Green data center

The green data center - everyone’s talking about it, but hardly anyone has an idea of what it should actually look like. Green walls? Green roof? Green servers?

If you want to make a data center more environmentally sustainable, then you have to start with the power generation and cooling systems. Large data centers covering over 10 000 m² with extremely energy-intensive systems have connected loads in the region of the output of small power stations. It’s hardly surprising then, that such intensive power converters are starting to think about decentralized, regenerative power generation.

The idea of using fuel cells as mini-power stations is becoming increasingly attractive. The energy source used in this process is either natural gas or methane. The relatively high exhaust temperatures are ideally suited for conversion to cooling using absorption units. Interestingly, the refrigerating capacity is almost identical to the electric power produced, which in turn, makes it ideally proportioned for the data center.

Several test installations are already in operation and are showing encouraging results. Unfortunately, investment costs are still very high at the present time, but with series production about to kick in, and the price of power still rising, this technology would appear to have a very bright future ahead.

But the tried and tested concept of free cooling is also looking increasingly interesting. Rising energy prices alone justify the investment costs for these systems. A change of attitude to supply air temperatures for IT systems has made free cooling a lucrative alternative. A few degrees more inside the data center substantially increases the proportion of free, energy-saving cooling in any one year.

Development focus: IT Hardware

The deciding factor for the power efficiency of the data center as a whole is the power usage of the IT hardware. Energy saving server systems have the greatest effect on power consumption. Measures that can be taken here range from reducing the number of components per system, developing energy saving processors and storage systems, to concepts involving the use of superconductors. Every kilowatt hour saves an additional 0.3 – 0.5 kilowatt hours of air-conditioning.

IT managers can make a further contribution by virtualising server landscapes and thus reducing the number of systems needed: the same number of applications but with fewer computers and lower power consumption.

But despite all the euphoria about green data centers, there is one factor that we mustn’t lose sight of, and that is operational reliability. Good data center planning is all about combining these core issues in the best possible way and then adapting them to the needs of the customer.

And so although a green data center doesn’t need to have green walls, it must exhaust all the technological possibilities in order to save resources effectively.