Save Energy in the Data Center / Server Room: Additional Resources
Smaller “Embedded” Data Centers
Localized data centers, server rooms, and server closets, known collectively as “embedded data centers” and represent over half of the data center energy use due to their presence in almost every commercial building. Below are some useful resources for those interested in improving efficiency of their embedded data centers.
- DOE’s Improving Energy Efficiency for Server Rooms and Closets, lists the top 14 efficiency improvements available – from simple low-cost solutions to measures requiring higher investment.
- Google’s Green Data Centers: Network POP Case Study (PDF, 4 KB) examines efficiency efforts in a server room that includes optimized air vent tiles, temperature and humidity adjustments, cold aisle containment, and CRAC air return extensions. The effort had a return on investment of less than one year.
- Arc Productions presented the results of their work using power control software to drop their energy costs 56% in a 700 square foot server room.
Case Studies & Low Carbon IT Champions
- Learn how BNY Mellon (PDF, 600 KB) , EBay (PDF, 578 KB), Exelon, NetApp, QTS, Raging Wire (PDF, 7 KB) , Kaiser Permanente (PDF, 79KB) and Target (PDF, 609 KB) substantially reduced costs with a variety of data center energy efficiency measures.
- EPA ENERGY STAR recognized technical teams from BNY Mellon, RagingWire, and Target as "Low Carbon IT Champions" for the energy efficiency upgrades undertaken that led to ENERGY STAR building certification for their data center.
Return on Investment (ROI)
- The Green Grid’s Case Study: The ROI Of Cooling System Energy Efficiency Upgrades (PDF, 2 MB) examines installing variable speed fans, adding baffles and blanking panels, repositioning temperature/humidity sensors, and adjusting temperature setpoints with an ROI of less than 2 years.
- The Green Grid’s Chiller System Optimization: Project Impacts on Data Center Sustainability (PDF, 1.1 MB) examines the ROI of variable speed drives installed on 6 chiller pumps resulting in reduced pump speeds.
- Google’s Green Data Centers: Network POP Case Study (PDF, 3.6 MB) examines a small data center’s efforts at efficiency with optimized air vent tiles, temperature and humidity adjustments, cold aisle containment, and CRAC air return extensions that had an ROI of less than one year.
Best Practices
- The European Code of Conduct for Energy Efficiency in Data Centres is a voluntary initiative that includes a comprehensive list of best practices needed to meet the code.
- Pacific Gas and Electric’s “Energy Efficiency Baselines for Data Centers” establishes baseline levels for data center cooling and air flow management for their new construction incentive programs.
New Data Center Design
- The US Department of Energy (DOE) offers a Best Practices Guide for Energy-Efficient Data Center Design.
- State of California’s Title 24, effective July 1, 2014, establishes new construction standards for data centers that requires use of economizers, variable speed fans, and adiabatic humidification (exceptions apply); prohibits use of reheat; limits power consumption of fans; and requires use of containment in air-cooled high-density data centers.