Whether your 'data center' is a single server or a roomful of racks, these expert tips can make it more energy efficient. And it doesn't have to cost a lot -- in fact, it can save a bundle
It is hard today to not want to "go green" these day. A lot of people are considering different ways to help decrease their carbon footprint.
They understand that going green can save a business serious green
But the perceived costs of going green costs can be difficult for small and midsize business to accept. Green data centers -- or IT departments -- make for nice ideas on paper and compelling subject matter at seminars. But most small and midsize companies are not prepared to spend thousands of dollars for solar panels or wind generators, even though those things are certainly worth the investment.
What if you had a way to go green in your data center and save a lot of money in the operational budget? Sounds like the scene in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, when Scotty tells the engineer at Plexicon that he can hold back the pressure of 60,000 gallons of water with a material only one inch thick.
Hard to believe, right?
Advances in green technology are bringing down its costs. Today's solar cells -- for example, copper indium gallium diselenide -- are around 17 percent efficient. That is four times what it was a few years ago. It pays to start small and look for the things that can be done today for little to no cost. They can really add up to big savings on your electric bill.
Understanding Energy Efficiency First things first. A basic premise we need to always keep in mind for the data center is that for every 1 watt (W) of power decreased, we also decrease 1W of cooling needed. Electricity equals heat. Heat will cause a chain reaction in electronics that causes it to lose resistance. When resistance is lost, more electricity flows, which generates more heat, which causes more resistance lost, which generates more heat, and so on.
Now factor dust into the equation. Electricity generates a magnetic field that attracts dust. Ever wonder why the inside of your equipment is dustier than the outside? The magnetic field is why. Now the dust covers the gear, which causes heat to build up, which reduces resistance, which cause more electricity to flow, which generates more heat and attracts more dust because of the increased magnetic field and feels like we are reading an IT version of Dr. Seuss's "Horton Hears a Data Center." In no time at all, the devices will "burn up" because of excessive electricity. Winning this battle requires a lot of cooling (and air filters) to preserve investment in data center gear.
Like all good leaders, thinking large and acting small are great places to start. Onward to greener pastures -- er, data centers.
Five Ways to Make Your Data Center Green
1. Get a copy of your company's electric bill. Determine how much you actually spend per month in energy for your data center. This is considered your "pre-green" bill. It is very difficult to see how much money you are saving unless you have a benchmark. This step is often overlooked, but it is really the most important part.
2. Take a walk around your data center. A lot of data centers I see today have been ported to support servers. By that I mean they used to hold large mainframe systems, and now they support servers. The cooling needs of the current server-based model are really different from those of the mainframe era. Check out what parts of the data center you are actually cooling. I have seen cooling ducts under raised floors, and those are the coldest power cables I have ever seen. That certainly does not do the servers any good. Try not to cool parts of the data center where there is no equipment. Block off ducts or rerun them for more efficient cooling transfer. Also, as a bonus, check the air filter in the cooling unit and place a high-flow filter at the duct outlet itself to filter out even more dust. Even if it is just a homemade filter made of cheesecloth, it can reduce dust by 30 percent.
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