# Presentation: 247956

## Bill Tschudi 

- Public Interest Energy Research (PIER)California Institute for Energy & Environment (CIEE)

- Bill Tschudi
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- http://hightech.lbl.gov

- Data Center Energy Research and Demonstrations

**Critical Facilities Roundtable Meeting -  March 25, 2005**

## Current LBNL data center related activities

- Benchmarking and Best Practices identification
- Research-directed benchmarking
- Self-benchmarking protocol
- Improve uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)
- Develop performance metrics (Computing vs. Watts)
- Improve power supplies in IT equipment
- Adding demonstration projects

**Current LBNL data center ****related activities**

## Wide range of efficiencies:For example: data center HVAC

**Wide range of efficiencies:****For example: data center HVAC**

*HVAC effectiveness varies *

## Load intensity is increasing in our supercomputing center

**Load intensity is increasing in our supercomputing center**

## Measured UPS Efficiency

- Efficiency ranged  from 86% to 97% at peak load, but efficiency under typical operating loads ranges from 81% to 97%

**Measured UPS Efficiency**

- Typical operating range

- Data Centers – UPS measured vs mfg. efficiency

- 	Manufacturer’s reported efficiency in product literature 	consistently within 1% of measured performance
- 	Unfortunately, manufacturers often do not report efficiency in 	typical data center operating range (30% - 50%)

## Power Supply Findings:

**Power Supply Findings:**

- Typical operating range

## Power Conversion Conclusions:

**Power Conversion Conclusions:**

-  	There is a wide range of efficiency for both UPS and 	power supplies and they have lower part load efficiency 	(where most operate)
-  	Server power supplies are less efficient than PC’s
-  	Computer manufacturers caution that setting criteria for 	power supplies may lead to “gaming” of the rest of the 	power supply chain
-  	Elimination of electric power conversion(s) could be a 	large impact on 	energy use

##  	Heat removal from servers without 	fans

-  	Heat removal from servers without 	fans
-  	DC powering rack of computers
-  	IT/facilities design process for new 	supercomputer center

**Data center demonstration** **projects**

##  	Start-up company – Nisvara has patented 	technology using carbon micro fiber to 	efficiently conduct heat in one direction to a 	point where it can be transferred to air or 	liquid.

-  	Start-up company – Nisvara has patented 	technology using carbon micro fiber to 	efficiently conduct heat in one direction to a 	point where it can be transferred to air or 	liquid.
-  	Seeking “industry partner(s)” to provide 	servers and rack systems to modify to use 	this technology.  Also seeking a 	demonstration site.

**Heat removal without fans demonstration**

##  	Discussions with server manufacturers, 	processor and other component 	manufacturers 

-  	Discussions with server manufacturers, 	processor and other component 	manufacturers
-  	_[www.nisvara.com](http://www.nisvara.com/)_

**Heat removal without fans ...**

##  	Demonstrate energy savings using 	commercially available DC power at rack 	level to eliminate or consolidate a power 	conversion

-  	Demonstrate energy savings using 	commercially available DC power at rack 	level to eliminate or consolidate a power 	conversion
-  	Various potential configurations and 	manufacturers
-  	Seeking “industry partner(s)” to provide 	servers to modify to use this technology.  	Also may involve a demonstration site.
-  	Potential overlap with heat removal demo

**DC powering** **demonstration**

## Thank you

**Thank you**
- Contact me if you would like to participate
- _[wftschudi@lbl.gov](mailto:wftschudi@lbl.gov)_
**510-495-2417**