BUSINESS INSIGHTS
First , operators should instrument their data centre with meters and sensors to collect data on their power and environment . This data is critical for making the most informed energy management decisions .
Raising the temperature is one simple way to immediately increase efficiency . Modern equipment can handle warmer environments , but many operators play it safe and keep temperatures cool . However , they can reduce energy consumption by 4 – 5 % for every 1 ° F increase in server inlet temperature .
Separating cold supply air from hot exhaust air via hot / cold aisle containment can improve energy efficiency by up to 40 % compared to an uncontained environment .
Minimising bypass airflow improves cooling efficiency . Materials like blanking panels and raised floor grommets are cost-effective and easy to implement solutions that can achieve small but noticeable energy savings .
Up to 30 % of servers in a data centre may be ghost servers that consume energy but perform no useful function . Ghost servers , along with power hogs , should be identified and decommissioned , virtualised , or replaced with more efficient equipment .
Reusing and recycling equipment is encouraged to reduce the amount of unnecessary carbon emissions caused by the equipment manufacturing process .
Renewable energy such as solar , wind and hydroelectric power may be purchased or generated onsite to replace dependence on fossil fuels . These energy sources continue to become more costeffective every year .
Finally , DCIM software is a must-have to measure , trend and report on energy efficiency metrics , maximise the utilisation of existing resources to defer wasteful new buildouts , and drive more energyefficient behaviour .
Can DC operators ever expect to balance availability / reliability with sustainability – and if so , how ?
It ’ s a common concern that increasing sustainability comes at the expense of increased risk to availability and reliability , but that doesn ’ t have to be the case .
With DCIM software , operators can rest assured that their sustainability initiatives aren ’ t introducing risk with real-time power and environment monitoring capabilities .
Users can set warning and critical thresholds on rack loads , inlet loads , circuit breaker loads , threephase balance , temperature and humidity . When a threshold is violated , the user is automatically alerted so they can remediate any issue before it causes a serious problem .
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