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Data centers are critical for nowadays businesses however are costlier to run due to excessive energy costs. With energy prices rising and data center ask for growing, the industry is expected to enlarge by 25% from 2023 to 2030. These increasing costs are impacting data centers and top performance computing (HPC) units which make managers to delay new purchases, limit cutting-edge systems, and reduce again on operating hours. To manage these expenses and meet increasing demands, it is crucial to find alternative energy sources or improve energy efficiency in data centers quickly.
Note: Improving strength efficiency is a step towards sustainability but it is no longer the entire solution. Sustainable computing is nothing but designing, making, using, and casting off computers and other tech with the aim of having no net environmental impact. It is about decreasing the whole environmental footprint for the entire lifecycle of the tech era.
What is a Data Center?
Imagine all the information and data added to the internet every day. All this data needs to be processed and stored securely. That is where data centers become useful. These centers can be small like a server room or large like multiple warehouses. Servers in data centers are crucial for businesses that hold data or use online storage just like you store photos, videos or files on your computers or external devices. But managing all this technical equipment can cause issues and overheating is a major concern.
Strategies to Maximize Energy Efficiency
Here is a technology based factors and operational practices to enhance energy efficiency in data centers:
Efficient Cooling
Cooling systems in data centers consume about 40% of the total power which make them a major focus for energy efficiency improvements:
- Hot Aisle/Cold Aisle Containment: This method will direct cold air from the air conditioning system into the cold aisle and hot air from equipment into the hot aisle. It prevents cold air from being wasted and reduces energy loss.
- Optimizing Airflow Management: Proper airflow management involves monitoring and improving air flow between servers to prevent blockages and ensure cool air reaches all areas. This practice will help in maintaining safe temperatures and preventing hotspots caused by trapped warm air.
- Efficient Cooling Technologies: Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) is a technology that circulates liquid directly around electronic components like CPUs and GPUs to dissipate heat more efficiently. DLC offers several advantages including better heat transfer, reduced airflow needs, targeted cooling, and the ability to reuse waste heat.
How Does a Data Center Cooling System Work?
Maintaining the right temperature for servers is important for good performance and safety. When you keep many servers together, they will get hot quickly thus a good cooling system is needed. Data centers can use different methods to cool down and remove extra heat. The ideal temperature range for servers is usually between 18 to 27°C. Check out some of the most commonly used cooling systems:
Air Cooling
Many data centers make use of air conditioning to keep servers cool. They usually separate the servers into ‘hot aisles’ and ‘cold aisles.’ In this setup, the front of the servers faces the cold aisle and the back releases heat into the hot aisle. This way, cool air will circulate around the servers and the hot air will be removed or cooled down through vents. The cold air will also be sent through underground ducts to keep temperatures stable.
There are also other air cooling systems that use regular air conditioners or special PAC units (Precision Air Conditioning) that are made for data centers. These systems will allow precise control of temperature and humidity which help to keep the environment just right for the servers. Overall, these methods will help you to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the data center.
Liquid Cooling
Another way to cool servers is by using a liquid coolant to remove heat. This can be done through immersion or direct cooling. In immersion cooling, whole devices are placed in a special liquid. Direct to chip cooling on the other hand uses tubes filled with a nonflammable liquid directed at the hottest parts of the device like the processing chip or motherboard. In both methods, the liquid will absorb the heat and turns into vapor which carries the heat away from the device. This cooling method is quite new but can be very affordable because it targets specific equipment and is efficient at absorbing heat.
Evaporative Cooling
This cooling method makes use of water evaporation to lower air temperature. It is called swamp cooling. Hot air from the data center is pulled through a device called an ‘evaporative media” which holds water. As the hot air passes through, the water evaporates which cool the air. The cool air is then circulated throughout the data center. This method is very efficient but may not be suitable for all data centers because it can increase humidity levels.
Conclusion
The current stage of data center development offers a chance to lead in sustainability by focusing on energy efficiency. By applying these four strategies like accelerated computing, energy efficient hardware, containerization and scheduling, and efficient cooling, you can reduce your carbon footprint, cut operating costs, and position your organization as a leader in sustainable computing. Implementing these practices will help you achieve better energy efficiency and prepare your data center for future challenges.
Benoit Technologies is the best spot to avail of data center services at reasonable prices. With years of experience, we can handle every step of IT infrastructure projects right from design to installation. Partner with us and we will manage all contractors and vendors to keep you updated and stress-free. As the top data center services in Dubai, our team helps you plan your power and data center needs, provides all necessary equipment, and oversees the installation. Our strong technical support and service have earned us a large customer base in the GCC.