Immersion Cooling
Immersion Cooling Immersion cooling is an advanced thermal management method that submerges computer hardware directly into a specially engineered, non-conductive liquid to keep it cool. Unlike traditional cooling systems that rely on air or liquid flowing through closed loops in pipes and heat sinks, immersion cooling works by allowing heat to transfer directly from electronic […]
Common Problems with Energy Audits
Energy Audits An energy audit is a comprehensive, methodical investigation into how energy is used within a building, facility, or system. It’s not simply a once-over of utility bills or a checklist of whether lights are turned off at night—it’s an in-depth diagnostic process, akin to a full physical for a structure’s energy metabolism. At […]
Energy Efficiency and Increasing Data Center Temperatures Without Risk
Energy Efficiency and Increasing Data Center Temperatures Without Risk Even when ASHRAE Technical Committee 9.09 released the Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments, a path to improve efficiency was laid out to be followed. And with each update additional energy savings could be found as the group found that IT equipment was becoming much more […]
ASHRAE 90.4 Update
In most jurisdictions ASHRAE 90.1 is used as the building energy standard to be followed as part of their building codes. Data centers were often exempt from 90.1 until 2010 when they were specifically noted to be included. There was push back, as some provisions of 90.1 were deemed too prescriptive, so in 2012 there […]
Energy Codes & Standards
In the United States there are two main documents that pertain to energy. The main one is the model code International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), developed by the International Code Council. 47 states have adopted it, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The other is Standard 90.1, […]
Liquid Cooling Definitions
The majority of the industry understands that liquids are used in some or most of the cooling process for most data centers. However there has been some misunderstandings about what is actually liquid cooled. ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers) released the second edition of Liquid Cooling Guidelines for Datacom Equipment […]
Ice Storage Systems?
The ASHRAE technical committee Datacom book series makes mention of ice storage for consideration. While ice storage is useful if you have the up-and-downs that a normal office building has, it has much less application for a data center where load runs much more evenly throughout 24 hours. The amount of ice stored would amount […]
ASHRAE 2012 Winter Meeting Notes
I thought I’d provide a few highlights from what I learned and heard at the ASHRAE 2012 Winter meeting in Chicago. ASHRAE has gone through some rebranding, including a new logo & tagline: Shaping Tomorrow’s Built Environment Today. Of data center interest: Technical Committee 9.9 (http://tc99.ashraetcs.org/) had two meetings at the conference; for more information it […]