Choosing right partners for data center design

This is an article about developing a new facility as a small- or medium-sized data center company who don’t have the same resources as large operators like Amazon, or companies who build data centers as their core business.

Let’s take a look at choosing development and design partners. You may want to design and build your facility yourself, but there are many advantages to working with partners so you can stay focused on your customers while still meeting the goals for your new facilities.

Why you need a development partner?


As a small- or medium-sized data center company, a development partner can take a lot of the headaches out of your new build. Organizations dedicated to designing and building data centers will jump at the chance to work with you, provided you have something to bring to the table (namely, tenants, and/or incentives). These companies can help you:


- Avoid time sinks of non-growing your company tasks
- Address unforeseen obstacles in the build process
- Stay committed to your daily activities of keeping customers happy
- Raise capital investment or soften capital pressures
- Help guide the designers, construction managers, subcontractors, etc.


You believe your service level helps you stand out from the pack, so you wanted to remain focused on serving your customer base with data center operations and management, rather than acting as landlords and or running around trying to raise capital.


In-House vs. Outsourced Building Design


Designers help you think about the impacts of every decision, avoiding pitfalls that you might not avoid yourself, like investing in too much electrical infrastructure, for instance. You may have a solid internal team already. Large companies might have designers on staff, and small companies might take one look at the quotes coming in and decide they can handle it themselves. After all, operators deal with equipment day in and day out — they can probably figure out a new building, right?


But your partner, design consultant, is critical to bring the whole team and pieces together. It focuses on flexibility, low cost, high reliability and energy efficiency. Many of these attributes can be at odds with one another unless you have a good design consultant who will keep hammering it out with you.


Imagine if you want to put generators for the new building, you will think of sound levels and vibration inside the white space itself. But generators are just one of many things to keep in mind when designing a new facility: “How tall are the walls?” “How big are the bays?” “What kind of flooring do you put in?”, etc...


Designers give extremely important insights into facility builds, but only you know about the needs of your customers and employees (and of course just how much of an investment is bearable or realistic). Usually, it’s a math problem, not an unsolvable problem, and good designers will want to find the sweet spot between budget realities and facility requirements.


Unforeseen Obstacles


Another case is that we have our eye on a site, and we think we know the space the building required. We estimate cooling, generator, parking, and other exterior space requirements based on our existing facility, so we sure our potential site has more than enough space for a 35,000-square-foot facility. Done!

But what we don’t realize is the new building is big enough to require a water storage tank and runoff area. Thankfully, you got guidance from your partner consultant before going through with any purchase. Without an experienced design partner, you would not have known that you needed to increase the size of the plot.


Ultimately, every company has to decide for itself if development and design partners are worth the expense. Speaking from experience, you are glad that you had someone to consult with prior to your land purchase. These partners can save you time and money in the end.

About The Blogger

Strategic Media Asia (SMA, www.stmedia-asia.com) is a leading technical training and event organizer for corporations specialized in data center design & build, E&M facilities, telecom, ICT, finance and colocation. Currently, SMA delivers a series of data center trainings and qualification programs in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau.

All these events / training seminars are designed to support the leadership needs of senior executives (Chief Information Officers, IT Directors / Managers, Facilities Managers, company decision makers, etc.) and to provide useful and applicable knowledge.

For detail, please visit SMA's Technical Training Seminars & Data Center Qualification Programs.

Data Center Raised Floor and Cooling System

Data Center Executives are addressing the cooling infrastructure demands with a full line of airflow management and in-floor cooling solutions. The continued adoption of high density equipment, virtualization and cloud computing strategies requires the cooling infrastructure of a data center to be capable of adapting to high and often variable heat loads while offering superior energy efficiency.

There are line of in-floor cooling products for raised floor data centers can nearly eliminate by-pass air and save significant energy. Using directional airflow and variable-air-volume dampers, the data center can instantly react to any variation in utilization to match cooling with the heat load at the rack level. Some data center also provide fan assisted airflow to eliminate hot spots or implement high-density equipment in a current raised floor facilities without significant capital investment.

In addition, a full line of containment systems and air sealing grommets is designed to help reduce by-pass airflow, improve energy efficiency and increase data center capacity. More information can be found below.

Electronically controlled variable air volume damper used to adjusts the amount of air to meet the specific needs of the rack it services.

Fan assist module is designed to provide a blast of cooling through an individual airflow panel. This powerful solution is ideal for solving the toughest hot spots in a data center.

Grate panels the airflow angle toward the equipment achieving a 93% Total Air Capture (TAC) rate by a standard server rack.

Full line panels have the unmatched ability to handle heat density needs of the most demanding mission critical facilities.

Blade damper allows the user infinite airflow adjustability when it comes to airflow from any airflow panel.

