Data Centre Energy Consumption
has become a focal point since more and more industries are using its
services and will continue to do so in the future. If a data centre
is designed without keeping energy efficiency and sustainability in
mind, it can become a financial burden in the long run and create
environmental issues. As per International Energy Agency, around 1%
of all global energy is used by data centres
and is poised to consume 1/5th of the worldwide power supply by 2025.
As data centres
are necessary for most enterprises, making them energy efficient is
not only a moral obligation but can also significantly reduce
maintenance costs. However, making small tweaks in data
centre design
and following best practices can simultaneously improve energy
efficiency and save costs. Here are 4 ways to make data centres
energy efficient and dramatically reduce costs.
4
Ways to make Energy-Efficient Data Centres
- Software-Based Smart Design
Most experts feel that improving the energy efficiency of a data centre
comes down to the fundamental question of which solution offers the
greatest workload with the least amount of hardware. Software-based
innovative data
centre designs
can ensure better energy utilization and sustainability.
Data
centres
must find underutilized parts of the system and reduce power
consumption. It would be beneficial to get rid of underused
applications and replace them with cost-effective ones to serve the
same needs. It is also ideal for modern IT equipment integrated with
data centres to run safely in warmer environments. This will reduce
the need to overcooling the equipment, thereby saving both energy and
money. By deploying temperature sensors & DCIM (data centre
infrastructure management) software, one can maintain temperatures
according to the needs without jeopardizing the safety and working of
the data centre.
- Geographical
location
Choosing
the right location for a data centre is a key strategy for improving
energy efficiency. Long-term factors like future expansion,
technology upgradation servers, HVAC, etc., must be considered to
ensure the chosen facility is ideal for both the present and the
future. The other factors affecting operations must also be taken
into account, like unlimited renewable power source availability,
fresh/recycled water, moderate climate conditions, etc.
- Modern
Cooling Systems
The
cooling equipment alone in the data
centres
consumes 30 to 60 percent of the power, which is quite alarming.
Firms can reduce utility loads by using simple and deployable cooling
solutions. A constant air temperature can be maintained by exchanging
the cold aisle with a hot air exhaust, which is possible with the
help of hot or cold aisle configurations. To reduce the air mixing
from the two aisles, you can utilize blanking panels within the data
centre’s space. Data
centres
can further speed up the cooling output by using chillers and
air-handlers.
How
Companies can Bring their PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) to 1
Typically data
centres will
have PUE ranging between 1-3. A PUE of 3 means your data centres need
a lot of improvements. On the other hand, a PUE of 1 means your data
centre is highly efficient and can be termed as a green data centre.
Here are a few parameters that can be optimized to achieve a PUE of 1
for most companies that houses a data centre.
- Modify
your data centre’s design
Usually,
data
centre equipment
is built in two types – top-charged & bottom charged. The air
becomes hot during the equipment run and always rises. Hence
converting or replacing the current top-charged equipment with a
bottom-charged can significantly lower PUE towards 1.
The
design and placement of racks in data
centre equipment
directly affect your PUE. With slight customization, you can place
fans on the ceiling to remove hot air from the system. In-rack
cooling is also another way of improving PUE.
- Achieving
PUE at the server level
It
is crucial to assess the efficiency of your data centre servers and
the power usage in standby mode or under overload circumstances. Fix
the computing type, temperature range, cooling, and power needs that
the server has at various points. Modular data centres are useful for
achieving higher PUE, where high-power servers are segregated and
placed in different areas within the data centre. Virtualization can
also boost your PUE and make your data
centre equipment highly
efficient.
- UPS
level changes to help PUE
We
must align the UPS load to the data
centre equipment load
to improve your PUE. If your UPS load is only 30%, then efficiency
will drop drastically. However, you can plug UPS on demand when you
go for modular data centres. Here, If you are currently using a 500
KVA UPS and when an additional load is needed, you can add another
100 KVA UPS instead of purchasing new equipment.
Conclusion
The
above methods don’t need significant investments for the most part,
and we can start building energy-efficient
data centres
right from design and save both money and our environment. All you
need is the vision of making our planet sustainable for future
generations and making data centres a benchmark for energy-efficient
and sustainable technology. So, start the ball rolling for building
green data
centres
today!