Towards the Green Data Centre Lex Coors Vice President Data Center Technology & Engineering Group
DC Emissions: We Have Lift-Off! Data Centre Greenhouse Gas Emissions are projected to quadruple by 2020 We will overtake the airline industry in emissions in the next 5-10 years Brace yourselves for impact! Data centres Airlines Shipyards Steel plants Carbon dioxide emissions as percentage of world total industries, 2008 [Source:IDC U.S. and Worldwide Server Installed Base 2007-11 Forecast; McKinsey analysis]
1. Moving Parts
Power v Energy Power Overhead (fixed) Total Energy Usage (variable)
Calculating PUE A. Total Energy Usage B. IT Energy Usage A B = PUE
How to Recognise a Green Data Centre? Inefficient DC PUE > 2 Legacy equipment No measurement Inefficient components Overspecified by builders Generally in-house Energy-conscious DC PUE 1.5 1.75 Lean design Established measurement data Demonstrable year-onyear improvements Dedicated provider Typical Interxion DC Ideal DC PUE 1 1 = IT load only Not physically possible as any part of infrastructure will involve some loss
2. Green Steps
Role of the Green Data Centre Provider Interxion approach: active focus in 3 areas: 1. External efficiency focus: industry efficiency standards 3. Customer efficiency focus: proactive support and advice to improve IT efficiency 2. Internal efficiency focus: A.Design B.Operations
Customer Focus: Support & Advice 1. Hands-on expert support in energy efficiency implementation efforts 2. Best practice customer installation checklist (efficiency gain 3-5%) 3. Customised hot/cold aisle designs 4. Senior advice and tools in the following areas: Measurement and analysis Implementing the latest efficiency ratings Developing and implementing first phase action plans Integrating figures and ratings with customer CSR
Customer Focus: Recommended Steps Step 1. Eliminate Comatose servers 2. Virtualize 3. Upgrade older equipment 4. Reduce demand for new servers 5. Introduce greener and more powerefficient servers and enable power savings features Efficiency Gain 10 25% 25-30% 10 20% 10 20% 10 20% Total 65% + Source: McKinsey and Up Time Insitute 2008
3. Internal DC Focus: Design & Operations
Good Design = Less Capex For example: On 800 m 2 @ 2 kva/m 2 Capex saving Tier IV Uptime vs Tier X N+N UPS s, N+1 Generator and N+1 Cooling system : 2 UPS systems of 800 kva/kw @ 250 k each = 500 k/ 800 m2 = 625/m 2 2 generators of 3,150 kva @ 750 k = 1.5 MIO/ 800 m2 = 1,875/m 2 1 generator panel @ 150 k = 150k/ 800 m2 = 188/ m 2 Saving on cooling: 2 UPS * 4% loss = 64 kw ( 25K for DX system) or 31/m 2 Taken together this amounts to a saving vs. Tier IV as per Uptime doc of 31+ 2,688 + 30 % = 3,535/ m 2 OR 3,535 * 800 m 2 = 2,828,000 less CAPEX
Day 1 load: 0.7 kva/m2 * 800 m2 = 560 kva UPS load * 1.8 power ratio = 1,008 kva transformer load. In this case we could: Cash Flow Management: Modular Tier X Design a) Use for the final design 4 smaller generators (3 + 1 redundant) from 1,000 kva but we would start with 2, thus saving: 2 * 750 k (3,150 kva generators) 2 * 150 k (1,000 kva generators) = 1,200,000 saving b) Use the APC-MGE Symmetra MW 1,600 kva/kw system (instead of the smaller 800 kva/kw system) starting with the final 2 frames with only 3 power modules of 200 kw per UPS system installed, thus saving: 4 * 250 k - 2 * 350 k including 600 kva/kw of UPS modules = 300,000 saving c) Start with 2 chillers of 750 kw instead of 8 chillers of 750 kw Saving at Day 1 of: 8 * 125 k 2 * 125 k = 750,000 saving d) Assuming 100 kw/ CRAC, start with 8 CRAC units instead of 16 CRAC units Saving here at day 1 will be 16 * 20 k - 8 * 20 K = 160,000 saving Total CAPEX savings day 1: 2,460,000/ 800 m 2 = 3,075/ m 2 With substantial OPEX savings for year 1
The Key to Efficient Operations You have to know the Power Ratio (DCi-PO) to improve the Energy ratio (PUE)
Internal Focus: Operational Measures Interxion 6 year PUE Gains Industry Norm Acceptable Exceptional 1 5
4. Industry Focus: Measure it to Manage it
Industry Standards for Tomorrow Getting around the table to agree efficiency metrics and a workable rating system
Industry Focus: The Role of Vendors The Vendor industry should provide standard meters on all equipment to measure Energy Usage v Productivity. Transformers: Energy in v Energy out UPS: Energy in v Energy out (this will allow us to measure efficiencies as a % of load) Switchgear and cables: Getting a better understanding of properties of materials and impact of impurities on efficiency CRAC units energy in v kw and kwh cold out (CRAC unit capacity should be shown at chilled water supply 9 C, 12 C, 15 C) Chillers: Energy in Energy out (Capacity shown at above temps) So finally an open invitation to Vendors: don t drive the data centre industry, let the data centre industry drive you. Let s work together to improve the available systems.
Conclusions Green Data Centres are real; just ask us! But emissions (and power costs) are rising fast, so we need to do more now We must work together, particularly in measurement Data Centre providers should give leadership. In three areas: Industry standards and ratings that work Data Centre design and operational efficiency steps Support for all customer IT efficiency improvements