An often overlooked way for organizations to reduce their energy costs is to optimize their data centers. When you invest in data center optimization a significant amount of savings can result. For example, depending on the actual type of program, the data center efficiency services can save up to 100,000 kWh of electricity every year. No matter if you manage a hospital, bank, university, school or retail business that has large data requirements; there is a very good chance that your data center offers a significant savings opportunity. Some steps that will help you get started are highlighted here.
The first step is to work with your IT manager or with the facility operator in order to measure the total efficiency of your data center. This will provide you with a general idea of how much you will be able to save. There are a number of different ways for you to measure efficiency; however, one of the most common is to calculate total power usage effectiveness (PUE), which is the total amount of energy that the data center will use divided by the total amount of energy that is delivered to the actual computing equipment.
For example, if your data center has a PUE of two, it would mean that only half of the total electricity that is consumed by your data center will be used for powering the servers, while the other half will be dedicated to operations, lighting and cooling. An average data center typically has a PUE that is around 1.8 and optimized centers will have a PUE of 1.3 or less. While this may be an insignificant difference, it can actually equate to thousands of dollars in savings each month.
Once you have determined your data center’s efficiency measurement, you, along with the help of your team, will be able to brainstorm methods that will help to improve it. Some techniques that have been proven effective that may help you get started include:
- Managing your airflow with the use of aisle isolation, floor tile and blanking panels.
- Installing water and air side economizers to take advantage of the free cooling opportunities.
- Using high efficiency controls and cooling equipment.
You should also find out if your utility provider offers any type of services or rebates that will help you with the optimization techniques you plan to put in place.
For more information regarding data center optimization, visit the DCIM website for more information. To know more visit www.raritandcim.com/integration