Seal a variety of openings in the aisle, blocking bypass airflow and maximizing cooling performance.

The rack shield isolation system is designed to capture subfloor supply and dedicate it to the computer thermal load, thereby ensuring that cold supply air will not spill across the raised floor.

Hot and cold aisle containment, Partition, Strip Doors, Retracting Roofs, Hinged and Sliding Doors all work together to create the perfect containment solution.

The CRAC Hood Extension is a ceiling return duct that connects the top of the CRAC unit directly to a ceiling return plenum greatly increasing cooling capacity and efficiency by capturing hot exhaust air and channeling it directly into the CRAC unit.

Key Areas to Examine for Data Center Efficiency

Are you struggling on where to start your energy efficiency efforts? Look to these four key areas for improvements.

• Cooling: Typically the lowest hanging fruit.
  
• Water: Don’t overlook the use of water, due to its scarcity in certain areas. Water is related to energy as well.
  
• Electrical Design: Recent engineering innovations offer new efficient options.
  
• Incentives: Help offset improvement or development costs of energy efficiency.

Measuring Efficiency

Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) is the most popular industry metric for measuring the energy efficiency of data centers. Today, there appears to be an arms race for the lowest PUE. Even if you aren’t one of the select few with the operational flexibility to participate, you can measure your PUE and work to improve efficiency relative to your own data center site. The industry group, The Green Grid, has many resources available on PUE.

You may also consider to take some data center training / certification - Energy and Cost Management for Data Center.

Green Cooling Techniques

ASHRAE’s latest version of TC 9.9 drastically expanded the recommended and allowable temperature and humidity ranges with the approval of the major server manufacturers. It is estimated that an energy savings of 2-4% can be realized for each degree Celsius the temperature is raised in a data center. It seems raising the temperature is low hanging fruit, but I have seen very few do it to date.

Another undisputed, easy and inexpensive energy saver is hot or cold aisle containment. Preventing the mixing of cold and hot air results in a higher return air temperature that yields an increased efficiency of the cooling system. Many systems exist ranging from hard containment systems to simple refrigerator curtains that you might see in a meat locker. Have a limited budget? Hot or cold aisle containment provides a compelling financial argument for adoption.

Free cooling is now a critical consideration–with either air-side or water-side economization. The new temperature and humidity ranges offered by TC 9.9 make free cooling feasible for a large part of the year in any location, and when designing a new data center or expanding an existing facility.
Liquid cooling has been talked about a great deal of late, with liquids being far more efficient at expelling heat than air. The approach requires some modification of the server so that it can be submerged in the liquid, but studies have shown positive results.

Evaporative cooling is another energy efficient technique, especially applicable in dry climates. However, evaporative cooling often sparks a debate over the use of additional water, especially in water-constrained areas.

Water Efficiency

Water is a topic that is gaining increased attention and will continue to do so in the future. I once heard a “futurist” say that “water is the new oil.” In evaluating evaporative and other cooling techniques, many (myself included) have made the mistake of evaluating only the amount of water used in the respective cooling systems.

In order to determine the complete hydro-footprint of a system, you must also look at energy usage and how much water is used in the production of that energy. The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) published a study that analyzed how much water is used in the production of power per kilowatt-hour on a state-by-state basis. While not perfect, it provides a basis for analysis from an authoritative source. After taking the amount of water used in the production of energy into account in a particular geography, evaporative cooling can have a smaller hydro-footprint (use less total water) than a chilled water system due to the amount of energy saved.

There have been a few projects of late that use either sea water or ground water for cooling, which is very efficient as it effectively eliminates the need for much of the cooling equipment. A site in central Nebraska is pursuing this tactic by using irrigation wells with a volume of 1,000 GPM at 52⁰F as the source of groundwater for cooling and re-injecting the water back into the aquifer. This is not only very energy efficient, but uses little to no water for cooling, saving on both capital expenditures (CAPEX) and operating expenditures (OPEX) through the elimination of much of the cooling equipment. The net impact addresses both the energy and water efficiency of the equation for a very energy efficient, and therefore sustainable, cooling solution.

Highly Efficient Electrical Solutions

Major efficiency gains have been made in recent years in electrical equipment that can improve your data centers’ PUE. There are multiple manufacturers of UPS’ that are reaching efficiencies of 96-98 percent at less than 50 percent load. This is important if you utilize A and B feeds to your equipment for redundancy.

Another trend is for the UPS to operate in a by-pass mode, which eliminates the losses through the batteries. Many are not yet comfortable with this mode of operation, but it is another efficiency gain to consider in optimizing performance. Higher voltage and DC power are also evolving trends that provide efficiency gains that bear mentioning.

