GREEN Writeout 03 – Energy Saving Solutions for Data Centre
Introduction
In a Data Centre, energy consumption is very high to keep operations in place. As energy charges are getting higher, it has heavy impacts on the revenue of Date Centre. Power Monitoring plays an important part to energy saving for Data Centre which is usually running 24/7.
For Data Centre to effectively save energy, tools need to be implemented to measure power consumption. This allows the business’s management to have a clearer picture of which are the factors that are contributing to high energy consumption.
While finding ways to conserve energy, Data Centre which requires Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) also have to make sure that their operations are in place. Power failures may cause loss of data and information which will ultimately result in loss of revenue and affect the reputation of the Data Centre.
Importance of Power Monitoring
Energy efficiency is always one of the top concerns of Data Centre Operators. In order to tackle the problem, energy consumption levels have to be measured first. Operators have to spot the portion of which energy is highly consumed in order to justify new technologies and regulations to be incorporated into operations. Benchmarks should be then developed to ensure that energy consumption is within the reasonable means of the Data Centre.
Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) is one of the tools which Data Centre is using to measure the effectiveness of its power usage. However, there are still limitations which PUE are unable to measure. The best way to calculate PUE is measuring from device plug as electricity may be shared throughout certain parts of the Data Centre with the same plug.
Measuring power usage allows Data Centre Operators to understand their energy consumption patterns and for them to be able to plan ahead for operations to be smooth. They are also able to bill relevant tenants accurately with power monitoring.
Data Centre Managers need to understand it to work with it. In most Data Centre today, Data Centre Management and Facilities Management are still handled by two different departments, which means Data Centre Managers operate without fully understanding the ramifications of infrastructure changes.
Another reason to monitor power is to avoid costly downtime and loss of data. Systems consuming an inordinate amount of energy might be signaling a performance problem. On the other hand, inadequate power can cause stability problems. The ability to monitor power usage provides yet another tool to help Data Centre Staff actively solves potential problems, thereby possibly saving millions of dollars in losses.
Conclusion
When a Data Centre is able to manage its power usage effectively, they are able to reduce unnecessary expenses. With accurate measures on data usage, clients will be confident with the Data Centre charges and continue to engage their services. As Data Centre Operators understand power usage, they are able to balance phases on their 3 phase power system to ensure energy efficiency. Power monitoring allows Data Centre to better manage their costs and prevent unnecessary energy usage.