Efficient Cooling Systems are Critical for Today's Data Centers

As data centers house an ever-growing amount of servers and networking equipment, efficient cooling has become a top priority. Servers produce a significant amount of heat and if that heat is not removed properly it can cause equipment failures and downtime. A robust and well-designed cooling system is now just as important as the servers, storage and networking gear that populate today's modern data centers.

Cooling takes up a large percentage of total data center power usage. According to research from the Uptime Institute, cooling can account for more than 40% of total power consumption in older, inefficient data center facilities. With electricity prices rising annually, improving cooling efficiency through newer technologies and designs can greatly reduce energy costs. Some estimates show efficient cooling measures can lower cooling-related power usage by 30-50%.

Airflow Management is Key to Data Center Cooling

Data Center Cooling is the foundation of any effective cooling system. Hot and cold air containment is critical to prevent hot spots from forming and exhaust heat from mixing with intake air. Hot aisles and cold aisles must be strictly separated to avoid recirculation issues. Careful consideration must also go into layout and placement of server racks to promote front-to-back or rear-to-front airflow. Organized cable runs free of obstructions further optimize airflow paths.

Continual monitoring of temperature and humidity levels throughout the facility helps pinpoint problem spots. Thermal mapping can visualize hot and cold zones to identify airflow blockers for remediation. Over time, equipment will be added and relocated, so the airflow design must have flexibility to adjust. Management of airfilter cleanliness and changes is another important maintenance task.

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