Cross-Connect Blog

A Look Back at the First-Ever U.S. KyotoCooling Conference in Montana

November 11, 2011

This past October 25-26, 2011, Chatsworth Products, Inc. (CPI), along with a small group of data center professionals from around the world (including Lithuania, Canada, the Netherlands and Colombia) hitched our collective wagons in Helena, Montana for the first-ever United States-based KyotoCooling® Conference.

KyotoCooling wheel installation in Montana 

A look at the installation of one KyotoCooling wheel at the Montana facility 

In addition to a comprehensive on-site tour of the state-run data center utilizing the KyotoCooling technology (the first data center to do so in the United States), guests were treated to two full days of expert presentations, one-on-one breakout sessions and Q&A's, and authentic American Northwest evening entertainment - complete with campfire sing-along's and horse-drawn wagon rides (more on that in a minute).

For those of you who don't know, KyotoCooling is now one of the most innovative thermal management techniques in the data center industry, using an energy recovery wheel air-to-air heat exchange cooling system that offers energy savings of up to 85% over other designs. In other words, it works, it works well, and it relatively pays for itself in the long-run. Plus, the efficient use of outside air and "free" cooling works wonders for a data center's energy star ratings and LEED certification bids.

Speaking of free cooling, late October in Helena is about as good a time as any for those skeptical of KyotoCooling's effectiveness to see its wheels in motion… literally. When paired with CPI Passive Cooling® Solutions at the cabinet level, the State of Montana isolates exhaust heat within the data center, then routes that hot air through a set number of KyotoCooling modules just outside the facility, where it passes through the Kyoto wheel, gets cooled, and finally, gets sent back in to work its magic all over again. Call it "the wonders of the wheel," especially when you consider the Montana facility reports cooling-only PUE's of 1.08!

Of course, even if the circular-minded technology behind KyotoCooling left a few heads spinning in awe of its remarkable efficiency, there was still plenty of time for conference attendees to enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride (see below), unwind by the fire, settle in for some homespun musical accompaniment and gaze out on the stars in the "Big Sky Country" of Montana.

Helena horses on the trail 

For even more fun photos, check out the entire visual recap by clicking over to our official CPI Facebook page.

For more information on pairing CPI and KyotoCooling to your own data center or equipment room, don't hesitate to contact us 800-834-4969, or, check out yet another KyotoCooling-minded story here. Jeff Cihocki, eContent Specialist 

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