For some time now, the experts here at Chatsworth Products (CPI) have been testifying how it’s possible to add enough life to an existing data center, and, in many cases, even remove the need for new construction all together.
The answer is simple: Invest in an effective airflow containment solution.
Proper airflow containment also helps data centers raise the server inlet air temperature to 80.6 F, the level recommended by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
According to this year’s survey by the Uptime Institute, about half of all data centers surveyed reported operating at 71 F to 75 F. Yet, only 15% of respondents said they were measuring and controlling air temperatures from the server inlet, which is the most accurate method. About a third of respondents manage inlet air temperature at the room level – the least effective approach.
In other words, it’s clear that there’s plenty of room for further improvements.
“To run near the ASHRAE limits, an organization needs to have the operations expertise on staff to manage a higher-risk environment and to have precise control over cooling,” the Uptime Institute survey said.
Properly controlling cooling doesn’t have to be a difficult task. It doesn’t require millions in investment either.
Ian Seaton, CPI’s Global Technology Manager and expert in thermal efficiency initiatives, demonstrates in his newly published White Paper, “Extend the Life of Your Data Center,” that a very effective containment solution for an environment where cooling is constrained but power is not, could add about 17 years of life to the data center.
That’s a feat worthy of superheroes.
“Since the investment in implementing a containment solution is so much less than the alternatives of adding air handlers or other supplemental cooling equipment, considering containment should be part of any data center life extension investigation,” he explains adding that companies could spend between $5-$25 million or more on a new data center.
To get more comprehensive information about airflow containment and CPI’s Aisle Containment solutions, be sure to read “Extend the Life of Your Data Center.”
Raissa Carey, eContent Specialist