Energy-Efficient Strategies for Data Centers

Administrators have numerous techniques at their disposal to achieve energy efficiency in a data center. However, implementing a few small changes can notably reduce energy consumption.

Infrastructure power needs might increase operational expenses. Data center administrators may reduce utility costs by meeting the power requirements of CPUs, storage, and cooling systems.

A data center's utility costs are substantial. Data center managers and organizations are always searching for methods to lower data center energy costs and raise overall energy efficiency as part of their efforts to address IT expenses.

Managers may enhance the energy efficiency of their data centers in several ways, given the multitude of infrastructure components that require electricity. Adjusting fan speeds, storage hardware, cloud infrastructure use, and even operational temperatures are a few of these choices. When combined, these little adjustments may significantly lower a data center's power use and save energy.

Although there is a great deal of potential for efficiency gains, administrators should first get administrative approval and explain any dangers before implementing any of the following ways to lower data center power usage. An efficient, high-density infrastructure can quickly heat up a data center if it is not planned properly.

1. Change to Variable Speed Fans

Switching to variable-speed fans is the approach to save energy in data centers. Recent studies have indicated that lowering CPU fan speeds can cut power usage by up to 20%. Therefore, organizations should employ variable-speed fans to cool data center equipment. These fans use electricity only while they are in operation and only at the needed speed, which is determined by complicated thermostatic measurements. Because these fans slow down while the CPU is idle, they rapidly minimize the power consumption of each non-rotating blade.

Avoid staying on the server; instead, examine the UPS's cooling capability, the power supplies of other devices connected to the same grid, and any additional hotspots where fans could be operating.

2. Apply Liquid Cooling

Liquid cooling is a further method of lowering power usage, particularly for high-performance systems. Liquid cooling dissipates heat by employing liquid, much like an automobile's radiator, as opposed to a fan that forces air through a heatsink.

In addition to being generally regarded as more effective than air-based cooling techniques, liquid cooling may also have the added advantage of being quieter, depending on the application. Liquid cooling systems let CPUs run cooler, which helps to minimize the amount of energy necessary to cool the data center, even if the pumps used for liquid cooling demand some electricity.

3. Reassessing Data Center Temperature

Reassessing the ideal data center temperature is another method to create an energy-efficient data center. In the past, computer gear required constant cooling of data centers for it to operate as intended. Systems that can function at significantly greater temperatures have been designed by equipment providers in more recent times. Data center infrastructure providers claim that even at 77 degrees Fahrenheit, current servers can function well. Nevertheless, servers in certain data centers are kept at temperatures that are almost 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

An administrator can instantly reduce the cooling system's power consumption without affecting server performance by raising the surrounding temperature by a few degrees. There is no need for overhead or expenditure, but to prevent unpleasant surprises, it is advised to closely monitor server and temperature as well as implement trial programs.

It is not appropriate for administrators to increase the data center's temperature at random. The required operating criteria for temperature, humidity, and energy consumption are provided by the ASHRAE recommendations.

4. Optimizing Storage Devices

While using larger, slower drives could be beneficial, high-demand transaction processes like financial databases or vital round-the-clock systems shouldn't use this strategy. Administrators can swap out speedier units for lower-energy drives if they assign a part of the majority of unneeded data to a lower storage tier. Consequently, using fewer drives results in lower energy and heat production. Although it can be costly, as most organizations extend storage capacity every quarter, it might be an investment well worth making.

Additionally, organizations ought to employ the power management profile of the operating system to switch the hard disk to standby mode while it's not in use. As a result, the hard disk will last longer and use less power.

5. Switching to SSDs

Organizations should also consider replacing hard drives with SSDs when possible. SSDs usually use significantly less power than hard drives while providing greater IOPS.

6. Use Cloud-based Services

While transferring IT workloads to the cloud or a managed service provider shifts power usage to the host site, many organizations recognize that large providers excel at getting the most of every kilowatt. Managed service providers frequently strive to give their clients the best value for electricity at the lowest possible cost.

Conclusion

By implementing some simple yet effective measures, data center administrators can significantly enhance energy efficiency and reduce operational costs. These steps not only help administrators lower power usage but also improve overall operational efficiency. Although these improvements may require upfront investment and approval from management, long-term energy savings, and economic benefits are worthwhile. In summary, by applying these strategies comprehensively, data centers can achieve more environmentally friendly and cost-effective operations.

If you want to learn more about ways to improve data center energy efficiency, FS provides customized data center solutions and also provides high-performance data center network equipment, including switches, servers, storage etc., to meet your data center deployment needs.