POWER AND COOLING SURVEY 2006

Published October, 2006

In this first assessment of Power and Cooling as key challenges for Data Centres, the study reviews key issues within the context of the current market and forecasts for future development and growth and suggests the industry is now at a crossroads.

Increase in demand for power and cooling results from a number of drivers. Within the Data Centre there has been a steady increase in processor power, which has produced the effect of increasing heat and thermal rise. The increase in high density server applications has also resulted in a more intensive use of a given footprint, the consequence of which is a rise in energy consumption per square foot.

The Survey reveals the dilemma confronting data centres as they seek to mitigate consumption of power, and enhance cooling systems while reducing costs. At the same time, customers from a range of service backgrounds increasingly demand higher transaction processing rates than ever before.

Juggling cost-benefits, space availability, investment ROI, asset depreciation, and making the right decisions for equipment – particularly the investment in blade servers - and software to remain competitive in the short term, all contribute to pressures resulting from the two most critical issues facing data centres today.

Cost is a central issue, and with power averaging at 30% of operating costs for many data centres, the sustained rise in electricity charges has spurred the search for new alternatives and solutions. Many of the issues under current debate are tracked in the survey including water and liquid cooling, as well as new solutions on the horizon such as nano-cooling technologies underway that will ultimately lead to a re-engineering of the data centre.

Direct case study examples are provided from data centre operators, air conditioning, power management, processor and service equipment providers.

The study concludes with a forecast of electricity use by data centres across five countries in Europe (2006 and 2010).

Power and Cooling Survey is a considered assessment of key issues, drivers and trends found in data centres today. Drawing on a qualitative base of depth interviews with data centre operators, supplier organisations and other companies engaged in the sector, the Survey provides an informative manual of issues for managers who need to “walk through” the fundamentals of power and cooling supported by the relevant perspective of experience provided by industry players.