# Presentation: 757635

## Slide 1

## Acknowledgement to LBNL sponsors

- California Energy Commission – PIER program
- Pacific Gas and Electric Company
- New York State Energy and Development Agency (NYSERDA)
- US - Environmental Protection Agency
- US – Department of Energy

## Data Center research activities

- Research Roadmap
- Benchmarking and 23 data center case studies
- Self-benchmarking protocol
- Power supply efficiency study
- UPS systems efficiency study
- Standby generation losses
- Performance metrics – Computation/watt
- EPA report to Congress
- DOE Save Energy Now program

## LBNL data center demonstrations

- “Air management” demonstration
- Outside air economizer demonstration
- DC powering demonstrations

## Data center energy roadmap

- July, 2003 – Jay Stein a major contributor
- The problem receded for several years as excess data center space was absorbed
- Now the concerns are back – and they are *badder* than ever!

## Performance varies

- The relative percentages of the energy actually doing computing varies considerably.

## Percentage of electricity delivered to IT equipment

**Average .57**

- Higher is better

- Source:  LBNL Benchmarking

## Benchmark results helped to find best practices

- 	The ratio of IT equipment power to the total is an indicator of relative overall efficiency.  Examination of individual systems and components in the centers that performed well helped to identify best practices.
- 	Lets talk about a few....

## Energy efficiency opportunities are everywhere

- Server Load/ComputingOperations

- Cooling Equipment

- Power Conversion & Distribution

- AlternativePower Generation

- High voltage distribution
- Use of DC power
- Highly efficient UPS systems
- Efficient redundancy strategies

- Load management
- Server innovation

**Energy efficiency opportunities are everywhere**

- Better air management
- Move to liquid cooling
- Optimized chilled-water plants
- Use of free cooling

** **On-site generation
-   Waste heat for cooling
-   Use of renewable energy/fuel cells

**Notes:**
Power Conversion: Potential for 10 to 30% improvement

Server Load/Computing: Potential for 30 to 50% improvement (check EPA report)
Load management
Virtualization
Sleep modes
Load shifting
Server innovation
Chip design
Efficient power supplies
Semiconductor materials

Cooling:  Potential for 30 to 50% improvement (check EPA report)

Alternative Power Generation: 
On-site generation (eliminates    transmission losses)
  CHP applications
  Use of waste heat for cooling
  Use of renewable energy (could couple   with DC power distribution systems)
  PV
  Fuel cells

## Best practices topics identified through benchmarking

## A word about appropriate environmental conditions...

- ASHRAE published thermal guidelines
- All IT suppliers participated
- Guidelines allow most centers to relax setpoints
- Recommended and allowable ranges of temperature and humidity are provided – at the inlet to the IT equipment
- High temperatures in the “hot aisles” and return to air conditioners is desirable.

## Humidity guidelines – at the inlet to IT equipment

- ASHRAE Allowable Maximum

- ASHRAE Allowable Minimum

- ASHRAE Recommended Maximum

- ASHRAE Recommended Minimum

## Temperature guidelines – at the inlet to IT equipment

- ASHRAE Allowable Maximum

- ASHRAE Allowable Minimum

- ASHRAE Recommended Maximum

- ASHRAE Recommended Minimum

## Air management best scenario – isolate cold and hot

- 70-75o

- 95-100o

## Another isolation scheme

## Measured fan energy savings – 				75%

**If mixing of cold supply air with hot return air can be eliminated-**
**fan speed can be reduced**

## Better temperature control can allow raising the temperature in the entire data center!

- ASHRAE Recommended Range

- Ranges during demonstration

## Best practices – Free cooling with air economizers

## Encouraging outside air economizers

- Issue:
- Many are reluctant to use air economizers
- Outdoor pollutants and humidity control considered equipment risk
- Goal:
- Encourage use of outside air economizers where climate is appropriate
- Strategy:
- Address concerns:  contamination/humidity control
- Quantify energy savings benefits

## Outdoor measurements

**Outdoor measurements**

**IBM Standard**

**EPA Annual Health Standard**

**EPA 24-Hour Health Standard**

***and***** ASHRAE Standard**

## Measurements inside the centers

**Measurements inside the centers**

**IBM Standard**

**EPA Annual Health Standard**

**EPA 24-Hour Health Standard**

***and***** ASHRAE Standard**

## Indoor measurements

**Indoor measurements**

## Data center w/economizer

**Data center w/economizer**

## Humidity measurements

**Humidity measurements**

**ASHRAE Recommended Upper Limit**

**ASHRAE Recommended Lower Limit**

**ASHRAE Allowable Lower Limit**

**ASHRAE Allowable Upper Limit**

## Findings

- Water soluble salts in combination with high humidity can cause failures
- Static electricity can occur with very low humidity
- New ASHRAE particle limits drastically lower than manufacturer standard
- Particle concentration typically (no economizer)  an order of magnitude lower than new ASHRAE limits
- Economizers, without other mitigation,  can cause particle concentration to approach new ASHRAE limits but filtration can mitigate this

## Best practices – power conversion

## Data center power conversions

**Data center power conversions**

- AC voltage conversions

## Prior research illustrated large losses in power conversion

***Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS)***

***Power Supplies in IT equipment***

## With over 25 industry partners direct DC powering of servers was demonstrated

**With over 25 industry partners direct DC powering of servers was demonstrated**

## Typical AC distribution today

- 480 Volt AC

## Facility-level DC distribution

- 380V.DC

- 480 Volt AC

##  AC system loss compared to DC

- 7-7.3% measured improvement

- 2-5% measured improvement

**Rotary UPS**

## What’s new

- Infrared thermography can be used as a visualization tool

## 

websites: 

http://hightech.lbl.gov/datacenters/
www.energystar.gov/datacenters
www.eere.energy.gov/datacenters/ 

**websites: **
**http://hightech.lbl.gov/datacenters/**
- _[www.energystar.gov](http://www.energystar.gov/datacenters)__[/datacenters](http://www.energystar.gov/datacenters)_
**www.eere.energy.gov/datacenters/**

## 

Discussion/Questions??

**Discussion/Questions??**