# Presentation: 925166

## BEST PRACTICES for ENERGY EFFICIENT DATA CENTERS INDENTIFIED THROUGH CASE STUDIES and DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS

-                   Stephen Fok, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
- 					Presented at
- 			ASHRAE Winter Meeting in Dallas, Texas
- 					January 31, 2007

**BEST PRACTICES for ENERGY EFFICIENT DATA CENTERS INDENTIFIED THROUGH CASE STUDIES and DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS**

## BEST PRACTICES for ENERGY EFFICIENT DATA CENTERS INDENTIFIED THROUGH CASE STUDIES and DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS 

**Estimated 400-500 MW of Data Center electricity load in our service territory**
**Partnering with LBNL in addressing Data Center Energy Efficiency Opportunities & Emerging Technologies**
**In 2006, major utility EE Program Implementation produced 132 MW and 677 GWh in Electricity Savings**

**BEST PRACTICES for ENERGY EFFICIENT DATA CENTERS INDENTIFIED THROUGH CASE STUDIES and DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS**** **

## BEST PRACTICES for ENERGY EFFICIENT DATA CENTERS INDENTIFIED THROUGH CASE STUDIES and DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS  

**BEST PRACTICES for ENERGY EFFICIENT DATA CENTERS INDENTIFIED THROUGH CASE STUDIES and DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS** ** **

**OVERVIEW:**
**  ****LBNL Data Center Benchmarking - Roadmap**
**  ****Best Practices and Design Guidelines Sourcebook**
**  ****Air Management Demonstration**
**  ****Air Economizer Demonstration**
**  ****Centralized Air Handling Case Study**
**  ****Free Cooling using Water-Side Economizer Case Study**
**  ****Efficient Uninterruptible Power Supplies Case Study**
**  ****Q&A**

## LBNL Data Center Benchmarking  

**LBNL Data Center Benchmarking **** **

## LBNL Data Center Benchmarking	

- 23 Data Center Case Studies -
- Banks/financial institutions
- Web hosting
- Internet service provider
- Scientific Computing
- Recovery center
- Tax processing
- Storage and router manufacturers

## LBNL Data Center Benchmarking -IT equipment load density

## Benchmarking energy end use

## Overall power use in Data Centers

- Courtesy of Intel Corporation

## Data Center performance differences

## HVAC system effectiveness

- We observed a wide variation in HVAC performance

## Best Practices topics identified through Benchmarking

## CA utility Design Guidelines Sourcebook  

- Guides available through  Energy Design Resources Website

## Air Management Demonstration

- Goal:
- Demonstrate better cooling and energy savings through improvements in air distribution in a typical and a high density environment.

## Air Management Demonstration –High Density Data Center 

- The as-found conditions were monitored
**Temperatures**
**Fan energy**
**IT energy**
- An area containing two high-intensity rows and three computer room air conditioning units was physically isolated from rest of the center – approximately 175 W/sf

## Air Mgmt Demo, High Density Data Center -  (First alternate) ColdAisle Isolation

## Air Mgmt Demo, High Density Data Center -  (Second Alternate):  Hot Aisle Isolation

## Air Mgmt Demo, High Density Data Center -  Procedure

- Once test area was isolated, air conditioner fan speed was reduced using existing VFD’s
- Temperatures at the servers were monitored
- IT equipment and fan energy were monitored
- Chilled water temperatures were monitored
- Hot aisle return air temperatures were monitored – ΔT was determined

## Air Mgmt Demo, High Density Data Center - Fan energy savings: 75%

**Since there was no mixing of cold supply air with hot return air -**
**fan speed could be reduced**

## Air Mgmt Demo, High Density Data Center - Better temp control would allow raising the temp in the entire data center

- ASHRAE Recommended Range

- Ranges during demonstration

## Air Mgmt Demo, High Density Data Center 

- Since air is not mixing, the overall air supply temperature could be raised (typically centers are below ASHRAE recommended minimums because of mixing)
- Hotter air is returned to the computer room air conditioners - Larger temperature difference (ΔT) allows air conditioning unit to have more capacity

## Air Economizer Demonstration

- Goal:  encourage use of outside air economizers where climate is appropriate
- Strategy:
- address data center professional’s biggest concerns:  contamination and humidity control
- quantify energy savings at one center

## Air Economizer Demonstration

- Total of EIGHT data centers were studied. Snapshot/monitoring over several days
- Continuous monitoring equipment in place at one center.  Data collection over several months
- Before and after capability at TWO centers
- Energy savings estimate based on utility billing records.

## Air Economizer Demonstration

- Water soluble salts in combination with high humidity can cause failures
- Static electricity can occur with very low humidity
- Humidity control for make-up air (or no controls) is usually sufficient
- Particle concentrations with normal filtration are orders of magnitude lower than recommended
- Site No. 8 energy savings was estimated to be about 1% of total energy depending on economizer set point.

## Air Economizer Demo - Contamination is orders of magnitude less at servers

## Air Economizer Demo - Particle Concentrations by Size

## Centralized Air Handling Case Study

- Utilize larger & more efficient fans and motors vs CRAC
- Use of variable frequency drives
- Located outside of the data center enhances space allocation and maintenance of IT equipment

## Free Cooling using Water-Side Economizer Case Study  

- Best suited for climates with wet bulb temp < 55 deg F for >3000 hrs per year
- Very effective for chilled water systems designed for >50 deg F
- Possible chilled water plant energy savings of up to 75%

## (1) At the same level of redundancy, approx 5% efficiency gains is possible from operating the UPS at 33% vs 25% of full load(2) Additional HVAC savings improves life cycle costing

**Efficient Uninterruptible Power Supplies Case Study**

## William Tschudi, P.E.:
E-Mail – WFTschudi@lbl.gov

Stephen Fok, P.E.:
E-Mail – skf2@pge.com

**E-Mail – WFTschudi**_[@lbl.gov](mailto:wft@lbl.gov)_
**Stephen Fok, P.E.:**
**E-Mail – **_[skf2@pge.com](mailto:skf2@pge.com)_

***Best Practices for Energy Efficient Data Centers Identified through Case Studies and Demonstration Projects*** - **Q & A**