of heat at its source,
  additional cooling systems can be installed
  nearby. By cooling a data center at heat
  sources, less overall energy is required.
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• This approach is especially useful for high rack
  densities. For example, equipment in the bottom
  rack consumes more cold air, leaving equipment at
  the top sometimes insufficiently cooled. In
  fact, an Uptime Institute study found equipment
  located in the top third of a rack failed
  two-times as much.

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Cooling a Data Center

• Energy costs continue to be a major area of
  concern for data center designers and operators.
  And, with cooling a data center comprising a
  significant portion of these energy costs,
  special attention must be placed on capacities
  and efficiencies of cooling equipment to offset
  these costs. Plus, effective cooling strategies
  help keep equipment running and systems
  available.

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About the Author

• Arnie W. Evdokimo is Chief Executive Officer of
  DP Air Corporation, a leading provider of data
  center design, build and maintenance services
  based in Phoenix, Arizona.
• For more information about cooling a data
  center, visit http//www.DPAir.com today.