The demand for energy continues to rise, even as its availability becomes a growing challenge. This, in turn, makes energy consumption a costly affair. And for data centers that are among the top consumers of energy in the IT sector, this calls for some urgent action.
It’s time to revamp energy strategies so as to cut down costs and consumption, with a focus on long-term sustainability – not only for the sake of your business, but also for the conservation of natural resources that are rapidly depleting worldwide.
Here are six practical steps you can take towards better energy efficiency:
Use energy-efficient equipment
The first step to energy conservation is to lower your demand for energy. You can do that by switching to energy-efficient equipment and technologies, which can reduce your energy consumption by almost 30 percent.
Review your operating temperature
While it is required to keep your data center cool, if the operating temperature of your air conditioning system is below 24o C or 74 oF, you might be wasting energy unnecessarily. Remember, each degree of cooling can impact your energy consumption.
Regulate airflow effectively
Cooling down the entire data center space will use up a lot of energy. Instead, use a hot-aisle or cold-aisle containment (whichever is suited for your space), so that the cooling will be directed specifically in areas around the equipment, minimizing the need. You can also consider in-rack cooling solutions and cooling tray fans to avoid “hot spots”.
Consider using an economizer
If the climatic condition in your data center’s location allows it, use an economizer along with your existing cooling infrastructure. Air economizers leverage the cool outdoor air temperature and circulate it indoors while water economizers can remove heat from the chilled water loop through a heat exchange process. Both of these drastically reduce power consumption.
Optimize power usage with a DCIM
A data center infrastructure management (DCIM) is a software tool that collects and supplies information about the utilization of power by different equipment, enabling IT managers to make necessary adjustments and optimize usage across the center. Studies also show that you can reduce operational costs by 20% and improve capacity utilization by 25% with a DCIM.
Adopt renewable energy sources
This may not be a feasible option for many, but using wind- or solar-powered energy sources can complement your main energy source and help you cut down on energy consumption costs. Setting up such a renewable energy source may be a little expensive, but it definitely pays its dividends in the long run!
Energy efficiency is the need of the hour. By considering the various aspects of the energy equation and evaluating your choices when it comes to how and when energy is being consumed, you can minimize inefficiencies and reduce both cost and consumption.
At Hardy Racks, our years of experience in the field has made us experts in assessing energy usage and efficiency, analyzing cooling systems, and offering advice on strategic energy management. Get in touch with us today for a consultation!