Greening the Green
Just as money makes the world go round, datacentres are the tools that make the financial industry work. Nick Lesek looks at how the environmental efficiency of these IT energy guzzlers can be improved.
With technology and the business environment changing rapidly, no sooner has an investment been made in a strategic approach then the paradigm evolves and morphs the space yet again. The key question posed is: how can datacentre space be better leveraged as a prime production location? This space comprises of free flow and fast connectivity, raw processing power and storage. Energy saving has become even more important — both from environmental and economical points of view. For example, assuming a company has gone with a collocation arrangement, energy flexibility hinges on the model that the company has bought into at its contract negotiation phase. Smarter companies generally have decoupled the space rental costs from the energy usage costs. As computing costs reduce in pace with technology energy footprints, so does the total cost of operation.
Power saving
The trend now facing the sector is Power Efficiency Metrics (PUE/DCiE). Datacentres are able to withstand higher and higher temperatures as time moves on (see current ASHRAE recommended rack inlet temperature — it’s higher than you would expect). In a contrarian action, the network throughput, processing power and amount of storage possible for the same physical space is expanding quickly. Datacentres are becoming cheaper as an asset and less costly to operate for equivalent net computing ‘horsepower’ (assuming growth is minimal).
Energy security as a concept can be defined as the availability and commercial stability of purchasing power. Availability hinges on the service level agreement with the provider. Stability of purchasing depends on the location, and type of power plant, and whether multiple points of supply and/or backup supplies are available. Whether a company owns, operates and has access to generators or the facilities proximity to power plants would be the key point here. It is important to note that software service and delivery are transforming into a utility commodity, just like gas, electricity or running water.
Greening a Datacentre:
The green datacentre is where the sector is headed. In essence, the greening of the datacenter requires taking the following 10 steps:
1. Evaluate your energy efficiency
Add up your energy bills, learn where your energy comes from, and how it’s being distributed in your company. Plan a road map for monitoring and reducing usage. Your initial evaluation can provide a baseline for calculating your ROI after implementing changes.
2. Redesign your cooling system
Enclose your servers in hot aisles so you can concentrate your cooling directly onto the racks. Be sure to reduce airflow loss by sealing off holes in your walls, floors and ceilings, and make sure you have proper air ducts.
3. Reconsider your redundancy
Many companies invest in redundant cooling and heating systems that use double the amount of power they usually need; for each kilowatt of energy needed, redundant circuits use two. Redundant space helps prepare systems for growth and times of peak performance, but the result is a maximum power flow where only a fraction of that power is put to use. This practice is inefficient and inflates your energy bills. Cut back your redundancy wherever possible. Operate based on your current needs rather than projecting your future needs.
4. Use adjustable equipment
You can also plan for growth and times of peak power needs by implementing scalable and modular systems. Scalable blade servers can concentrate more computing power in a smaller space, requiring less power to cool. Also any scalable system will let you operate at your minimum power requirements and give you the capacity to grow into higher power consumption when you’re ready.
5. Virtualise your storage
Most servers are underused because they’re loaded with archaic information or software that’s only needed some of the time. With storage virtualisation software or a device, you can make your applications mobile and thereby shutdown unneeded servers. Using a virtualisation device can keep track of your server space and remap applications to different physical locations as necessary to achieve optimal efficiency. Thus, information can be made universal and redirected across multiple Input/Output devices from different vendors.
6. Use Energy Star-rated appliances
Although the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has yet to release Energy Star standards for data servers, you can purchase other appliances such as cooling systems which do meet current standards. Keep an eye on the industry. New star ratings are due for desktop computers in July, and the EPA may also enforce star ratings for datacentre appliances sometime in the next year.
7. Donate or recycle legacy servers
Archaic systems are less efficient than new ones, so you can save money by buying new systems and decommissioning old ones. However, because servers contain huge amount of toxic waste, never throw a machine in the trash. Many nonprofit or educational organisations can make use of old servers. There are also many vendors who handle computer equipment recycling, who can strip the machines of useful parts and properly dispose of the toxic remains.
8. Look outside the datacentre
Your company can cut costs outside its server rooms, for example by using earth-friendly construction materials such as low-emission carpets and paints and non-toxic insulation; creating skylights, windows and other natural lighting sources; and by landscaping with native and drought-tolerant plants that require less water consumption and support the local ecosystem.
9. Research alternative power sources
The best way to stay clean is to find alternative energy that works for you. Photovoltaic systems are popular. Solar panels on your roof are a simple step and will reduce your dependence on the power grid. Other options include wind energy, heat pumps, and evaporative cooling, which can all lower your costs and significantly reduce your company’s environmental footprint.
10. Get your management involved
To fully embrace changes in the datacenter, you need to get the buy-in from your senior management. You can get them fired up about being an eco-friendly company by brainstorming earth-friendly ideas that will help everyone in the company, such as using hybrid or electric company vehicles or starting a commuter shuttle for your employees. Once they’re interested, you can easily bring up the green question whenever you discuss the growth of your datacenter.
Nick Lesek is a datacentre professional who has been involved with the construction, energy and financial sectors for over 15 years.
