Product Information Energy consumption in data centers

Interviews with Barry Elliott, Director of Capitoline and Mario van der Kroef, Global Marking Director at Optelecom-NKF

You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone nowadays who hasn't heard about global warming. It's literally a
hot topic. Everything from driving a car or flying in an airplane to eating a steak supposedly increases
the Earth's temperature. Did you know that some research now shows that every second you spend
reading a web page emits 20 milligrams of CO2 into the atmosphere?

In an effort to decrease the carbon footprint of IT networks, many industry leaders, from manufacturers and systems
integrators to data center designers, are creating and adopting more efficient and cost-effective technologies. One
place they are starting is in the backbone of every networked computer room, namely, in the data center, where all the
system components are housed. Data centers are major consumers of energy in the IT world and streamlining their use
of resources can significantly increase the effectiveness of the entire network.

Reduce and reorganize

Data centers comprise an array of electronic equipment, Optelecom-NKF using existing technology in inventive ways
from the IT equipment that actually carries out the tasks that to decrease both monetary and resource expenditures. “We
allow us to use internets and intranets to the devices used apply the technology Optelecom-NKF previously developed
for lighting or cooling the room. Data center designers and for power converters for solar panel technology,” explains Mr.
directors are therefore looking for ways to decrease the Van der Kroef. “The result is that Siqura power supply
amount of power consumed both in terms of productive cabinets are designed to efficiently consume electricity.
processes as well as in overhead costs. Moreover, through the innovative design and sharing of
“New data centers are the place to apply highly effective resources, Optelecom-NKF is able to offer video servers that
energy saving methods and technologies,” points out Barry are both cost-effective and efficient.”
Elliott, the Director of UK based Capitoline, a data center, IT Consequently, employing technology from brands committed
infrastructure, and building technology consulting and to the frugal use of resources and the development of
training company that specializes in energy consumption sustainable solutions can help to cut power consumption in
reduction plans to help companies lucratively implement both the constructive and operational expenses of a data
ecologically-aware and proficient data centers. “However, center.
some simple measures can be taken in existing data centers
to improve efficiency.”
Something to keep in mind for data center developments is,
as the saying goes, what goes in must come out; the energy
consumed by the devices actually doing the work produces
an equal amount of heat that must ultimately be cooled.
Some companies are therefore working to create low power
technologies to reduce the total amount of electricity
required by a data center.
Mario van der Kroef is the Global Marketing Director at
Optelecom-NKF, manufacturer of advanced Siqura
surveillance solutions. He gives an example of how
Barry Elliott Mario van der Kroef
Energy consumption in data centers

of their equipment and data centers, and

this is something we stress in our training
at Capitoline. But they also need to ask
for a reasonable return on investment,
generally within three years. So while
some innovative technologies can make
the carbon footprint of a data center
relatively neutral, the rate of return on the
initial investment can be very low. It could
take ten or fifteen years to get your
money back on such expensive
technology and that is too much to ask of
many companies.”
It is possible to easily reduce cooling
costs by taking simple measures to
ensure the efficiency of your current
cooling system, such as making sure that
cool air is not leaking out and that air
flow is effectively cooling the data center
and the equipment housed there.
Modernizing a data center can also
include completely overhauling the
Cutting the cost of cooling savings on free cooling do not always
system and working to reduce overhead
balance out the cost of moving a data
Mr. Elliott describes a number of costs as much as possible through
center abroad and the appeal of having a
techniques in a white paper for pioneering projects and creative
data center within driving distance
Capitoline on how cooling systems can technologies, such as those being
generally prevails.”
be renovated to improve efficiency and initiated in Amsterdam, though these
Although moving a data center to a ventures can come at a significant cost
reduce energy consumption. Effectively
temperate climate might not be a viable that takes many years to recover.
insulating data centers and sealing cable
option for every business, many
entry points can effectively help to As a result, designers and administrators
innovative advancements have been
improve the competence of existing naturally need to weigh the pros and
made in data centers that are already
cooling techniques, as can the use of so- cons of their various endeavors to reduce
located in cooler areas. The City of
called free cooling options. By ensuring electricity expenditures. Cooling is not,
Amsterdam, for example, aims to be
the efficiency of cooling systems and however, the only way to cut costs and
CO2 neutral in 2015, and the data center
utilizing new cooling techniques, it is energy consumption in a data center. By
in this municipality's city hall is being
possible to cut overhead costs by more taking a closer look at the equipment
renovated to reduce energy
than half. actually doing the work, new
consumption. By using the old nuclear
Free cooling involves using elements, technologies can be utilized to decrease
bunker under the city hall to house the
such as air and water, from the the power usage of the IT equipment and
new data center, water from the Amstel
surrounding environment to lower the hence also the cooling costs.
River (which flows past just outside the
temperature of the data center rather edifice) will be used in the cooling
than using air conditioning systems. system. The warm water will then be
While free cooling systems can greatly used to heat the building, ultimately
reduce costs, they require the data reducing the operational costs of both
center to be located in temperate the data center and the city hall.
latitudes.
While this original undertaking will
“Data centers are generally located reduce power usage in Amsterdam's
relatively close to where the networks municipal facilities by more than half, it
are,” explains Mr. Elliott. “Most users want will take nearly ten years to recover the
their data centers to be physically close initial return on investment.
despite the fact that moving data centers
Barry Elliott comments, “People definitely
to cooler climates does incur some
need to look into the energy consumption www.siqura.com
economic advantage. However, the
www.optelecom-nkf.com
Energy consumption in data centers

