One of today’s biggest concerns for data center managers is the collision of two unsettling trends: rising energy costs and stagnating budgets. While there is plenty of industry chatter about efficiency, as a data center manager, you need proven, real-world best practices to help realize energy savings. The purpose of this ebook is to give you 12 tips and tricks that you can implement today, without much time, effort or expense.

1. 12WaystoSaveEnergy
inYourDataCenter
Business-wise, Future-driven.™

2. One of today’s biggest concerns for data center managers is the collision of two
unsettling trends: rising energy costs and stagnating budgets. While there is plenty
of industry chatter about efficiency, as a data center manager, you need proven,
real-world best practices to help realize energy savings. The purpose of this ebook
is to give you 12 tips and tricks that you can implement today, without much time,
effort or expense.
Let’s call it the low-hanging fruit.
Poweroffunusedequipment.
Do you know how many of your servers are unused?
Seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how often this simple
step is overlooked.
• Unused servers consume energy (which equals money), produce heat,
require maintenance, take up space — you get the picture!
• Don’t ignore cooling — it too should adjust to varying loads in the data center
• Management software helps optimize energy consumption and eliminate waste
Whyyoushouldreadthis:
As a data center manager,
you need proven, real-world
best practices to help realize
energy savings.
2 12 Ways to Save Energy in Your Data Center

3. Arrangerackstocreate
hot-aislesandcold-aisles.
At this point in the history of the data center, this tip seems like a no-brainer.
However, many data centers still do not employ hot-aisle or cold-aisle layout.
Orient rows of racks so that the fronts of the servers (the “cold side”) face each
other. Such a layout, if properly organized, can greatly reduce energy loss as well
as prolong the life of the servers.
3 3 12 Ways to Save Energy in Your Data Center
Many data centers still do
not employ hot-aisle or
cold-aisle layout.

4. Tuneredundantsystems.
Leveragecapacitymanagement
softwaretools.
Are you demanding efficiency from your back-up systems?
Redundant systems are typically used well below their rated capacity. Tune
them for fractional-load efficiency and consider modular, scalable power and
cooling architecture.
These tools can be your best friends by minimizing “stranded capacity” within
the data center and maximizing the amount of IT equipment that can be installed.
This optimization allows you to easily manage gross power and cooling capacity
and push the system to the highest point on its efficiency curve. By maximizing the
capacity of your equipment, you avoid purchasing unnecessary equipment
and drive down energy costs by running what you have efficiently.
By maximizing the capacity
of your equipment, you avoid
purchasing unnecessary
equipment and drive down
energy costs by running what
you have efficiently.
4 12 Ways to Save Energy in Your Data Center

5. Monitorenergyconsumption.
There are many software tools out there to help you monitor and maintain optimal
energy consumption. Use them. These programs can be configured to identify and
warn you of current conditions and environments that are under-performing or
threaten uptime, so you can avoid wasting time, energy, and money.
Energy Operation: The Energy
Management Information System
Watch the video below.
3 5 12 Ways to Save Energy in Your Data Center

6. Implementrow-basedcooling.
Row-based cooling puts the cold air right where it needs to be — on the “cold
side” of your servers. It also reduces the mixing of hot and cold air by delivering
cold air directly to the loads that need it most. The result? Improved efficiency
and more predictable air distribution.
Installadaptablepowerandcooling.
Have you designed your data center
to allow for scalable power and cooling?
This is especially useful for newer data centers. By designing a data center with
scalable power and cooling, you “right-size” your data center and dramatically
increase energy savings.
• Why have power and cooling systems operating at full capacity when your data
center is operating at half or a quarter of capacity?
• By turning on power and cooling only as needed, you save on energy
consumption and extend the life of your systems, which defers capital costs
until needed.
6 12 Ways to Save Energy in Your Data Center
Energy Efficient Cooling for
Data Centers: A Close-Coupled
Row Solution
Read White Paper here.

7. Related to hot-aisle/cold-aisle arrangement, a hot-aisle containment system
allows some aisles to have higher work temperatures, lowering the cost to cool
other parts of the data center. This increases chilled water temperatures, allowing
for an increase in economizer hours and significant electrical cost savings.
Economizewith“freecooling.”
Depending on your data center’s location and climate,
“free cooling” may be an option.
Cooling economizer systems save energy by using outdoor air during
colder months of the year. With Mother Nature’s chilling assistance, mechanical
cooling systems like chillers and compressors can be shut off or operated
at reduced capacity.
Implementhot-aislecontainment.
3 7 12 Ways to Save Energy in Your Data Center
Watch the video below.
Hot-aisle containment systems vs.
Cold-aisle containment systems

8. Installahigh-efficiencyUPS.
In recent years, the efficiency of UPS systems has dramatically increased.
• Because UPS units are heavyweight energy consumers, high-efficiency UPS
units can really put a dent in your energy bill.
• Even at 30 percent load, the newest UPS systems pick up over 10 percent in
efficiency when compared to the average of currently installed UPS systems.
Many electric motor-driven devices in the data center operate at full speed even
when the loads they’re supporting require less capacity. Variable frequency drives
(VFD) help to match the fan output to the load.
The speed control mechanism in these devices helps maximize efficiency. Both
management software and wired or wireless thermal sensors can help in the
regulation or control of VFD drives.
Usevariablefrequencydrives(VFD).
8 12 Ways to Save Energy in Your Data Center
In recent years, the efficiency
of UPS systems has
dramatically increased.

9. Startsavingtoday!
These 12 tips will help you reduce energy costs in data centers of all shapes and
sizes. If implementing any or all of these seems overwhelming, consider an energy
efficiency assessment for your data center so you can determine which changes
will have the greatest impact on your energy bill. An energy assessment will also
identify areas unique to your data center that can be optimized for energy efficiency.
Considermodular,containerized
solutionstodrivecostsavings.
Why let your building limit your ability to be more energy efficient? Modular,
containerized power and cooling modules use standard components and hit PUE
targets specified in the design.
These facility modules are packaged, shipped, and installed all in one piece,
and plug into your existing facility. The cost-effective, “plug-and-play” design
dramatically speeds up build-out times, increases efficiency, and lets your data
center grow with your business.
To learn more about our
unbiased, on-site energy
assessments, check out our
services page.
Energy Assessment
Services
3 9 12 Ways to Save Energy in Your Data Center
Click the button below.

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