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choosing a green colocation provider

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2

Introduction 3

Green Founders 4

About the Power 6

Keeping Cool 7

Other Green Best Practices 9

The Future of Green 11

About Internap 11

Table of Contents

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3

IntroductionRapidly rising energy costs have had a major impact on what we

pay to drive our cars, heat our homes and feed our families. Data

center operational costs have also been heavily impacted by rising

energy costs, especially the cost of energy needed to power

and cool facilities, computer rooms and data centers. We have

all heard service providers profess that their facilities are "green,"

but how do you know if they are acting on their green initiatives

and if those initiatives are actually saving anyone money? The

good news is that going green in the data center can significantly

reduce your organization's costs as well as reduce your carbon

footprint. You just need to know the right questions to ask to

realize these savings.

Use this eBook to discover the best practices of a

“green data center” to make sure the colocation

provider you choose truly is green.

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4

Green FoundersSeveral key players have helped make creating

green data centers possible. Both government

agencies and private research groups now back

data center efficiency and are helping set the

standard for green best practices. Each is contributing to

studies, as well as developing metrics, rating systems and

certification standards so buyers can have a more accurate

view into which providers are truly green. Look for one or

more of these accreditations or certifications when making a

decision on a green colocation provider.

Green Building Initiative

The Green Building Initiative (GBI) is a non-profit

organization whose mission is to accelerate the

adoption of building practices that result in energy-

efficient, healthy and environmentally-sustainable

buildings. In the United States, the GBI owns the license

to promote and further develop the building guidance and

assessment program called the Green Globes. Green Globes

offer an effective and practical way to advance the overall

environmental performance and sustainability of commercial

buildings. This highly-regarded award is a clear indicator of a

green colocation provider. www.thegbi.org

U.S. Green Building Council

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-

profit organization whose mission is to transform

the way buildings and communities are designed,

built and operated, enabling a socially responsible environment.

Its internationally recognized green building certification system,

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED),

was developed in March of 2000. LEED provides building owners

and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing

practical and measurable green building design, construction,

operations and maintenance solutions. Look for the USGBC seal

on any materials provided to you by LEED-certified data centers.

www.usgbc.org

The Green Grid

The Green Grid is a non-profit, open industry

consortium of end users, policy-makers, technology

providers, facility architects and utility companies

collaborating to improve the resource efficiency of

data centers and business computing ecosystems. With more than

175 member companies around the world, the Green Grid seeks

to unite global industry efforts, create a common set of metrics

and develop technical resources and educational tools. The Green

Grid is best known for the creation and sponsorship of the data

center metric PUE or Power Usage Effectiveness. In order to

effectively use PUE, it's important to measure power usage often

– sampling at least once per second is standard practice. It’s even

more important to capture energy data over the entire year as

seasonal weather variations have a notable effect on PUE. A rating

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5

of 1.2 - 1.3 is an acceptable rating, where lower scores represent

a more effective usage of power and higher scores represent a

less effective usage. While PUE can be a good benchmark, the

method used to derive this metric isn’t set in stone and is calculated

differently by various providers, so it is important to ask how a

provider calculates their PUE. In general PUE is calculated by

dividing the total facility power by IT equipment power. Ask your

colocation provider how often they sample, and request to see

reporting over the long term to get a better picture of their power

usage effectiveness. www.thegreengrid.org

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air

Conditioning Engineers

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-

Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) advances the arts and sciences

of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to

promote sustainability. The ASHRAE standards are in place for

organizations and individuals associated with the fields of indoor air

quality, building design and operation, and environmental control

for food processing. ASHRAE also offers continuing education

for members through its local chapter meetings, publications and

conferences. A reputable provider will adhere to the ASHRAE

standards for cooling and should reference them in your colocation

agreement. www.ashrae.org

Energy Star Program

Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of

Energy. Founded in 1992 for the purpose of saving money

and protecting the environment through energy-efficient products

and practices, the Energy Star label is now on major appliances,

office equipment, lighting, home electronics and more. On

August 2, 2007, the EPA released an Energy Star Program

report to Congress assessing opportunities for energy efficiency

improvements for government and commercial computer servers

and data centers in the United States. As a result, the EPA has

extended the label to cover new homes, and commercial and

industrial buildings. In fact, the EPA provides an innovative energy

performance rating system, which businesses have already used for

more than 200,000 buildings across the country. Check to see if the

facility you plan to colocate with is Energy Star-rated.

www.energystar.gov

Energy Star Ratings 1 – 49 A score in this range indicates the data center provider

may need to invest in improving IT equipment efficiency and

lowering the internal heat load, accompanied by reducing the

support and cooling load to enhance energy performance.

50 – 74 A score in this range translates to a need for simple,

low-cost operations and maintenance practices combined with

equipment upgrades.

75 – 100 A score in this range means a data center provider is

adequately implementing best practices for a green design.

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6

About the PowerOne of the more significant costs you will encounter

as a colocation buyer is the amount of power you

consume. Choosing a provider that is mindful of those

costs and works to keep them down is in your best

interest. Make sure you find out if your provider follows these

best-in-class power practices.