Replacing legacy equipment

“Since IT equipment generally uses over Mr. Elliott goes on to explain that knowing A key place to start is in the data center.
two-thirds of the overall power consumed how much energy a data center is using An important step that managers can
by a given data center,” says Mr. Elliott, is integral to being able to modernize its take to ensure that the amount of
“replacing legacy devices with newer electricity usage. “It's important to know electricity that they are using is being
equipment can often cut down on how much energy a given data center is consumed as efficiently as possible is to
electrical and monetary expenses.” consuming. The measurement developed replace older equipment with the latest
As Mr. Elliott implicitly points out, data by the Green Grid, known as power technology, such as high density
center designers and administrators are usage effectiveness (PUE), is a simple solutions like the Siqura S-68. It's also
not the only ones thinking about and relatively accurate way to estimate essential to make sure that the various
streamlining energy consumption. Many power consumption and to streamline a equipment comes from companies and
companies are coming up with data center's energy usage.” brands that are committed to creating
increasingly efficient equipment; for The PUE measurement can, in turn, be and implementing sustainable
example, there is a focus on designing used to gauge the efficiency of one data technologies and solutions, such as
products that offer more capacity in less center against other data centers as well Optelecom-NKF. Another critical step is
space and for less power. as to determine the best ways to reduce to look into the effectiveness of the air
its calculated or current usage. conditioning system of the data center
One example of this trend towards high
and find ways to leverage efficient
density solutions is the eight-channel However, PUE does have some
technology and cooling while maximizing
Siqura S-68 E video server from disadvantages. “One drawback is that
return on investment. In the end, the goal
Optelecom-NKF. “The S-68 E uses a PUE unfortunately does not say much
is to utilize resources as efficiently and
mere 0.9 watt per channel, making it the about how much useful work is actually
economically as possible. Mr. Elliott is
most energy-efficient encoders available being done with the amount of electricity
quick to point out, “You can save
in the video surveillance industry,” says used,” Mr. Elliott explains. “Other methods
hundreds of thousands per year in
Mr. Van der Kroef. “Since the S-68 E is are currently being developed by
reduced electricity consumption with low
capable of streaming up to 88 analog organizations, such as the Environmental
carbon footprint computer room designs
video channels in just one 5.25 (or 3U) x Protection Agency (EPA), but there isn't a
like those from Capitoline.”
19 inch power supply cabinet, it is also measurement yet that gives us a good
the most compact solution on the idea of the amount of electricity that is
market.” actually being used for the processes for
Consequently, keeping up with new which the data center was constructed.”
technologies that utilize energy efficient As a result, measuring PUE is a good
solutions can make it easy to ecologically place to start to modernize a data center
reduce costs as electricity bills rise. but it is also equally important to stay
abreast of the latest developments to
most effectively assess its efficiency.
Sifting through the
possibilities
Simplifying life for system
“It can sometimes be quite confusing to
know where to start,” adds Mr. Elliott. managers
“There are really a lot of organizations It's not easy to be a surveillance system
burgeoning throughout the industry with manager today. There is an omnipresent
guidelines for efficient energy use. We need to remedy the causes and curb the
generally try to use standards set by the effects of global warming in the midst of
EU, but initiatives such as the Green Grid a reeling economy and steadily
and quality assurance labels, like Energy increasing electricity bills. Still, there are
Star, certainly also help to structure a lot of options out there to meet the
various power consumption criteria.” demands of society while at the same
time reducing operational costs.