DATA CENTRE MANAGEMENT
Daisy-chain sensors enable a modular approach
A modular daisy-chain sensor system by Vaisala is optimising energy efficiency for Vantage Data Centres, significantly reducing its cabling needs and carbon footprint, as Anu Kätkä explains.
Anu Kätkä
www.vaisala.com
T
Strategic project management for Vaisala
187m, representing an 89% drop in carbon footprint.
Environmental measurements One of the key measures of sustainability at data centres is power usage effectiveness (PUE), which is derived by dividing total power consumption by the power used to operate the IT equipment. So, the more efficient the data centre, the lower the PUE. Eugenio says: “This is an important metric for us – we continuously create downward pressure on this figure with accurate measurements and tight control of the cooling operations.” The sensor daisy-chains at Vantage
he global demand for data centres is being driven by cloud-based services, AI, automation and digitisation.
These data handling facilities house large amounts of IT infrastructure and require high levels of power to run the equipment and to cool it. The latest servers are more energy efficient and able to operate at higher temperatures. As major consumers of power and land, data centre operators have an undeniable responsibility to aggressively reduce emissions and lessen environmental impacts wherever possible. In addition, data centres frequently contain critically important data, and it is not uncommon for 99.99% uptime to be a requirement. The monitoring and control requirements are therefore comprehensive and stringent.
Partners in innovation Vantage Data Centers powers, cools, protects and connects the technology of the world’s well-known hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises. Developing and operating across five continents in North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific, Vantage has evolved data centre design in innovative ways to deliver dramatic gains in reliability, efficiency and sustainability in flexible environments that can scale as quickly as the market demands. Our development project was initially prompted by the sustainability requirements of the new Vantage campuses. “We are constantly looking for ways to improve both the efficiency and sustainability of our data centres,” explains Eugenio Lukianov, principal automation manager, EMEA, Vantage Data Centers. “Due to their accuracy and reliability, Vaisala sensors are frequently specified in the requirements of our new or refurbished data centres worldwide. Many of our facilities are large, and the
30
transmit data to the Vantage servers, and the ongoing accuracy of the measurements is essential for the efficiency of cooling. Vaisala sensors are also deployed outside the building, so that outdoor air can be utilised by economisation to reduce the energy required for cooling and thereby lower the PUE.
In addition to the critical areas of
the Vantage data centres, Vaisala sensors are also located in non- critical rooms such as storage areas and offices, providing data for normal HVAC control.
Vaisala probes at a new data centre during construction
sensor cabling requirement can be enormous, so we were keen to find a better solution.” Engineers from Vaisala and
Vantage found that the amount of cabling required at data centres could be significantly reduced if the sensors could be re-designed to be daisy-chained, rather than each having their own individual cable. A sensor development project therefore progressed with this as its key objective, but additional benefits were also realised by the new sensor solution. “In order to facilitate the daisy- chain, it was necessary for the sensors to be plug-and-play, which made installation so much easier,” Eugenio says. “The sensor cables are initially coiled in the roof space, and then, once the servers are installed, the sensors are simply dropped into place. This modular approach also simplifies ongoing maintenance
because any damaged sensors or cables can be quickly and easily swapped out.” The cable reduction potential of the daisy-chain solution is very significant. For example, a single 100m data centre aisle, with 30 instruments at 3m spacing, each with a dedicated cable and a 3m cable drop, would require about 1,695m of cable, which is more than a mile of cable. In contrast, if the same aisle is equipped with the daisy-chain solution, the cabling drops to just
the sensor cabling requirement can be enormous, so we were keen to find a better solution
Modular solutions At Vaisala, we believe that by specifying our measurement technologies, data centre customers can ensure that the efficiency of their cooling operations is underpinned by accurate data. However Eugenio believes that the benefits extend beyond long-term accuracy and energy efficiency: “The modularity of the daisy-chain saves time and money during installation and maintenance, and with our partners and system integrators utilising Vaisala technology, we have been able to reduce the volume of spares and training that are required.” The daisy-chain systems have now been installed for up to two years in UK campuses. Eugenio says: “We are very pleased with the way that Vaisala responded to our request, working collaboratively with us to develop the daisy-chain solution. So far, the accuracy has been very good and there have been no complaints from our operational teams.” Looking forward, Eugenio adds:
“The number of organisations looking to use data centres is constantly expanding, and all of them want to secure a minimum 5-year capacity, so the sector is set for even more growth. We will therefore ensure that more sites benefit from the sensor daisy- chain solution, as our business further embraces sustainability.” ■
EIBI | NOVEMBER � DECEMBER 2024
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
