ignition interlock challenge
A case study of energy-efficient and Green Business Practices
Interview: green initiatives and conservation in a modern Atlanta Datacenter
Author: Jeff Hinkle of Global Net Access (AtlantaNAP)
The 'Green Initiative' has become a critical focal point for data centers around the world due to high payments in relation to the efficiency and the impact on the activities of these may have. It is very important Joined find ways to reduce operating costs and the resulting increase of the modern data center power requirements and the recent instability in energy management. As added benefit, these efficiency improvements offer incredibly positive environmental impacts, while improving energy efficiency.
With increasing competition, limited resources and greater emphasis on preserving the environment for future generations, the green benefits of conservation of energy is not a secondary consideration for server colocation and data centers. Companies are now awake to the importance of adjusting the consumer with their market through an image of environmental responsibility. Besides data center managers and owners themselves become involved and consumers bring their own motives to work to improve data center energy efficiency and green practices.
AtlantaNAP energy efficiency testing and background and the current findings
Founded in 1994, our Atlanta datacenter AtlantaNAP is the integration of energy-recycling and other green practices of the pioneering days of the 65,000 square foot facility. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Energy Star and together to develop high standards for energy efficiency for the modern data centers and server technology they use. Starting in January 2009, Energy Star began the process of collecting data for the development Energy Star Rating of a data center. The AtlantaNAP has implemented many green initiatives, and more in the works, we believe that our main Atlanta colocation hub, passing their rating standards with flying colors. Read on to learn about the creative energy systems for recycling AtlantaNAP has put into practice, and our other green initiatives for the coming years.
Current Energy Efficiency Strategies Deliver great results
With more than 6000 servers in the datacenter Atlanta (current installed capacity of 4 megawatts and 2000 tons cooling), you can bet that AtlantaNAP puts energy efficiency at the top of the list of priorities. From day one our team started working on the best ways to get U.S. dollars for energy, while the peak server performance.
Creative Applications Heat Recycling
The agencies
When the Atlanta data center building was first built, AtlantaNAP included from the beginning to heat BTU moving our data center directly to the company offices to heat. From day one We never use an external heat source such as electricity or natural gas to burn for heat, which is a 50% savings for the AtlantaNAP offices!
The extraction heat from the datacenter cooling towers results in a more efficient operation of the server, and a reduction of energy waste.
The Generator Room
AtlantaNAP has an innovative, energy-efficient heating system for the diesel generators that must be kept heated and ready for immediate start In the case of a power failure. Block heaters (we use lighter duty than what would be found in the northern climates to save money during the warm months) using hot heated water to the generators and ready to take action. A facilities audit resulted in recommendations for additional warmth in supporting the Atlanta data center space generator, as this field must always be open through the grates outside, even in deepest winter and higher heating block for the entire year in the southern climate would have led to excessive power consumption during months when the temperature is above 35 degrees.
AtlantaNAP The solution was to put out to dry coolers use a unique (usually mounted on roofs datacenter) by installing two 20-ton units in the generator room. Venting is set to an excess of the BTU moving data center through the dry cooler system to the generator room, effectively raising the temperature, without using natural gas or fuel oil. The only additional energy use is the small amount of electricity generating Fan motor output. As seen in the office heating, AtlantaNAP heat once more recycling results in an almost 100% space savings for the generator since the dry coolers work to offset the cooling towers.
Again, the cooling towers are more efficient because of the move of excess heat away from the data center servers. Research and functional tests have repeatedly shown that runs on servers in less than 80% of capacity will lead to significant energy savings savings and significant increase of the life of the equipment. Heat recycling and move to the offices of the datacenter and the generator room remains AtlantaNAP servers with wonderful to less than 70% of full capacity.
Generator Testing under full load of fuel savings and increase system reliability
AtlantaNAP testing generators to extend the two weeks with a full conversion of the entire data center server load to the diesel generator system and from the mains which is rarely done by other hosting companies server. This virtually ensures the safety of the emergency data backup system in case of a power failure caused by a real-time live test of the gene under controlled conditions. It also uses the fuel for the generators to the actual power of the facility rather than just wasting the execution of the generators and the utility at the same time. It is crucial to know whether you are a problem if you load gene sets are needed and that is why we run them real time under control - so we can switch back to utility when we know if we have a problem. You want a gene set to fail if you do not need and can get repaired in an emergency, not against it when you need it and cause a catastrophic failure as we have seen so many times with the facilities that are not real-time testing. The environmental impact is that it will reduce the usefulness and actually use the fuel instead of wasting by not running under load transferred.
Datacenter Air to Air Free Cooling System delivers significant energy Cost
AtlantaNAP currently testing the air for the exchange of air through a roof fan system that is installed in the main data center consists of six intake fan drawing air from outside, which is then drawn through the data center and from the installation through a big outtake fan. Currently this is a power system with our Atlanta data center staff monitor temperature inside through the main service panel and turn fans on or off according to these lectures.
There is no hot / cold insulation in the test environment due to the minimum investment for the tests. We believe that the insulation of hot aisle output and venting directly outside will significantly increase the efficiency numbers.
Our preliminary measurements show a significant A / C cooling energy savings of 6%, translating U.S. dollars savings too serious. Server cooling is a major burden for any savings in data centers and the rich are always welcome, a 6% reduction of energy costs is anything but small.
