Kevin Dickens, P.E.

October 29 was a Monday. It was also the day that Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New York City. Around 7 p.m., Con Edison shut power off in Lower Manhattan, and it would be sometime Saturday before lights would begin to flicker back on.

New ideas, regulations, and equipment are making some designs outdated faster than ever. How to take in an ever-evolving landscape, take a deep breath, and provide a data center design to stay proud of? Learn about an integrated VAV approach, the only control point that really matters, and more.

So Charles Dickens, Ferris Bueller, a chicken, and a pig walk into an HVAC article … and try to sort out proper use of outdoor air in data centers. As you might imagine, it’s not simple. But if you remember these three design absolutes and consider your client’s specific perspective, the resulting efficiencies might have you singing Wayne Newton at the prospect of repeat business.