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SEMI-THERMFEBRUARY 23 , 2010
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIAC a p t u r i n g e ff i c i e n c y o p p o r t u n i t i e s i n d a t a c e n t e r s h a s b e c o m e a
b u s i n e s s i m p e r a t i v e , a l l o w i n g m a n a g e r s t o e x t e n d t h e c a p a c i t y o f e x i s t i n g f a c i l i t i e s , d r i v e d o w n c o s t s , a n d d e l i v e r e n v i r o n m e n t a l
q u a l i t y b e n e fi t s .
Efficiency Opportunities for Data Center Cooling
M A R K B R A M F I TT, P. E .
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TopicsEngineering – first principles
Utility vantage point – includes public policy
Impact – what can you do
Data centers are impacting the environment with unsustainable growth
Cooling efficiency opportunities
The long view
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What do Data Centers Look Like?
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Unity Load FactorNo other utility loads look like this!
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DC Classifications
Utility Scale: Co-location, cloud and researchEnterpriseCloset
Federal EPA estimates that data centers consume ~2% of US electricity, and is on pace to double every five years.
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Where Are They?
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Utilities Data Centers
Regulatory Compliance Reliability Risk Management Load Growth Competitive Rates Load Management Renewable Resources Energy Efficiency
Services Smart Grid
Reliability Capacity Low Rates (Opex) Capex Avoidance Carbon Content
Utility and DC Drivers
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Why Bother Looking at Cooling?Typical data centers have PUE of 2: half of energy use is for support equipment
Best in class DCs have PUE of 1.2 or so, largely by adopting best practices for cooling
Managing IT energy use turns out to be much tougher!
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Energy EfficiencyDoing the same work with lower energy use
Use more efficient equipment (all)
Use equipment more effectively
Make use of ambient conditions (cooling)
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Data Center EE – CoolingFirst two are best at build, next three are outstanding retrofit opportunities
Premium efficiency equipment (chillers, pumps, fans)
Free cooling – use of ambient conditions
Variable speed drives to match load
Airflow management/containment
Liquid cooling strategies
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Free CoolingUse of ambient environment to cool data centers.
Typically air-side only, but condenser cooling can be a great strategy alone or in tandem with air-side.
The Green Grid has a great on-line tool that calculates potential energy savings for implementing air-side
economizer:http://cooling.thegreengrid.org/namerica/WEB_APP/
calc_index.html
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Free Cooling Economics
6000-8000 hours of free cooling in Bay Area
Payback is well under a year for new construction
Retrofit difficult and not as cost-effective (2-3 year payback)
Separating DC from building system, installing package units
Title 24 will likely mandate air-side economizer for all new DCs
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Wholly Ambient CoolingIndustry leaders are building centers with no mechanical cooling whatsoever
Yahoo, NY – “Chicken Coop” design uses building design and prevailing wind
Microsoft, Dublin – Should use 100% outside air, but has DX backup
HP, England – reports only 20 hours of mechanical cooling
UC Berkeley and Stanford Research DCs – planned
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Airflow ManagementGreat retrofit strategy for isolating hot and cold aisles.
VSDs on CRAC units modulate supply flow to match equipment needs.
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Airflow ManagementThe ultimate in “close loop” cooling, containerized data centers
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Fully Containerized DC ConceptA conceptual design from Microsoft, who along with Google are leaders in large-scale containerized data center deployment.
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“Close Loop”Strategy: move heat through liquid, from as close to the source as possible
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Developing Technologies
Virtualization 2.0 – Server ManagementVirtualization 2.5 – IT Workload
Management
Virtualization 3.0 – Holistic Data Center
Solid State Data Storage
Optical Data Storage
Liquid Cooling Strategies
Passive Cooling Strategies for IT Equipment
Cooling Storage Systems
Change in Power Delivery Voltage
Heat RecoveryOn-Site
Generation
Modular Airflow Isolation
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Liquid Cooling – Last MileProposed in 2003, this represents an “almost fan-less” morphology. CPU is effectively directly coupled to a liquid cooling system. Only secondary components are cooled using air.
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Thermal Storage
Permanent load shifting Thermal energy storage may lower capex and reduce
oppex.
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Utility Programs & ServicesUtilities throughout US are initiating and expanding energy efficiency programs for IT and data centers
Typical portfolio elements: Education and training Technical and analysis support New construction incentives Retrofit incentives Retrofit/purchase rebates Services (air flow management)
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Why…Energy efficiency, renewables, demand response, smart grid?
Utilities can be regulated to deliver cost-effective services with lower environmental impacts.
Energy efficiency programs have helped keep per capita electricity consumption in California flat over the past 30 years
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Challenges
IT industry not accustomed to thinking about efficiency
IT mangers not rewarded or penalized for energy use
Entrenched designs and operating schemes
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Opportunities
Manage your own growth profile – take control of capacity needs
Dramatic short-term cost savings achievable with proven technologies and measures
Time is now to “reset” the IT energy use growth curve
IT’s role in delivering environmental improvements are immense
US leadership in IT industry, and by extension…
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MARK BRAMFITT, P.E .3055 GOUGH STREET, #100SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123
PHONE 415.407 [email protected]
Interchange
information technology utilities data centers energy efficiency demand response smart grid program design training strategic engagement impact