Reducing your carbon footprint (2) – Increase Sustainability

Environment sensors that will help you increase efficiency include:

• Temperature. Temperature sensors placed at each rack give you data on if you are overcooling, and if so, by how much. With this data, you will know how much you can raise temperature set points by to save energy. Temperature sensors also help you ensure you don’t raise temperatures above manufacturer or ASHRAE® recommendations which can damage equipment and cause downtime. Gauging temperature control within the data center is essential to avoid equipment overheating, to regulate equipment cooling, and to measure overall efficiency. It is not enough to simply rely on the temperature conditions at room level in a data center. When a heat issue arises, the air conditioning system will attempt to remedy the issue, but this will only become apparent with the system is unable to compensate, which may be too late for the rack. Optimal environmental temperature monitoring typically includes multiple temperature sensors located on the top, middle, and bottom of racks, and at air conditioning intake and discharge vents to measure heat generation and output as well as cooling efficiency. Temperature control as an environmental monitoring device is useful in the analysis and optimization of the facility’s heating and cooling system. Temperature monitoring can help the facility save energy while making sure that sensitive IT equipment is not compromised.