Energy efficiency logic and quantitative evaluation of data centers

Faced with the situation of rising global energy prices, energy conservation and consumption reduction have become an important indicator that must be considered in the construction of data centers. As a global leading enterprise with a strong sense of social responsibility, Emerson Network Power has timely released an "Energy Efficiency Logic" energy conservation strategy as part of its green energy conservation plan strategy. As long as data centers and IT managers follow this strategy to gradually advance, adjust, optimize and upgrade, they can achieve significant results in reducing energy consumption.

Energy efficiency logic: a new roadmap for energy saving

The worst way to solve a problem is to treat the symptoms without addressing the root cause. Comprehensive consideration is the only way to solve the root cause, and energy saving in data centers is no exception. To this end, we must first figure out where the power consumption of data centers is and what proportion each accounts for. According to a research report submitted to the U.S. Congress by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last year, in the power consumption of data centers, IT equipment, overall computer rooms and power supply equipment are in a "5, 4, 1" relationship, that is, the power consumption of main equipment such as servers and switches accounts for 50% of the total energy consumption, the power consumption of computer room cooling accounts for 40%, and the power consumption of power equipment such as UPS accounts for 10%. There is no doubt that in order to achieve real energy-saving effects in data centers, these three aspects must be considered comprehensively: energy saving of terminal main equipment is the foundation, energy saving of cooling equipment is the key, and energy saving of power supply system is an indispensable element.

In view of this, Emerson Network Power proposed the concept of "Energy Efficiency Logic". This concept describes the cascading energy-saving effect of data centers from terminal main equipment to infrastructure. It not only intuitively reveals the logical correlation of various subsystems in data centers in terms of energy saving and consumption reduction, but also provides the industry with a way of thinking and methods to analyze data centers, and provides data center and IT department managers with a new roadmap for reducing data center energy consumption.

Specifically, "Energy Efficiency Logic" first depicts the waterfall model of the cascade energy-saving effect from the terminal main equipment to the infrastructure, and points out the impact of the energy saving of the data center main equipment on the energy-saving effect of the entire data center. As shown in the figure below, for every 1 watt of electricity saved by the server equipment, the downstream DC power supply and AC power supply equipment can save 0.18 watts and 0.31 watts of electricity respectively, the power distribution equipment can save 0.04 watts of electricity, the UPS can save 0.14 watts of electricity, the cooling equipment can save 1.07 watts of electricity, and the switch and conversion equipment can save 0.07 watts of electricity. In other words, for every 1 watt of electricity saved on the server, the total energy consumption can be reduced by 2.84 watts of electricity.

Waterfall model of cascading energy saving effect in data centers

In addition, the proponents of "Energy Efficiency Logic" have done a lot of meticulous and arduous modeling work and established a very beautiful 5,000 square foot data center model. Experiments have shown that if the steps of energy efficiency logic are followed, data centers are likely to save more than half of their energy consumption. For example, the data center model uses 10 methods recommended, including dynamic cooling, high heat density solutions, and low-power processors, to achieve ideal energy reduction effects, reducing the initial 1,127 kilowatt load by 585 kilowatts. In addition, the data center also saves two-thirds of the site space, one-third of the uninterruptible power supply capacity, and 40% of the cooling demand, achieving the goals of energy saving, land saving, and environmental protection.

Emerson Network Power cooperates with many IT equipment manufacturers on energy-saving projects, and uses its advanced energy-saving technology to ensure that "energy efficiency logic" is feasible in real-world applications. For example, Emerson Network Power cooperates with Dell to carry out projects such as server power efficiency and data center supporting equipment; cooperates with HP to carry out projects such as computer room thermal assessment services and dynamic intelligent cooling; cooperates with IBM to carry out projects such as energy efficiency and green innovation, computer room efficiency assessment, and energy management software; cooperates with Sun to carry out projects such as data center green plans and economical and efficient server layout, etc. The successful implementation of these projects has made Emerson Network Power's "energy efficiency logic" a new trend in energy saving in the industry.

Energy efficiency logic: quantifying energy saving effects

Of course, "energy efficiency logic" is a qualitative method for prioritizing energy-saving measures, not a quantitative standard. In fact, "quantitatively showing the energy efficiency of the data center and being able to see the improvement effect from the numbers after taking energy-saving measures" is not common in the industry. Emerson Network Power's 2007 Fall Data Center User Group Survey showed that 79% of IT professionals believe that improving energy efficiency is important for their company's data center, however, only 17% of the respondents can come up with a written plan to reduce energy use.

"Our customers often tell us that efficiency is the most important thing, but it is also a difficult concept to measure," said Jack Pouchet, director of energy planning at Emerson Network Power. "What Emerson Network Power does is to help IT and data center managers determine their focus and find a quantitative starting point with our energy efficiency logic approach."

The more important ability of "energy efficiency logic" in today's business environment is to quantify the energy-saving effect. It can also estimate the return on investment of each rationalization suggestion. For example, when selecting energy-saving measures, data center managers must establish a correct cost awareness. For the investment and benefits of an energy-saving method, they should not consider it at a single point in time, and avoid adopting methods that can reduce costs in the short term but will increase costs in the long run. For another example, if customers want to truly promote energy conservation in data centers, they need to look at its investment and benefits from the life cycle of products and computer rooms. In addition, whether an energy-saving method is effective should be viewed in the entire cycle system. If an energy-saving technology leads to energy conservation in another link, this technology is the best; conversely, if it leads to high energy consumption or high maintenance costs in other links, this technology is obviously not feasible.

Backed by excellent energy-saving technology, Emerson Network Power's "Energy Efficiency Logic" fully reflects Emerson Network Power's consistent green approach, providing a new roadmap for data center and IT managers to reduce data center energy consumption, and will surely bring a new situation for energy consumption management of data centers around the world.