Maxiglobal, in partnership with FM AVAC, successfully carried out a data center reformulation project for a Media industry client. With a primary focus on energy efficiency, the project had a significant impact and success, resulting in a significant energy savings (kWh). The implementation of new cooling systems was essential, allowing the data center to reduce its energy bill by 80%.

The data center industry is constantly expanding, and the main focus is on energy efficiency. With the increasing capacity and density of IT equipment, it becomes increasingly important to ensure that the infrastructure’s cooling is energy-efficient. The constant demand for innovative solutions that allow for reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions to the environment has been a priority for ecological policies and European targets to be achieved by companies.

The Challenge

The previously installed air conditioning units in the data center were becoming increasingly prone to mechanical and electrical anomalies, which could lead to periods of downtime. In addition, they no longer performed as expected due to natural wear and tear as well as the reconfiguration they underwent over time, as they were originally designed for “upflow” operation and were later reconfigured for “downflow”.

The client reported issues related to the flow of cold air, stating that it was not effective “due to the disorganization of the existing cabling in the raised floor (which functions as the plenum for the air conditioning system’s cold air supply), and the lack of cold/hot air containment in the data center. Additionally, there was also an environmental concern associated with the issue. The client was looking for more energy-efficient solutions in the market, which would reduce the infrastructure’s PUE index.

The solution

Two obsolete close control peripheral units with a cooling capacity of 56 kW each, with double On/off scroll compressors and AC fans, were replaced by four Close Control peripheral units with a cooling capacity of 23 kW each, inverter scroll compressors and EC fans. This equipment upgrade introduced a higher scalability, redundancy, and overall system resilience factor to the data center’s air conditioning system (significant reduction of the MTBF).

The entire operation was performed with the data center in operation (a requirement demanded by the client, given the criticality of the infrastructure), which made this project particularly challenging. With due care, strictly complying with the detailed and detailed action plan defined for the execution and implementation phase, continuous cooling of the data center was ensured throughout the infrastructure restructuring process. Summing up the complex and phased operation, one of the new peripheral units was temporarily installed in the “especially” hot corridor in a first phase. This made it possible to phase out the two old peripheral units located on the site.

The electrical cabling was also reorganized, and a structure for the containment of cold corridors (CAC) was installed. With this approach, the especially negative effect of the “undesirable” mixture and recirculation of the conditioned (cold) air with the return (hot) air to the new units was eliminated.

The result

After the completion of the project, the data center became significantly more “green”, reducing its energy consumption by 80%. Thanks to the current configuration of the installed peripheral units, most of the time only one unit is in operation, ensuring the air conditioning of the data center, which contributes greatly to reducing consumption. The separation of the “hot/cold” aisle was developed and designed to improve efficiency in cooling the operating racks.

After six months of operating the data center with the new implemented cooling system, there was a saving of around €15,000 in the energy bill. “There is no doubt that in addition to the stability that the new units have brought to the data center, there is also the benefit of reducing energy consumption. An investment that is easily recoverable. With these numbers in hand, we would have made the decision earlier,” says the Client’s Director of Information Systems.

Our critical infrastructure cooling solutions are designed to provide the best efficiency year-round and prevent system failures. The design of a cooling solution for a particular IT infrastructure requires specialized and detailed knowledge of some characteristics/requirements of the room, namely: total thermal power (kW) to be dissipated, distribution of heat dissipation in space, identifying possible zones with “hotspots”, room configuration (including overall dimensions, floor height, feasibility of raised floor (e.g. false floor), organization of aisles (racks), existence and/or requirement of new air intake, etc.), as well as any air containment strategies in the mentioned aisles, through confinement of air in the cold or hot aisle, in order to ensure the absence of mixing between cold and hot air (one of the main “enemies” of the efficiency of the implemented cooling system).