By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2010-07-27 23:08:06 | Word Count: 664
Green Data Center Planning and Air Conditioning
Green data center planning is a subject catching the attention of more and more building owners every year. Data centers provide essential computing functions that are critical to the day-to-day operations of businesses, hospitals and laboratories throughout the United States. It takes an enormous amount of energy to run these data centers and to keep them cool enough to function properly. It’s estimated that data centers will account for nearly 3% of total US electricity consumption by 2011. Incorporating green data center planning principles while designing the data center infrastructure of your building can significantly reduce your long-term energy consumption.
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Data Center Infrastructure and Air Conditioning
The overall energy efficiency of a data center is dependant in part on the effectiveness of the air conditioning system to both deliver cool air and remove hot air from computer equipment. Here are two important green data center planning objectives to consider when creating an energy efficient data center infrastructure and air conditioning system.
1. Reduce the recirculation and mixing of exhaust air by removing hot air at the highest possible temperature by:
• Choosing server racks that are designed for maximum internal airflow.
• Arranging the server equipment so that air intakes draw from cool aisles and heat is exhausted into hot aisles.
• Building rigid enclosures to fully separate the heat taken from the back of computers and servers from the cool air intakes in the front. 

• Increasing the separation of air using flexible strip curtains to block open space above racks. 

• Configuring server racks in way that equipment discharges heat away from the air intakes of other equipment.
2. Maximize return air temperature by supplying cool air directly to server equipment air intake locations by:
• Using diffusers that deliver air directly to servers without accounting for drafts as you might in and office system.
• Minimizing air leaks in raised floor systems through cable accesses in hot aisles.
• Minimizing the distance between the AC units and the largest loads whenever possible to reduce the possibilities for leaks.
These are just a few ways you can create a data center infrastructure that will be more energy efficient and keep your server room sufficiently cool. Contact an HVAC company that specializes in green data center planning to find out how you can create a more efficient data center in your building.
*Information on green data center, data center planning and data center infrastructure provided by U.S. Department of Energy.
