Data Center Design Technical Best Practices

8/8/2019 Data Center Design Technical Best Practices

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Data Center Design Technical Best Practices

Technical Best Practices

Following are 67 "best practices" for optimizing energy efficiency and facilityperformance. The bulleted items indicate key objectives for capturing these benefits. Thelinks provide details on these objectives and specific technical strategies for obtaining thebenefits.

1. Mechanical: Airflow Management2. Mechanical: Air Handler Systems3. Mechanical: Humidification4. Mechanical: Plant Optimization5. IT Equipment: Selection

6. Electrical Infrastructure7. Lighting8. Commissioning and Retrocommissioning

1. Mechanical: Airflow Management The efficiency and effectiveness of adatacenter conditioning system is heavily influenced by the path, temperature andquantity of cooling air delivered to the IT equipment and waste hot air removedfrom the equipment.

1. 1.1 Eliminate Mixing and Recirculation of Hot Equipment Exhaust Air1. 1.1.1 Hot Aisle/Cold Aisle

2. 1.1.2 Rigid Enclosures3. 1.1.3 Flexible Strip Curtains4. 1.1.4 Blank Unused Rack Positions5. 1.1.5 Design for IT Airflow Configuration6. 1.1.6 Select Racks with Good Internal Airflow

2. 1.2 Maximize Return Air Temperature by Supplying Air Directly to theLoads

1. 1.2.1 Use Appropriate Diffusers2. 1.2.2 Position Supply and Returns to Minimize Mixing and Short

Circuiting3. 1.2.3 Minimize Air Leaks in Raised Floor Systems

4. 1.2.4 Optimize Location of Computer Room Air Conditioners5. 1.2.5 Provide Adequately Sized Return Plenum or Ceiling Height6. 1.2.6 Provide Adequately Sized Supply7. 1.2.7 Use an Appropriate Pressure in Underfloor Supply Plenums

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2. Mechanical: Air Handler Systems The air handler fan is typically the secondlargest energy use in the mechanical system, and can even exceed the energy useof the cooling plant in some cases. Optimizing the air handler system fordatacenter use, as opposed to relying on traditional air handler design rulesdeveloped over years of office system design, is essential to achieve an efficient

and cost effective system.1. 2.1 Minimize Fan Power Requirements1. 2.1.1 Low Pressure Drop System Design2. 2.1.2 Use Redundant Air Handler Capacity in Normal Operation

2. 2.2 Use an Optimized Airside Economizer1. 2.2.1 Implement an Airside Economizer2. 2.2.2 Design for Medium Temperature Air3. 2.2.3 Control to Avoid Unnecessary Humidity Loads

3. 2.3 Use Large Centralized Air Handlers1. 2.3.1 Use Load Diversity to Minimize Fan Power Use2. 2.3.2 Optimize Air Handler for Fan Efficiency and Low Pressure

Drop3. 2.3.3 Configure Redundancy to Reduce Fan Power Use in NormalOperation

4. 2.3.4 Use Premium Efficiency Motors and Fans5. 2.3.5 Control Volume by Variable Speed Drive on Fans Based on

Space Temperature

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3. Mechanical: Humidification Humidification specifications and systems haveoften been found to be excessive and/or wasteful in datacenter facilities. A

careful, site specific design approach to these energy-intensive systems is usuallyneeded to avoid energy waste.1. 3.1 Design System to Actual Equipment Requirements

1. 3.1.1 Use Widest Suitable Humidity Control Band2. 3.1.2 Specify Humidity Sensor Calibration Schedule3. 3.1.3 Provide Appropriate Sensor Redundancy4. 3.1.4 Control Humidity with Dedicated Outdoor Air Unit

2. 3.2 Eliminate Over Humidification and/or Dehumidification1. 3.2.1 Ensure Proper Economizer Lockout2. 3.2.2 Maintain Coil Temperature Above 55F3. 3.2.3 Centralize Humidity Control

3. 3.3 Use Efficient Humidification Technology1. 3.3.1 Use Waste Return Air Heat to Humidify2. 3.3.2 Use Adiabatic Humidifiers for Humidity and Evaporative

Cooling3. 3.3.3 Use Lower Power Humidification Technology

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4. Mechanical: Plant Optimization When a chilled water plant is used, all thestandard design best practices apply, with a few additions. The unusual nature of adatacenter load, which is mostly independent of outside air temperature and solarloads, makes free cooling very attractive and increases the importance ofefficiency over first cost. Also, the typical level of redundancy and reliability can

influence the value of various design options.1. 4.1 Maximize the Chiller System Efficiency1. 4.1.1 Select Chiller for High Efficiency2. 4.1.2 Implement an Aggressive Condenser Water Reset3. 4.1.3 Minimize Tower Fan Power and Size Towers for Close

Approach4. 4.1.4 Use Free Cooling / Waterside Economization5. 4.1.5 Use a Medium Temperature Chilled Water Loop6. 4.1.6 Use Primary Only Variable Flow Chilled Water Pumping7. 4.1.7 Consider Thermal Storage8. 4.1.8 Monitor System Efficiency

9. 4.1.9 Rightsize the Cooling Plant

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5. IT Equipment: Selection The IT equipment is the reason for the facility.Increasingly, there are reasonable opportunities to increase the efficiency of ITequipment, reducing the need for mechanical infrastructure and ongoing energyuse directly at the load level through the selection of IT equipment.

