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Sidebar: Green Elements of the
New Data Centers

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Basildon

• Purchasing “Green” power Electricity is supplied from only renewable sources, including hydro and wind energy.
• Reduction of Sulfur Oxides (SOx) from our 12.5MW of standby generators is achieved by using a specialized low-sulfur fuel.
• Advanced Engine Management Systems on the generator engines ensure low levels of smoke emissions and optimized fuel consumption under all load conditions.
• ISO 9000, 14001 Certification ensures quality and environmental systems management.
• Air management The facility keeps chilled air where it’s needed to ensure optimum efficiencies by means of cold aisle containment, ducted return air to computer-room air conditioners coupled with control systems optimization on air-conditioning units and chilled water plant. The data halls run at an optimum room temperature of 24 degrees C. All unused equipment rack space is fitted with blanks to limit recirculation and ensure high efficiency.
• Better thermal stratification High ceilings and properly sized under floor voids are clear of any main services or obstructions.
• Cold Aisle Containment The chilled air is sealed in corridors supplying the intakes of all IT equipment. This gives optimum conditions for the equipment, and reduces the cooled room volume.
• Building within a building Data-center halls are constructed from concrete, giving a large thermal mass separate from the outer shell. Due to the nature of construction, no areas are glazed; the design encompasses a large surrounding air space that insulates the halls from summer heat by natural ventilation, reducing solar gains.
• Heat pumps in the chiller water systems use the heat transfer from the system’s return water to reclaim the low-grade heat to heat the office and ancillary areas. An operational water temp of 11–17 degrees Celsius optimizes the capacity of free cooling available from the central chilled water plants in U.K. climatic conditions, thus giving better efficiency and energy savings.
• Energy efficient lighting controls Passive Infrared Detectors are used throughout the building, including external areas. This ensures compliance with lighting codes and regulations around energy-saving initiatives.
• Variable speed drives Pumps, chillers and CRAC units give both high-efficiency and enhanced flexibility of the central and peripheral plant.
• Inertial UPS Units The uninterruptable power supply with direct water cooling (using free cooling) improves efficiencies. Quoted efficiencies are 96 percent or higher.
• Electrically commutated condenser fans allow for optimum efficiency.
• Supersaver Chillers The matrix chiller installation uses a supersaver configuration. This allows better efficiency at all levels of operation with better efficiencies. Chillers provide increased efficiency from free-cooling coils and variable loading, thus maximizing the efficiencies of the UK weather conditions. Chillers also use R134a refrigerant, which is non-ozone depleting.



Mahwah

• Chillers use non-toxic/non-ozone depleting 134A refrigerant.
• Motor speed control on mechanical systems improve efficiency and manages energy consumption.
• Chiller Variable frequency drive (VFD) compressor motors optimize chilled water production with the cooling demand.
• Cooling tower VFD fan and pump motors match condenser water supply with load demand.
• Secondary chilled water pump VFD-controlled motors synchronize chilled water supply to the load.
• Data center computer room air handlers’ electrically commutated (EC) fans vary air flow to the data center space in response to the computer load.
• VFD fan motors on base building Air Handler Units (AHUs) optimize cooling supplied with the load requirement.
• Mechanical plant water side economizers allow for pre-cooling of the chilled water return temperature to improve plant efficiency and lower energy consumption.
• High-efficiency cooling tower sand filters improve chemical treatment effectiveness to reduce water blow down.
• Motors have been specified with a minimum efficiency rating of 96 percent.
• UPSs operate a higher voltage than the normal convention to minimize the total systems required to meet the design load, limiting capacity.
• Data Center IT cabinets deployed in a uniform front-to-back cooling design with blanking panels installed in unprovisioned cabinet spaces enhances air delivery and improves energy efficiency.
• Data Center structured cable tray is manufactured from 95 percent recycled steel. The inherent design of the tray eliminates waste and uses less hardware and accessories for an installation, minimizing raw material use and landfill additions.
• Automatic lighting control system for energy management.
• White insulated roof material provides higher R-values to reduce solar heat gains.
• Insulated exterior walls provide higher R-values to reduce thermal losses.
• Having no external windows results in reduced solar heat gains and thermal losses.
• Minimal external doors deliver lower infiltration losses.
• Sinks uses automatic water usage sensors, and toilets are low-flush gallons per minute.
• Automatic adjustments of the mechanical plant condenser water temperature set point in response to outside air temperature provide for reduced energy consumption when conditions permit for operation at a lower condenser water temperature.
• Chilled water temperature raised from the traditional 45F set point to an adjustable range that will better support the specific operating profile of the purpose built data center building, reducing energy consumption and allowing for incremental seasonal savings.
• The supply air temperature to the data center environment raised from a traditional set point to one that meets the needs of the IT equipment while delivering reduced energy consumption.
• Static pressure control of the base building AHUs that will vary air supply in response to cooling demand.