Survey Shows 50 Percent of U.S. Data Centers Upgrading Their Cooling Systems
Equipment reliability and energy efficiency are primary drivers
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Emerson Network Power has announced new research results showing that half of all data center cooling systems will be upgraded before the end of 2016.
The survey of IT, facilities, and data center managers in the United States and Canada reveals that while 40 percent of data centers have been upgraded in the past five years, nearly 20 percent are in process and about 31 percent will be upgraded in the next 12 months.
Primary drivers behind these upgrades include the need for higher equipment reliability, greater energy efficiency, and additional capacity. The move toward using efficient and sustainable technologies is apparent in upgrade activities. About 39 percent of respondents said upgrades had to meet state energy codes. About 32 percent cited Energy Star® and 23 percent cited Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as requirements for upgrades.
The survey found that 62 percent of the upgrades are in data centers under 10,000 square feet and that 18 percent are in data centers larger than 50,000 square feet. “Reliable performance and efficiency have always been critical to large data center performance. As the edge and cloud computing become ubiquitous, ensuring the health of cooling systems at smaller, localized data centers and computer rooms is crucial. Thermal upgrades are allowing companies to improve protection, efficiency, and visibility within all these spaces,” said John Peter Valiulis, vice president of thermal management marketing for Emerson Network Power in North America.
Other findings from the Emerson Network Power survey include:
• Thirty-five percent received energy rebates or planned to, and 75 percent of those who did were able to receive them within six months.
• Forty-three percent are adding variable speed drives that allow cooling unit fans to be operated according to changes in airflow requirements, instead of running at constant speeds.
• Forty-one percent are adding or replacing thermal controls to optimize the performance of variable speed technologies.
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• Forty percent are adding economizers to provide “free cooling” when outside temperatures allow.
Getting budget approval was cited as the most difficult challenge in upgrade projects, while configuring thermal controls was the easiest.
For information on how to improve reliability, protection, and visibility with thermal upgrades, visit http://info.emersonnetworkpower.com/cool-upgrades.
Publication date: 12/30/2015
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