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

UPS-related power consumption has always

been the largest power consumer in a data center

environment. High-efficiency, Energy Star-rated

UPS systems that deliver greater than 95 percent efficiencies

at partial loads are key to any green initiative. Additionally, using

a modular UPS configuration can also help improve efficiency. A

UPS system runs at highest efficiency when it’s near its maximum

rated capacity. As opposed to traditional UPS systems that run

below capacity, modular systems can be configured to run close to

capacity. Check with your provider to see how the UPS systems are

configured and what Energy Star rating they received.

Hot Aisle/Cold Aisle Design and Containment

Hot aisle and cold aisle design was first conceived

by Robert Sullivan of the Uptime Institute

and is now an accepted best practice for cabinet

layouts. In this layout, all the hardware in a row of

cabinets face the same way so hot air is expelled on one side while

cool air blows from the other side. Hot and cold aisle containment

allows cool air to be delivered directly where it is needed in order

to reduce power consumption. Containment also allows operating

temperatures to be increased, which allows cooling equipment to

operate more efficiently.

Controlled Lighting

Installing a lighting control system, in conjunction with

more efficient fixtures and occupancy sensors, can

help reduce energy usage. Instead of flooding data

centers in bright light, using resource-friendly timers that dim and/

or shut off lighting when people aren’t present helps save energy,

especially when you consider the size of most data centers. Add

lighting to your list of energy-saving attributes when looking for an

environmentally-conscious colocation provider.

Voltage

Moving from 120/208V to 240V power increases

efficiency by 2 - 3.5 percent per server, which could be

significant over hundreds of servers. With the high cost of

power today, every little bit helps.

True or False? Hot aisle containment is less efficient than cold aisle

containment.

Answer: FalseFacts: Hot air containment is more efficient because it will

typically operate at higher return temperatures due to isolation

of the hot air from the rest of the room.

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Keeping CoolIt's impossible to talk about power consumption in the

data center without talking about cooling. As much as half

the energy used by a data center is dedicated to powering

cooling systems.* If you want to get a handle on the amount

of electricity you use, you must also consider the AC. Ask

your provider if it implements any of the following techniques

to maintain a “greener” standard.

*Reduce Data Center Energy Consumption, Data Center Knowledge 2010

Temperature

While temperature does need to be regulated in a

colocation environment, energy-conscious providers

can leave their thermometer set slightly on the higher

side to save. Compare the temperatures prospective providers

maintain as well as the temperature of chilled water used in the

HVAC system. A reset upward of chilled water temperature by

1°F [0.6°C] can save 0.5 - 0.75 percent for a fixed speed chiller

and 2 - 3 percent for a Variable Speed Drive (VSD) chiller.

Additionally, ask if your provider performs an annual Computational

Fluid Dynamics (CFD) assessment. This computer-based test

helps forecast hot-spots and general floor cooling effectiveness.

CFD modeling is a proven tool used to evaluate airflow patterns,

temperatures and pressures within a data center environment.

The mathematical-based simulations help identify and vet adverse

environmental conditions prior to actual IT equipment deployment.

Rack Management

Often overlooked, this zero cost action at the

rack level can help provide cooling where it is

most needed. Simply improving the cable management at the

discharge of the server rack can help reduce recirculation. Placing

higher density servers at low or mid level U’s can also help reduce

recirculation over the rack, especially if implemented with blanking

panels. Improving overall data center air management allows cold air

to be delivered more effectively to the server inlets.

Raised Floors

One of the keys to keeping your colocation

investment cool and keeping your energy costs

down is to route the cool air you have to the right place. Raised floor

designs ensure even cooling of the data center with minimal wasted

energy. Conditioned air is provided under the floor and dispersed

upward into the room through regularly spaced diffuser tiles, blowers

or through ducts directed into specific equipment. A raised floor

design is something to look for when choosing a green colocation

provider.

Green FactsA return air plenum is the ducting that is attached

to a furnace for return air to flow.

Facts: Increasing the height of a (downflow) CRAC/H

return air collar, or ducting directly into a ceiling return air

plenum, will allow more hot stratified air to return directly to

the CRAC/H. This will reduce bypass air and increase unit

operating efficiency.

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Close-Coupled Cooling

Traditional cooling systems were designed to simply

flood the entire data center with cool air based on

the assumption that all equipment needed the same amount of

cooling. Advanced technologies have changed this assumption

as virtualization, blade servers and other technologies vary in the

amount of cooling they require. In a large data center these high-

density rack configurations can be distributed in an unpredictable

pattern across the floor, making the old methods of cooling less

effective. Close-coupled cooling solves this challenge by

allowing high-density racks to have supplemental cooling

that is dedicated to the rack or series of racks. This type

of solution improves efficiency because it employs liquid cooling

technology, shortens the air paths and eliminates mixing of cold

and hot air streams.