 

Energy Efficiency Incentives and Rebates

Whether designing a new, energy efficient data center or upgrading your existing facility, there are many incentives available to help defray the cost and improve your ROI.

Power companies are commonly providing incentives based upon your performance compared to a baseline building or a baseline piece of equipment. Plan to include the power company as early in the design phase as possible, to maximize the financial benefits. Some require approval of the incentive prior ordering the equipment.

Additional Considerations

There are additional considerations beyond those mentioned above in optimizing your mission critical facility’s efficiency.

• System modularity is an accepted practice that affects efficiency. Implementing modular and rapidly expandable designs in lieu of installing full density on day one typically results in higher efficiency through higher equipment utilization. This saves on CAPEX and OPEX, making for a smart business decision.
  
• Cogeneration, also known as combined heat and power (CHP), has gained in popularity and can be as high as 60-80% efficient compared to the typical 30% efficiency of normal power plants.
  
• Peak power shaving can also be achieved through thermal storage. This is done by creating ice at night when power rates are lower and utilizing the ice for cooling during the day.

Measure, Improve, Monitor and Repeat

Regardless of the selected energy efficiency measures in your new or existing data center, make sure you measure your initial or existing condition so you have a baseline. After your improvements are made, measure again to determine your new condition and your ROI. In the case of a new data center, perform a total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis to guide your decisions. You should continue to monitor your efficiency and make improvements to improve your PUE relative to your initial condition. As a reminder, measuring your outcomes against those in the industry under different operating conditions may not provide an apples-to-apples comparison.

Design & Operate a Data Center for Energy Efficiency

2-day Training Seminar on EU Code of Conduct for Data Center Energy Efficiency (2012) The Best Practices for Designing an Energy Efficient Data Center

Overview

In response to the rising challenges facing data centre operators, owners, systems designers, equipment manufacturers and customers, the European Commission have introduced the Code of Conduct for Energy Efficiency in Data Centres. The Code aims to raise awareness of the issues and opportunities and to recommend best practice solutions. We introduces the Code, the benefits it brings, the levels of commitment required, the technical background to the best practices, data collection and reporting together with real examples. This 2-day training seminar enables individuals working in data centres to improve cost and energy efficiency. The ongoing development of the Code encompasses topics associated with new data centre planning, design and development, and the tuning and operation of existing facilities. All sections are conducted by Chartered Engineers (CEng) and help you to approach best practices in designing and operating energy efficient data centers by our further technical programs.

Registration Detail Date To Be Announced (2-day) Time 10:00am - 5:30pm Venue 10th Floor,Central Building, 1 - 3 Pedder Street, Central, Hong Kong Target Audience CIO, CTO, IT Directors, Data Center Operations / Facilities Managers, Data Center / ICT Consultants and E&M Engineers Fee Normal Rate: HK$6,500 (Early Bird Rate: 10% Discount) (Two refreshment breaks will be provided.)

Enrollment Online Registration or Download Application Form Exam and Certification All content cover an accredited syllabus necessary to sit the British Computer Society (BCS) "Intermediate Certificate in EU Code of Conduct for Data Center" exam through Prometric (www.prometric.com). However, taking the course does not offer a guarantee of passing. Extra examination fee required. Individual CPD / completion certificate can be granted by our experienced Chartered Engineers (Available upon request).

Should you have any enquiry, please feel free to contact us at 3796 3026 / info@stmedia-asia.com

Day 1 Content - Define, identify and list data center best practice sections - Power distribution in data center - the power tree - Optimizing the data centre requirements - Area of responsibilities (physical building, mechanical & electrical plant, data floor, racks, etc.) - Efficient cooling 1 (hot / cold aisle containment, raised floor, ceiling height, airflow control, etc.) - Efficient cooling 2 (CRAC settings, arrangement of cable trays, cabinets and cooling plants, etc.) - Efficient cooling 3 (air free cooling, water free cooling, mechanism of absorption chiller, etc.) - Interactions and interdependencies of various systems - Standby UPS - Standby ferro UPS - Line interactive UPS - Double conversion on-line UPS - Delta conversion on-line UPS - Temperature and humidity control - Factors affecting data center energy consumption Day 2 Content - Resilience level and provisioning - Data center efficiency and Uptimes Tier levels requirements - ASHRAE 2011 common environmental guidelines - ETSI EN 300 019 Class 3.1 - Select and deploy of new IT equipment - Data centre utilisation, management and planning (software, IT and M&E) - Physical building layout (site selection, water sources, use of economizers, etc.) - Lighting control (EU standards, LEED, BREEAM, etc.) - Monitoring (energy use & environmental reporting, etc.) - Items under consideration (rotary UPS, mechanical UPS, etc.) - Minimum practices for data center energy efficiency - Metrics used to measure data center energy efficiency

