Improving Efficiencies in Data Centers

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Improving Efficiencies in Data Centers
Terry Autry, P.E., LEED APThe RMH Group July
15, 2008
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Introduction

• History of green buildings and relation to data
  centers
• Strategies for improving data center efficiencies

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Green Buildings
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Green Buildings
What is Green?

• Green sustainable responsible use of
  resources
• Meeting the needs of the present without
  compromising the ability of future generations to
  meet their own needs

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Green Buildings
Resource Consumption in U.S. Buildings

• 65 of electricity consumption
• 36 of energy use
• 30 of greenhouse gas emissions
• 30 of raw materials use
• 30 of waste output (136 million tons annually)
• 12 of potable water consumption

Source U.S. Green Building Council
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Green Buildings
A Movement Towards Green
Solar Homes
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Green Buildings
A Movement Towards Green
Geothermal Exchange Heating and Cooling
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Green Buildings
A Movement Towards Green
Efficient Lighting and Daylighting
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Green Buildings
A Movement Towards Green
Low Water-use Landscaping (Xeriscaping)
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Green Buildings
A Movement Towards Green
Low Water-use Plumbing Fixtures
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Green Buildings
A Movement Towards Green
Green Field vs. Brown Field Land Development
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Green Buildings
A Movement Towards Green
Coal-fired Power Plants vs. Wind Farms
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Green Buildings
United State Green Building Counsel (USGBC) Is
Established
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED)
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Green Buildings
LEED System and Scorecard
LEED Scorecard (LEED-NC, version 2.2)
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Green Buildings
LEED System and Scorecard
Scorecard Point Breakdown
Certification Levels
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Green Buildings
LEED Rating Systems

• New Construction (NC)
• Existing Buildings (EB)
• Commercial Interiors (CI)
• Core and Shell (CS)
• Homes (H)
• Neighborhood Development (ND)
• Schools (S)
• Retail (R)

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Green Buildings
Things That Dont Exist
Loch Ness Monster
Unicorns
Leprechaun
LEED for Data Centers Rating System
Perpetual Motion Machine
Great-tasting Light Beer
Cheap Gas
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Green Buildings
LEED and Data Centers
Energy
Typical Data Center
Energy Hog
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Green Buildings
LEED and Data Centers
Fannie Mae Urbana Technology Center, Urbana, MD
Highmark Data Center, Harrisburg, PA
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Green Buildings
Beyond LEED

• Proposed ASHRAE data center evaluation system
• Grades data centers energy efficiency impact
• Very preliminary, not nationally recognized

Source ASHRAE Journal, December 2007
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Green Buildings
Beyond LEED
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Green Buildings
LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB)
Golden Hill Office Centre, Lakewood, Colorado
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Improving Data Center Efficiencies
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Improving Data Center Efficiencies
Mission Statement (Before)
Maintain IT Availability
24x7x365
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Improving Data Center Efficiencies
Mission Statement (Now)
Maintain IT Availability
24x7x365
while being
Green and Highly Energy Efficient
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Improving Data Center Efficiencies
Energy Use
Source American Power Conversion, Cisco, and
Emerson Network Power
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Improving Data Center Efficiencies
Measuring Data Center Power Efficiency
Total power IT power
Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE)
Improved PUE 1.64
Typical PUE 2.8
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Improving Data Center Efficiencies
Xcel Energy Rebate Program

• 196 million allocated to demand-side management
  programs through 2013
• Two classes of rebate programs
• Prescriptive rebates standard rebates for
  energy-using components such as lights, motors,
  VFDs, etc.
• Custom efficiency rebates for building systems
  including data center cooling systems 400/kW
  reduction in peak demand up to 50 of the project
  cost
• Examples compressed air, recommissioning,
  refrigerant recommissioning, energy analysis,
  lighting redesign, cooling system replacements,
  control system installation, building management
  system (BMS) installation
• Xcel will pay for engineering studies to evaluate
  various energy-saving systems (up to 75 of study
  cost not to exceed 20,000).

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Improving Data Center Efficiencies
Data Processing Guidelines
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Improving Data Center Efficiencies
Heat Management
Scenario 1 CFD Model
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Improving Data Center Efficiencies
Heat Management
Scenario 2 CFD Model
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Improving Data Center Efficiencies
Heat Management
Scenario 3 CFD Model
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Improving Data Center Efficiencies
Heat Management
Scenario 4 CFD Model
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Improving Data Center Efficiencies
Heat Management

• Reduce/eliminate fan power by capturing heat in
  rack/IT equipment
• Water is 4,000 times more effective at holding
  heat than air
• Much less horsepower to cool (no fans)

Water in a cooling container is pumped through
chips layers.
Source IBM
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Improving Data Center Efficiencies
High-efficiency Super Computing Center

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