Convergencia Research, Consultoría especializada en Latinoamérica y Caribe
Monday, June 01, 2020

Data Centers and energy efficiency: the ROI rate still prevails in actions to lower consumption

There are technologies that allow room temperatures to be managed up to 28 ° C. Other devices combine traditional and free technologies and manage to reduce consumption by up to 40%. Returns on investment can be from less than a year to 2 or 3 years.

The central input of data centers is electrical energy. Processors, fans, and refrigeration equipment consume energy. Although concentrated energy, with a higher charge density, is used, it has to dissipate in order not to raise the temperature beyond 40 ° or 50 °: for this, it is necessary to move that heat with air flows.

Since the processing capacity cannot be diminished, all the canyons of data center solution providers aim to improve energy efficiency. The topic is in the top 3 priorities for IT managers.

Solutions range from split-type air conditioners to high-precision uninterruptible power supply units (UPSs). The latter are developed to work online, with flowmeters that specify how much air, at what temperature and humidity to distribute in each area.

Conventional equipment works with a compressor and a closed circuit, while the most advanced ones are of the free cooling type: they allow the external temperature to be used to consume less energy in the compressor. Pumped refrigerant technologies reduce the compressor's ability to compress refrigerant.

In addition, there are technologies that allow room temperatures to be managed up to 28 ° C. Other teams combine traditional and free technologies and manage to reduce consumption by up to 40%.

In all these possible actions to reduce consumption, what the owners of data centers reveal is the return on investment, well above - still - the concern to contribute to the issue of climate change. Vertiv, which provides HVAC infrastructure, works with its clients projecting the value of Capex vs. Opex. The projected energy savings depend on the technological load of the data center. In general, the returns on investment can be from less than a year to 2 or 3 years, as Daniel de Vinatea, General Manager at the firm for South America, explained to Convergencia. If the result is greater, a project review is made to fit it into those parameters. In addition, Vertiv stipulates in some contracts that the investment in the purchase of technology is 80% of the budget, and that the remaining 20% ??is subject to the estimated savings being met.

From Schneider Electric they estimate that, depending on the type of actions taken, energy efficiency can be improved "between 15% and 20%", as commented by Critical Solutions engineer Rafael Straga, from the International Operations area. Schneider's proprietary line of UPS, Galaxy IP, works at 99% efficiency and ensures no power outage. It is integrated into different layers of software for the operation of the electrical part, the environment and the operation of the building in general.

When investing in new equipment, the rate of return on investment is higher: the firm calculates this term in 2 or 3 years, between operating and handling expenses. In 8 out of 10 cases, the aim is to install new equipment, which produces a considerable improvement. The exception is data centers that are well designed and have not been outdated by time, the executive added.

 

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