Case study

ChallengeThe aging chiller at the Kohlwes Education Center was

inefficient, and replacement parts for the unit were no longer

available. Continuous maintenance, required to keep the

chiller operational, was resulting in considerable expense for

the district. In addition, a large number of servers in the

computer room were running at a low percentage of capacity,

taking up space that could be better utilized as a server room

and separate Information Management Services (IMS)

development lab. Believing in the critical importance of

technology in running its schools and providing its students

with a high-quality education, Renton School District sought

to obtain more efficient and reliable server room capacity.

SolutionWhen funds became available through the State of

Washington’s Energy Savings Performance Contracting

(ESPC) grant program and the voter-approved 2009

Technology Levy, Renton School District took advantage of

the opportunity to initiate its much needed data center

upgrades. The district’s IMS department collaborated with the

Office of Resource Conservation Management to begin

transforming and updating its server room. Selected as its

Energy Services Company (ESCO), Trane supported the Office

of Resource Conservation Management in their efforts to also

upgrade mechanical systems, controls and install a new Trane

chiller with enough capacity to cool the entire building.

Renton School District Kohlwes Education CenterServer room transformation reduces load 50 percent, lowers maintenance costRenton, Washington

Renton School District envisions classrooms where technology is a tool used to boost student achievement. The district’sInformation Management Services (IMS), located in its Kohlwes Education Center, is charged with implementation andsupport of technology. Services provided include network and desktop support, software and hardware purchasingstandards, training computer labs, videoconferencing, and telecommunications / telephone services.

Virtualization technology transforms server room

Server room power supplies, network switches and servers

were upgraded to provide more efficient computing power for

the entire district. The IMS project included the use of

“virtualization” technology, reducing a couple hundred

physical servers to six physical servers hosting hundreds of

virtual servers, with capacity to grow. The reduction in servers

has resulted in a reduction in both the amount of energy

consumed to power the servers and the power required to

dissipate the heat generated by the servers.

The upgraded Kohlwes Education Center server room provides more

efficient computing power for the entire district.

September 2012

State-of-the-art data center better serves district needs

Once the new server room reconfiguration was begun, plans

were drawn up to enclose the 20 ft by 30 ft room within a

state-of-the-art data center that would better meet the

needs of the district, while increasing system reliability, and

energy efficiency of complex direct digitally controlled (DDC)

mechanical systems. The new server room includes unique

features, such as special fire suppression and air handling

units, and expandable hot and cold aisle racks, designed to

roll in the event of an earthquake.

HVAC systems increase efficiency and energy savings

The building’s aging chiller was replaced with a 130-ton

Trane high-efficiency, air cooled chiller. The new chiller

improves part-load efficiency and has to-date eliminated

costly repairs. The data center’s 5-ton rooftop cooling unit

was replaced with a more energy efficient Trane 7.5-ton dual

compressor, air-cooled packaged unit. The unit is equipped

with an economizer, which allows it to take advantage of

"free cooling", using 100 percent outside air when

temperatures are below 65 degrees. "Trane removed the old

units on Saturday morning, then installed the new chiller and

rooftop unit," said J. Stine, Renton School District resource

conservation and safety manager. "By Monday, systems were

100 percent, with zero issues and no cooling interruptions."

Energy Management System provides real time control

The existing Energy Management System (EMS) was

upgraded to provide monitoring, control and performance

trending of the new server room and development lab within

the direct digital control system. The energy management

tool is utilized daily by district staff.

ResultsAs a result of technology and mechanical system upgrades,

energy usage at Renton School District Kohlwes Education

Center has decreased dramatically. The data center’s electric

load has been reduced by 50 percent, resulting in utility cost

savings of $12,000 per year.

"The data center modernization was successful due to several

partnerships including the Washington ESPC grant, Trane -

our ESCO, Renton School District’s Resource Conservation

Manager, the IMS Infrastructure team, a supportive school

board and superintendant, and our community," said Stosh

Morency, director of Information Management Services. "The

upgrades allow the district to offer robust technology

resources to support student learning for the next decade,

while reducing costs."

"We’re saving energy, preventative maintenance visits are

taking place, our data center is more reliable and we’re using

economizer cooling 90% of the time," added Stine. "This

allows us to redirect operating funds back into the classrooms

to support our primary mission - Education!"

Shown above: Server room before transformation. Virtualization

technology reduced a couple hundred physical servers to six physical

servers hosting hundreds of virtual servers.

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CASE-SLX323-EN September 14, 2012