During the process we have determined that the following issues must be resolved before the system can go into automatic Operation:
- Pollen is too small for the current filters - we are looking for a high flow filtration that will trap pollen.
- During the exceptionally cold / low humidity days wetting the embedded systems can not keep an extra and humidification system must be installed and linked to the building computer a fail-safe place to govern the air control for air exchange.
- The mixing of air in the facility in general is not optimal for maximum btu exchange.
Initiatives for the upcoming 2009 Datacenter Cooling System:
The large savings results so far in this first incarnation view of the cooling system, we knew that even greater energy efficiency was very feasible. For this next phase of our green initiative, we expect that at least 10% energy-well both the environmentally AtlantaNAP wallet.
Computer-Optimized Datacenter Cooling
'Hot Aisle "Enclosure
The second part of the improved energy plan is to add the 'hot' corridors of the data center, where server heat increases the temperature to about 110 f?. A vent system will be built to direct this very warm air outtake fan to move the system. This will result two advantages:
1. This excess heat is removed from contact with other data center equipment, so their operational efficiency not affected.
2. This heated air causes an artificial distinction between inside and outside air, so the new computer-optimized cooling system will kick in, even if the outside air is about 85 or 90 degrees. It is still more cost-efficient air cooling to 90 degrees than 100 degrees air.
The Hinkle Benchmark: Making the Case for efficient Newer Servers
As president of our growing Atlanta dedicated server and colocation data center, it became very clear me that a clear, workable measure was needed to demonstrate to customers and colleagues, the real energy gained in the implementation of newer, more efficient server technology. It had long been clear to the core team AtlantaNAP that server consolidation and retirement of obsolete equipment would result in major cost savings and a better use of limited energy resources of the earth. The question was how to illustrate that energy in a clear and easily measurable way.
The answer came with a mathematical tool that I've made that we nicknamed the Hinkle Benchmark. This formula allows AtlantaNAP energy efficiency and to illustrate the consolidation of servers and retirement of obsolete computer technology to justify recycling. The latest server equipment is extremely energy efficient, lasts longer and saves our customers substantial money. Energy savings begin which soon, customers do not necessarily have to wait for long-term "savings effects.
The benchmark is calculated by adding all of Pass Mark servers' score and dividing by the manufacturers indicated watts used per chip, and then dividing this figure by the total number of servers. The resulting formula gives an indication of the relative use of power over the total delivery of computational power.
We use this as an ongoing objective of retirement of older computer assets to encourage and to take into account the implementation of new assets based on how effective it is to supply power.
We have decided not to deploy nuclear process operators based on the impact on our benchmark score for example if their cpu to low energy efficiency - while some of our competitors have rushed to do the profit reasons. We are also aggressively pursue virtualization to even the score increase.
Consumers will look to score their provider and hopefully a Data Center, working for improvement in this field to choose.
Dedicated server and colocation customers should look for a provider Hinkle Benchmark and choose a data center aims to improve the energy efficiency. This equation makes it possible to AtlantaNAP evidence to the customers need to upgrade their server hardware.
We challenge our competitors and other users to adopt this benchmark to measure their efficiency and we know the use of the free for anyone willing to pick up the challenge.
Green Energy Conservation initiatives outside
While improving the energy efficiency of the data center is of the highest priority, is also AtlantaNAP other green datacenter initiatives that decrease the impact of our company in the Earth's resources and fragile ecosystems. Our company is full of like-minded individuals who maintain their green ideas to bring to the table ATLANTANAP. We have worked our carbon footprint to reduce and recycle at every opportunity. The facility is mentioned in many green tech websites, including: http://www.sustainablewebsites.com/green-data-center.
Global Access Network (AtlantaNAP) uses no gas or oil in the data center operations.
This is just sound business practice and something most of us believe in as citizens of the planet.
Us recycle virtually all scrap cardboard. A local community member in need of revenue picks up cardboard and transports it to the local recycling station. We recycle all scrap, especially steel and copper. All the old server equipment is picked up by a local computer recycling company. AtlantaNAP has significantly reduced unnecessary containers by requesting new material that sellers ship in bulk packaging where possible. The Gaylord boxes we use, we can receive up to 20 servers in a single box on a pallet at no extra packaging inside. This practice has cut our packaging by almost two thirds!
Well water at the site: Self Sustained Cooling and Zero Stress on City Water Resources
ATLANTANAP has its own well dug in the ground for the cooling of our server equipment. We are not dependent on the town or place pressure on the city resources. In case of local or national disaster, we have our own power and water supplies, so the overall safety of our client data. This saves on chemicals in the treatment process and the electricity to the water to move the system in our facility. The water also gives us the advantage of geothermal cooling because the water comes out of the ground at an average temperature of 50 degrees F, which gives us free cooling when we add to our system.
Fire Safety
Clearly our data center is nearly paperless operation and, if possible, communication is done electronically instead of via paper mail or fax systems.
Our Atlanta data center is almost entirely made of concrete, even the floor tiles, and almost nothing burns. Very little combustible material of any kind is used in the facility. ATLANTANAP uses double lock pre-action sprinkler systems based not harmful to humans or environment. Our mantra is to not provide the initial ignition or fuel thus preventing the fire in the first place.
Closing Thoughts
The modern data center green initiatives have been introduced all outstanding savings in the energy-rich and the plans we have for 2009, the AtlantaNAP team is pleased to see how far we can take this challenge effectively.
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