FACILITIES power+cooling
#dcsarticle
http://dcsuk.info/n/zhns
A pragmatic approach to an energy efficient data centre Can anyone afford not to implement the use of energy efficient systems in
their Data Centres? Asks Brunel Engineering Associates. W
ith global fuel reserves dwindling and the realisation that energy costs are likely to increase several fold over the next decade, energy conservation is an increasingly critical consideration of Data Centres for Owners, Operators and Customers alike. Similarly, responsibility for the built environment and the reduction of carbon emissions have all become of paramount importance to most modern organisations.
Admirably, the levels of corporate responsibility are probably the highest ever experienced, but an often seen barrier to the incorporation of energy efficient technologies is the sometimes prohibitive cost of such systems in relation to the Capital Expenditure (CapEx) budget, which is often separate to the Operating Expenditure (OpEx) budget where energy efficiency benefits materialise. So the question is, as services Designers, what can we do to facilitate incorporation of energy efficient systems within Data Centres whilst minimising the CapEx and optimising the OpEx? There are, of course, many different answers as each Data Centre will have a system configuration most suitable for its particular application.
The increasing use of metrics is an important step towards understanding and ultimately addressing energy usage but consideration of core engineering principles can sometimes be overlooked when energy efficiency is the prime mover in a project. We have recently completed a new Data Centre for SCC in the West Midlands which won the Green Grid Award for Sustainability at the Data Centres in Europe Awards 2011, and by using it as an example
hope to show that high levels of energy efficiency can be achieved without significant increase to CapEx. From the initial design stage it was apparent that SCC were fully committed to providing energy efficient systems for their new Data Centre and this was further enhanced by their own guarantees of carbon neutrality through an offsetting initiative that was implemented and applied to their Data Centre services following project handover. This positive attitude and undertaking of the Client was of prime importance and the catalyst to implementing energy efficiency throughout the build and lifetime operation of the development.
The Holistic Approach
Firstly we would use energy efficient designs wherever possible in both the Data Hall and the Support Areas, and to maximise Client benefits and ensure green credential aspirations were met, the equipment would be selected from the Carbon Trust’s Enhanced Capital Allowance Technology Lists to capitalise on the associated tax incentives. After suitable equipment selections were made we would then undertake a rigorous value engineering exercise on all plant items. This core principle was aimed to optimise the CapEx budget to liberate monies for additional energy efficient systems. Prior to final selections, the embedded carbon footprint of the major plant items would be considered along with future maintenance requirements. Finally a comprehensive set of Operating & Maintenance Manuals were to be provided to enable ease of maintenance and to ensure any future system changes could be incorporated in an energy efficient manner. It was felt that this approach would fulfil the aspirations of the Client whilst providing a highly energy efficient development for the lifespan of the building systems.
The Final Design
The solutions that follow give a brief insight into why they were incorporated into the final design and it is hoped that they may help readers identify potential areas of saving. Due to site location and constraints, it was determined that a chilled water system was the most suitable critical cooling solution and integrated free cooling (FC) chillers would be utilised. With the chiller operating configuration as “2x Run / 1x Standby”, this was further enhanced by utilising “Intelligent” free cooling. This enables the heat transfer coils of the “Standby” chiller to be used for FC whilst it is in “Standby” mode, effectively enabling up to an additional 50% of the FC capacity. The capability for FC was further enhanced by utilising higher chilled water flow and return temperatures which increased the FC setpoint temperature, and thus increased the hours when free cooling became available. By integrating the FC system within the chiller footprint an
28
www.dcsuk.info I February 2012
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52