Variable Speed Fans in Computer Room Air

Conditioning (CRAC) Units

These cooling fans automatically scale their speed

according to ambient room temperatures. By using

this technology, you can reduce power consumption and decrease

the amount of heat emitted from the fans themselves.

Green FactsBy utilizing the economizer mode on an HVAC system

your provider can pass on significant cost savings.

Facts: An economizer can cut data center cooling costs by

over 60 percent using standard, commonly available, low-cost

equipment. Depending on the climate, the steady, 24-hour

cooling load of a data center is well suited to take advantage of

seasonal/night time temperature variations to cool the space.

The higher you’re able to run your cooling temperatures, the

more hours available for economizer cooling.

A "VFD" or Variable Frequency Drive is recommended by

many designers to help improve efficiency in CRAC/H

unit fans.

Facts: Implementing a VFD or Electronically Commutated Motor

(ECM) can reduce fan power consumption by as much as 40

percent. Utilizing a VFD allows air to be delivered on-demand if

implemented correctly with under-floor static pressure control.

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9

Other Green Best Practices Power and cooling are obvious sources of energy

consumption, but what else can you do to go green? Ask

your provider if they use any of the following techniques.

Modular Design

Colocation providers today are letting go of long-

held traditions for design, with modular products and

providers ushering in a new era. A modular data

center is an approach that implies the use of a factory-

built module or a method for delivering data center infrastructure

in a modular fashion. Modular designs offer more predictable

energy usage as they take the best ideas for design, reliability and

efficiency and package them into a prefabricated, repeatable

and operationally-optimized module. By taking advantage of

quickly deployable power and cooling infrastructure along with a

new generation of modular IT Infrastructure, colocation spaces can

now be transformed into highly energy-efficient data centers in a

shortened deployment time with predictable results.

Smart Location

When shopping for a colocation provider that offers a

sustainable solution, ask if the provider has leveraged

any environmental attributes of the location. For example, a

provider aware of environmental issues may choose a site because

of its proximity to an energy efficient, “clean” power plant. The

site may also be optimal because it is located in a region that can

take advantage of wind power or free cooling technology, which

utilizes low external air temperatures to assist in chilling water for air

conditioning systems.

The Building Envelope

Another feature of a green colocation facility might be

the way the building is “enveloped” or insulated to keep

cool air in and reflect heat. White reflective roofing

can be used to decrease the surface temperature

of the roof by 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which not

only lowers the cost of cooling, but also offsets CO2 emissions

by about five metric tons per 500 square feet. Other techniques

include painting the building a light color and insulating the walls to

keep cold air flowing inside the data center.

Humidification

A data center must remain within a certain humidity

range to control static electricity and prevent fire;

however, heating water to create steam can use a

significant amount of electrical energy. Rather than using extra

energy for this process, applying a cool water vapor mist

is sometimes used as an alternative. A higher cooling coil

temperature (above 55 degrees Fahrenheit) can also lower energy

costs and prevent undesired dehumidification.

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Recycled Water

Using recycled water such as “gray water” for

cooling can also help save on overall costs that

are eventually passed down to you. Recycled or

“gray” water isn’t fresh or drinkable, but it is

not contaminated by toxic substances or toilet

wastes. Gray water is considered environmentally friendly because

it reduces demands for fresh water and doesn’t consume the

energy required to purify it at waste water treatment sites. Another

strategy to lessen the impact of data centers on local water utilities

is for providers to create their own water supply, either by tapping

nearby bodies of water or collecting rainwater. Since this water is

collected using rainwater reclaim systems, there’s no need to tap

into the potable water system.

Monitoring

A colocation provider should have integrated

monitoring to help keep an eye on energy usage.

Energy monitoring, in conjunction with more sophisticated Data

Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software can allow

greater visibility into overall data center energy usage while also

providing solutions to maximize server and infrastructure equipment

operating efficiency. According to Gartner Research, DCIM

can lead to energy savings that reduce a data center's total

operating expenses by up to 20 percent.

Green FactsLEED Certification comes in multiple levels based on

a 100 point system for new construction and major

renovations.

Certified 40 – 49 points

Silver 50 – 59 points

Gold 60 – 79 points

Platinum 80 points and above

Up to 10 bonus points are available for innovation in design and

regional priority.

What difference can gray water make?

FACTS: Using gray water or reclaimed water rather than potable

water to run the cooling systems for a data center can save

76,300 gallons of water per day and 27,849,500 gallons per

year, the equivalent of 46.5 Olympic-sized swimming pools of

potable water saved annually.*

*Savings calculated by Internap from its Santa Clara gray water reclaim project.

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11

The Future of GreenWhile it is uncertain what will be the newest

energy-efficient design, it is certain that

green will continue to be more than

just a trend as long as energy costs are on the

rise. Technology professionals interested in achieving

data center efficiencies need to work with technology

providers that employ the techniques and standards

listed throughout this eBook. Those that partner with their

colocation provider can best help their company achieve

a reduced carbon footprint and lower costs while being

recognized by industry standards as leading the green

way.

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