1. 5.1 Specify Efficient Server Equipment1. 5.1.1 Specify High Efficiency Power Supplies2. 5.1.2 Consider Equipment Power Consumption in Specifications

2. 5.2 Use Cooled Equipment Racks1. 5.2.1 Use Equipment Racks with Integral Coil2. 5.2.2 Consider Direct Liquid Cooling

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6. Electrical Infrastructure Protection from power loss is a common characteristicof datacenter facilities. Such protection comes at a significant first cost price, andalso carries a continuous power usage cost that can be reduced through carefuldesign and selection.

1. 6.1 Design UPS System for Efficiency1. 6.1.1 Maximize Unit Loading

2. 6.2 Select Most Efficient UPS Possible1. 6.2.1 Specify Minimum Unit Efficiency at Expected Load Points2. 6.2.2 Evaluate UPS Technologies for Most Efficient3. 6.2.3 Do Not Overspecify Power Conditioning Requirements

3. 6.3 Use Self-Generation for Large Installation1. 6.3.1 Eliminate Standby Generator2. 6.3.2 Recover Waste Heat for Local Heating Uses
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3. 6.3.3 Recover Waste Heat for Datacenter Cooling Use4. 6.3.4 Eliminate UPS Systems

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7. Lighting Datacenters are typically lightly occupied. While lighting is a smallportion of the total power usage of a datacenter, it can be often be safely reducedthrough mature, inexpensive technologies and designs.

1. 7.1 Use Active Sensors to Shutoff Lights When Datacenter is Unoccupied1. 7.1.1 Occupancy Sensors

2. 7.2 Design Light Circuiting and Switching to Allow for Greater ManualControl

1. 7.2.1 Bi-Level Lighting2. 7.2.2 Task Lighting

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8. Commissioning and Retrocommissioning An efficient datacenter not onlyrequires a reliable and efficient design, it also requires proper construction andoperation of the space. Commissioning is a methodical and thorough process toensure the systems are installed and operating correctly in all aspects, includingefficiency.

1. 8.1 Engage Additional Design Expertise for Review and Guidance.1. 8.1.1 Perform a Peer Review2. 8.1.2 Engage a Commissioning Agent

2. 8.2 Perform System Commissioning1. 8.2.1 Document Testing of All Equipment and Control Sequences

2. 8.2.2 Measure Equipment Energy Efficiency Onsite3. 8.2.3 Provide Appropriate Budget and Scheduling forCommissioning

4. 8.2.4 Perform Full Operational Testing of All Equipment3. 8.3 Perform Retrocommissioning

1. 8.3.1 Perform a Full Retrocommissioning2. 8.3.2 Recalibrate All Control Sensors3. 8.3.3 Where Appropriate, Install Efficiency Monitoring Equipmen
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Design of New Data Centers

If you have an opportunity to participate in the design of a new data center, followingthese exercises will introduce you to the skills of setting performance targets, identifying

applicable best practices, and developing a design intent document to present cost-effective recommendations for energy-saving measures.

1. Set performance targets.Review thebenchmarking methods and resultsfor real data centers. Set overallperformance goals for the cleanroom as a whole (e.g. $/sq.ft.-year), as well assystem performance goals (e.g. HVAC effectiveness).

2. Prospect for energy efficiency opportunities in one or more data centers.Develop ideas of how to improve efficiency. Review case studies associated withother efficient data centers, as well as the site reports [downloads] for specificdata centers shown to be efficient in previous benchmarking projects. In addition,

review the Best Practices Guides for a more comprehensive review ofopportunities.3. Analyze the cost-effectiveness of the savings opportunities.

The software toolsoffered through this site will help you do this.4. Develop structured recommendations.

You can begin with the Design Intent Document "template" that we've preparedfor you. Download and install the Design Intent Tool and modify the templateuntil it contains all of your recommendations. We have provided a partiallycompleted template to give you a start. Think of additional Goals (andsubordinate Objectives, Strategies, and Metrics) and add them to the template.One example might be to specify an operations & maintenance program that

supports the other energy-efficiency strategies.5. Practice proposing your project.Deliver your customized design intent document to your instructor or employerfor feedback. Make revisions based on the feedback you've received.

High-Tech ResearchApplications TeamEnvironmental Energy Technologies DivisionBerkeley Lab
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Data Center Design Technical Best Practices