Data Center Power and Cooling

Dell is committed to leading the market in helping customers achieve greater levels of energy efficiency. Working with customers, Dell helps businesses achieve energy efficiency through the combination of the most relevant energy-efficient technology, partnerships with best-in-class equipment vendors, and energy-optimizing professional services and tools.

Check out the latest tools to help you understand the power needs and potential energy savings of Dell servers: the Energy Smart Solution Advisor (www.dell.com/calc) and the Dell Server Power & Space Savings Tool .  Additionally we have content here Best Practices in Power Management. 
 

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Featured Articles

Fresh Air Cooling Research - updated August 2011

• Fresh Air Cooling Research and Fresh Air Cooling page by Dell Enterprise Reliability Engineering

Chillerless Data Centers & Fresh Air 

• Cooling Blog

Power Efficiency Comparison of Enterprise-Class Blade Servers - updated May 2011

• Power Efficiency Comparison of Enterprise-Class Blade Servers

Achieving the Next Level

Additional information can be found at Scientific Computing a site devoted to High Performance Computing (HPC) and Power and Cooling.

HPC Power & Cooling: Getting IT Contained

• HPC Power & Cooling: Getting IT Contained

HPC-specific Content

• HPC Power and Cooling: CFMs
• HPC Power and Cooling: BTUs/hr
• Dell Data Center Infrastructure discusses - Cooling Blog
• American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE) whitepaper on the need to control airborne contaminants, both particulate and gaseous, in data centers and to specify recommended acceptable levels. Posted courtesy of ASHRAE.
  • Check out the ASHRAE whitepaper.
• Rack Infrastructure Effects on Thermal Performance of a Server:
  http://content.dell.com/us/en/corp/d/business~solutions~whitepapers~en/Documents~dci-rack-infrastructure-effects-on-thermal-performance-of-a-server.pdf
• Energy Advantages of Containment Systems:
  http://content.dell.com/us/en/corp/d/business~solutions~whitepapers~en/Documents~dci-energy-advantages-of-containment-systems.pdf
• Energy Impact of Increased Server Inlet Temperature:
  http://content.dell.com/us/en/corp/d/business~solutions~whitepapers~en/Documents~dci-energy-impact-of-increased-inlet-temp.pdf 
• Dell papers describing the Dell Point of View on Energy Efficiency in the Data Center:
• Redefining the Green Data Center:
  http://content.dell.com/us/en/corp/d/business~solutions~whitepapers~en/Documents~wp-2008_redefining.pdf
• Compute More, Consume Less: Smart Policies Unleash Data Center Productivity:
  http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/power/en/power_solutions_compute_more_consume_less?c=us&cs=555&l=en&s=biz

Data Center Power and Cooling Quick Links

• Energy Smart Solution Advisor (www.dell.com/calc)
• Solid Solutions Build for Business (http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/pedge/en/le_family_brochure_solutions.pdf)
• Dell UPS Configurator Tool: (http://dellups.com)

Foundational Areas for Power and Cooling Concepts

• The EPA Data Center power study released to Congress on 8/3/2007:
  • Executive Summary (14 pages)
  • Entire Report (133 pages)
• Data Center Energy Management – Excellent resource hosted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that includes case studies, tools, and information to help design a new data center or retrofit existing data centers.
• Wikipedia article on Electrical power – Gives a starting frame of reference for discussion on the topic.
• Average Price for Electrical Power in the US – Compares price increases.
• EPA Enterprise Server and Data Center Energy Efficiency Initiatives – The EPA is working with all interested parties to identify ways in which energy efficiency can be measured, documented, and implemented in data centers and the equipment they house, especially servers.
• Estimating Total Power Consumption By Servers In the U.S. and the World – Jonathan G. Koomey, Ph.D

Dell Initiatives

• Energy Smart Solution Advisor (www.dell.com/calc)
• Dell Server Power & Space Savings Tool
• Dell | Earth (www.dell.com/earth) – Dell corporate strategy and initiatives on energy and the environment.