When master improvement programs are developed for data centers, the recommendations often target ways to improve reliability and detail a plan to implement current industry best practices. Today, master improvement plans are being broadened to address energy efficiency as well. That approach makes sense. Steps to improve energy efficiency can also bolster reliability — for example, when evaluating and optimizing air distribution.
A case in point is a 30,000-square-foot data center for a Fortune 500 retailer. The data center, located in the Southeast, does not have a Tier certification, but it would fall between a Tier II and Tier III facility, approaching the latter. Facility executives and their engineering team looked for energy efficiency opportunities among systems, equipment, controls and GG equipment most common to many data center operations. The goal was to find improvements with a payback of three years or less.
The starring point was a top-to-bottom review of central plant control strategies. That analysis produced a range of strategies, including:
* Identifying optimum locations for thermostats serving existing computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units.
* Converting a constant chilled water pumping scheme to a variable flow scheme.
* Replacing existing CRAC units with more efficient equipment, including deployment of dual-fed units and variable frequency drive fans.
* Airside and waterside control strategies to improve the ability to deliver cool air to critical loads or extend existing capacities to allow greater load densities.
* Replacing the legacy building management system with a newer, more robust system that would facilitate better integration of trended data.
* Replacing existing rooftop units with newer, more efficient dedicated outside air units selected to meet the most stringent requirement of minimum ventilation air and pressurization and humidity control.
* Investigating maintenance of underfloor pressure and how it could be improved by sealing openings.
In addition, the raised floor perforated tile arrangement and quantities…