How can you improve energy efficiency of the Data Center?

The proper functioning of a Data Center implies a low power consumption and it is a growing trend and a requirement placed in front of us. Besides, the main challenges are reflected in high availability, high heat density, demands for higher capacity per m2, permanent power supply and cooling, dynamic load due to virtualization, implementation speed and costs.

Enel PS

Our products and solutions are in the energy chain which enables energy efficiency. Technology is the key to achieving energy efficiency. The ‘Energy Smart’ innovation will continue to have a significant impact on energy and emission utilization. Information, expertise and knowledge are essential for the application of technology in a practical and economically feasible way. ICT sector now accounts for 10% of world electricity consumption. This is precisely the sphere in which there is a possibility for improvement in energy efficiency by reducing electricity consumption, rational use of the cooling system and the software that supports the infrastructure management of the DC (DCIM).

More than half of the companies mention space as one of the greatest challenges concerning the Data Center. Although many companies lack the physical space for the organization of system resources within the Data Center, they actually rarely exploit their full potential. It is estimated that some servers operate at less than 10% of the potential capacity and due to the lack of visibility, this gap often remains unnoticed.

Through a better visibility of infrastructure use it can be seen how this is reflected on the Data Center, and therefore on better business results as well. In this way the IT sector is able to make better business decisions, organizations can optimize efficiency, capacity and availability, and all that can be seen in real time, through the DCIM. At the same time it can be seen whether the capacities are still in decline and whether to invest in new resources.

A recent report from Gartner says: “The first two generations of Data Centers can hardly be regarded as appropriate for the current and future needs. The Data Center should not be regarded as a static structure, but as a living organism that evolves along with the changes of the server, memory and network infrastructure.” And that is precisely the field of our business, as ENEL PS designs and builds Data Centers and it does in an energy efficient way.

PUE (Data Center Efficiency Index) represents the entire infrastructure capacity (kW) in relation to the capacity of IT equipment (kW). The most efficient Data Centers in the world reach PUE of 1.1 by a series of strategies, mostly by efficient cooling and the use of renewable energy sources (sun, water, biomass). The Schneider Electric Company began the construction of ‘Eco Data Center’ in 2016, the world’s first climate positive Data Center. PUE smaller than 1.1 is not suitable for standard Data Centers at typical locations, with normal budgets.

The selection of a Data Center location (e.g. Scandinavia) – due to low annual ambient air temperature and high quality of electrical networks without a power loss, data replication to one or two backup locations, use of the server which endures harsher environmental conditions (e.g. Google) and, of course, a large budget that is compatible with such an expensive strategy.

Our company offers consulting services for the improvement of energy efficiency and one of them is assessment and analysis of the energy efficiency of the location. This service means that qualified ENEL PS experts visit the location and examine in detail the power supply system and cooling (air conditioning) system. The service includes identifying potential strategies for improving energy efficiency. Working with the client, specific challenges are discussed and the objectives are set, the necessary data are collected and the identification of areas in which energy can be saved. The client is given a written report concerning the location together with the conclusions, analysis, proposals for improvement and the benefits for the user.

Another service is the distribution of energy consumption in the Data Center. ENEL PS consultants help you increase the capacity of the Data Center, along with increasing reliability and reducing costs and energy consumption. 

Author: Miloš Stojković, Solutions Product Manager