Delivered by Experienced Speakers Mr. Joe Tang Having more than 10 years experience in mission critical design, Mr. Tang was working on numerous projects involving data centers, disaster recovery sites, trading floors for multinational financial institutes and data centre providers in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Shanghai, South Korea and India. He is specialized in the areas of master site planning, mission critical infrastructure design, single point of failure study, cause and effect analysis and integrated system test. Mr. Tang is now working in a multi-disciplines consultancy providing sustainable design and green initiatives to different sections in Asia Pacific. Mr. Tang is also: - A Chartered Engineer of Engineering Council (CEng) - A Member of The Institution of Engineering and Technology (MIET) - A Corporate Member of Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineering(MCIBSE) - A Member of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (MASHARE) Ir Joson Chan Ir Chan had started his career as part-time lecturer since 2001 and has been served in various territory institutes. He majors in teaching subjects in electrical engineering, project management, sustainable engineering and facility engineering for critical services. Ir Chan is a permanent members of CNet Training professional data centre training team. Ir Chan has gained extensive experience within different aspects of infrastructure projects and as a Senior Engineer in an E&M consultant firm, mainly involved in the data centre / financial institutions MEPF design projects and working with companies such as Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, etc. He is now working in an international theme park and resort to maintain facility support of critical facility and Network Communication Centre. He unites learning with this key career experiences, allowing delegates to gain essential insight into real-life working and scenarios. Ir Chan is also: - A Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) - A Fellow of Society of Operations Engineers (FSOE) - A Chartered Engineer of Engineering Council (CEng) - A Member of The Institution of Engineering and Technology (MIET) - A Corporate Member of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (MHKIE) - Grade H0 and C0 Registration of Electrical Worker of the HKSAR Government Ir K.T. Poon Ir Poon has more than 10 years consultancy experience in data center design and build, operation management, energy and cost management projects both in Hong Kong and China. He was also working for a design and installation of a facility management system in an international school in Hong Kong with a subsystem of an energy management system. Ir Poon is a part time lecturer in various tertiary institutes. He also teaches facility management, business strategic management of the distance learning courses (both degree and master degree) offered by overseas universities. Ir Poon is also: - A Corporate Member of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (MHKIE) - A Chartered Member of the British Computer Society (MBCS) - A Chartered Engineer of the Engineering Council, U.K. (CEng) - European Engineer of the European Federation of National Engineering Associations (Eur. Ing.) - A Chartered Information Technology Professional of the British Computer Society (CITP)

Recent Participants Come Form...

Airport Authority Hong Kong Fujitsu Hong Kong Limited Asia Satellite Telecommunications Ltd Johnson Controls Hong Kong Limited Citic Telecommunication CPC Group Leigh & Orange Limited CTM (Macau SAR) Meinhardt (Hong Kong) Limited EMSD, HKSAR Government Mizuho Corporate Bank Limited Elixir International Limited Sociedade De Jogos De Macau Facilities Analysis & Control Limited Welcome Air-Tech Limited And More...

© 2012 Strategic Media Asia Limited T (852) 3796 3026 | F (852) 2184 9978 | www.stmedia-asia.com Room 1303, Leighton Centre, 77 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

The Data Center of Google in Hong Kong

Google has kicked off the construction of its first Asian data center in Hong Kong which is expected be up and running in early-2013.

In a statement released Thursday, the Internet giant said it will be investing US$300 million--which includes the cost of land, construction and technical equipment--to build the facility in Kowloon, Hong Kong, on a 2.7 hectare site. Once completed, users in Asia can expect "faster and more reliable" access to Google's online tools and services, said Simon Chang, Google's head of Asia-Pacific hardware operations.

Even with Hong Kong's warm weather, Chang said the "innovative design" of the facility will make it one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly in Asia. "One way we'll achieve region-leading efficiency [in Hong Kong] is by custom designing each element to operate at optimal efficiency," he said.

Beside custom designs, he noted that the Hong Kong facility will make use of efforts used across its global data center network to increase efficiency. These include, for example, maximizing the use of free cooling instead of chillers, running equipment at a much hotter temperature than typical data center, and measuing and adjusting power usage to achieve peak efficiency, said the Google executive.

Once fully operational, the Hong Kong data center will hire about 25 full-time staff and a number of part- and full-time contractors for various roles such as computer technicians, electrical and mechanical engineers, and catering and security staff.

Hong Kong will not be the only Asian data center for Google. In September, the Internet giant announced it had purchased 2.45 hectares of land in Singapore to build a data center, although it was unable to confirm when construction for the site would begin.

Adopted from www.zdnetasia.com