Data center cooling alone accounts for 37%-40% of a building’s total energy use.
Business owners and commercial facility managers are constantly trying to curb energy costs and save money. It is a constant struggle. Data center cooling alone accounts for 37%-40% of a building’s total energy use. So decision makers are always on the lookout for new ways to manage these costs and improve IT energy efficiency.
Better Manage Data Center Cooling Costs with PUE
Introduced in 2007 by Green Grid, a 501(c)(6) non-profit, Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) is a measure of data center efficiency, which is calculated by dividing the total data center energy consumption by the energy consumption of the IT computing equipment. This ratio allows data center facilities to compare equipment upgrades and better track the results of energy usage.
As of 2011, the average PUE was 1.89, according to Uptime Institute. An ideal PUE is 1.0.
“The job is never done, but if you focus on improving in one area very long you’ll start to get diminishing returns,” said Christian Belady, architect of the PUE metric. “You have to be conscious of the cost pie; always be conscious of where the bulk of the costs are.”
What Belady means is that you cannot focus all of your efforts on PUE. While this metric can provide a baseline to track future improvements, it should not be your primary focus. You must look at the bigger picture and address the underlying cause of poor IT energy efficiency.
Data Center Cooling – Looking at the Big Picture and Preventive Maintenance
According to Uptime Institute, the primary culprits of diminished IT efficiency are poor demand and capacity planning within and across functions, significant failings in asset management, companies not holding their CIOs accountable for critical data center facilities’ CapEx and data center operational efficiency, and a lack of regular maintenance. According to Consortium of Energy Efficiency, a preventive maintenance program can cut that energy use by as much as 20%, and prevent around 30-40% of all downtime events.
Isn’t it time that your commercial facility implement a formal IT energy management program?
- Document and clearly define responsibilities.
- Implement a reporting strategy for both energy usage (key performance indicators – KPIs) and operating expenses, such as power cost and carbon cost per VM (virtual machine).
- Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) implementation: A dashboard that displays all KPIs.
- Define the incentives for your staff.
Crockett Facilities Services, Inc. (CFSI) can help!
Data Center Cooling Services from CFSI
At Crockett Facilities Services, Inc. (CFSI), our Emerson, Liebert and Stulz factory-trained service technicians understand the evolving complexities in managing heat loads and maintaining optimal temperatures. Our preventive maintenance programs for computer room air conditioners (CRACs) are designed to protect your IT equipment investment and resolve critical cooling issues before they negatively impact your business.
We know that downtime is not an option!
For more information on Data Center Cooling and IT Energy Efficiency, please contact CFSI by calling 301.262.2771, email sales@crockett-facilities.com, or submit a form for a service quote. Like us on Facebook; follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google+.
Sources:
HVAC Factor: Data Center Operations, Facility Executive