CTO Challenge

1
CTO Challenge
William Tschudi wftschudi_at_lbl.gov 510-495-241
7 February 27, 2008
2

• Selected LBNL Data Center findings
• Future bold moves

3
Benchmarks of energy end use
4
Overall electrical power use
Courtesy of Michael Patterson, Intel Corporation
5
Your mileage will vary
The relative percentages of the energy doing
computing varied considerably.
6
High level metric Ratio of electricity
delivered to IT equipment
Average .57
Higher is better
Source LBNL Benchmarking
7
High level metric
CTO Challenge get everyone to this level
Average .57
Source LBNL Benchmarking
8
On-line profiling tool Data Center Pro
9
DOE Save Energy Now Data Center program

• Major Program Elements
• 1. Develop and test DC Pro Software using
• pilot energy assessments
• 2. Create consensus metrics
• 3. Create and publicize Save Energy Now case
  studiesbased on pilot energy assessments
• 4. Create best practice information and a
  training curriculum
• 5. Develop Qualified Specialists program for Data
  Centers
• 6. Create guidelines for Best-in-Class data
  center within various classes of data centers,
  including strategies for incorporating
  distributed generation technologies

10

• Industrial Technologies Program
• Tool suite metrics
• Energy baselining
• Training
• Qualified specialists
• Case studies
• Certification of continual improvement
• Recognition of high energy savers
• Best practice information
• Best-in-Class guidelines

• Federal Energy Management Program
• Best practicesshowcased at Federal data centers
• Pilot adoption of Best-in-Class guidelines at
  Federal data centers
• Adoption of to-be-developed industry standard for
  Best-in-Class at newly constructed Federal data
  centers

• Industry
• Tools
• Metrics
• Training
• Best practice information
• Best-in-Class guidelines
• IT work productivity standard

• EPA
• Metrics
• Server performancerating ENERGY STAR label
• Data center performance benchmarking

11
Energy assessment tools
Data Center Assessment Output Overall energy
performance (baseline) of data center Performance
of IT infrastructure subsystems compared to
benchmarks Prioritized list of energy efficiency
actions and their savings, in terms of energy
cost (), source energy (Btu), and carbon
emissions (Mtons)
Power Systems UPS Distribution
On-Site Gen Renewables Co-gen
IT Module Servers Storage networking Software
Cooling Air Mgmt CRAC/CRAH AHU Chillers
12
Energy efficiency opportunities are everywhere

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

• Load management
• Server innovation

Power Conversion Distribution
Server Load/ComputingOperations
Cooling Equipment

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

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

AlternativePower Generation
13
HVAC best practices

• Air Management
• Air Economizers
• Humidification Control
• Centralized Air Handlers
• Low Pressure Drop Systems
• Fan Efficiency

• Cooling Plant Optimization
• Water Side Economizer
• Variable Speed Chillers
• Variable Speed Pumping
• Direct Liquid Cooling

14
Electrical best practices

• UPS systems
• Self-generation
• AC-DC distribution
• Standby generation

15
Best practices and IT equipment

• Power supply efficiency
• Standby/sleep power modes
• IT equipment fans
• Virtualization
• Load shifting

16
Best PracticesCross-cutting and misc. issues

• Motor efficiency
• Right sizing
• Variable speed drives
• Lighting
• Maintenance
• Continuous Commissioning and Benchmarking

• Heat Recovery
• Building Envelope
• Redundancy Strategies

17
Design guidelines for ten best practices were
developed
Guides available through LBNLs website PGEs
Energy Design Resources website
18
CTO Challenge Some bold steps to improve energy
efficiency (and save your customers money)

• Broaden recommended and allowable ranges of
  environmental conditions
• Debunk contamination and ESD fears
• Move to liquid cooling
• Integrate computing equipment and the building
• Minimize power conversion loss - end to end
• Facilitate IT Facilities CFO understanding

19
CTO Challenge

• Broaden recommended and allowable ranges of
  environmental conditions
• HVAC can be greatly reduced if higher
  temperatures can be used for cooling IT equipment
  (using air or liquid)
• ASHRAE addressing this but not based upon science
• IT equipment operating at 80º F or higher has
  huge energy implications

20
Temperature guidelines at the inlet to IT
equipment
ASHRAE Allowable Maximum
ASHRAE Recommended Maximum
ASHRAE Recommended Minimum
ASHRAE Allowable Minimum
21
Humidity guidelines at the inlet to IT
equipment
ASHRAE Allowable Maximum
ASHRAE Recommended Maximum
ASHRAE Recommended Minimum
ASHRAE Allowable Minimum
22
CTO challenge Broaden environmental conditions
ASHRAE Allowable Maximum
ASHRAE Recommended Maximum
ASHRAE Recommended Minimum
ASHRAE Allowable Minimum
23
Total Power/IT Power
Metric 1.2 for planned LBNL supercomputer facility
Average of Facilities Measured-1.74
24
CTO Challenge

• Debunk contamination and ESD fears
• Direct use of outside air for cooling can result
  in large HVAC savings but fears of contamination
  hinder its adoption
• LBNL studies suggest this should not be a problem
• Failure data due to contamination has been
  requested none has been produced
• ESD is poorly understood.

25
Outdoor measurements
IBM Standard
EPA 24-Hour Health Standard
EPA Annual Health Standard
and ASHRAE Standard
26
Measurements inside the centers
IBM Standard
EPA 24-Hour Health Standard
EPA Annual Health Standard
and ASHRAE Standard
27
CTO Challenge

• Move to liquid cooling
• Liquid can remove 3500 times as much heat as air
• Liquid cooling could eliminate (or greatly
  reduce) the need for chillers
• Liquid is creeping in now how to accelerate it?

28
CTO Challenge

• Integrate computing equipment and the building
• Often multiple fans in series
• air and liquid cooling
• High delta T is efficient
• Eliminate boxes
• Control HVAC from servers on board sensors (Demo
  being planned)

29
CTO Challenge

• Minimize power conversion loss - end to end
• On site generation
• Distribute high voltage AC or DC
• Eliminate conversions with use of DC
• Insist on high efficiency power supplies and UPS
• Optimize DC conversions in the box
• AC to the chip?
• Redundancy

30
Measured UPS efficiency
Redundant Operation
31
Data Center power conversions
AC
DC
DC
AC
Server
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
Power Distribution Unit (PDU)
32
UPS factory measurements
Typical Operation
33
Power supply efficiency
Typical operation
34
CTO and CFO Challenge

• Facilitate IT Facilities CFO understanding
• Disconnect between facilities and IT
• Operating budget vs capital budget
• Operating cost equals or exceeds capital cost of
  IT equipment
• How to get CFOs engaged?

35

• websites http//hightech.lbl.gov/datacenters/
• http//www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/saveenergynow
  /partnering_data_centers.html