ENERGY EFFICIENT DATA CENTRES

– AN OVERVIEW

Professor Peter James

BACKGROUND

• Higher Education Environmental Performance Improvement- Green Gown Awards - www.heepi.org.uk

• Sustainable IT in Tertiary Education- Strategic review of IT in universities- Identifying & disseminating good practice- www.susteit.org.uk

ICT LIFE CYCLE IMPACTS

Materials

ManufactureTransport

Use

Disposal

www.gridcomputingnow.org

ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION

• High power consumption- ICT 10% UK electricity- Data centres 1.5% (8GW)- 46 TWH 2006 to 93 2020= aviation/refrigeration

• High summer load- system reliability

WHY IT MATTERS TO HE

• Cost- 50 to 100% rise in electricity prices?

• Carbon- growing regulation- Carbon Reduction Commitment

• Capacity

The Coal-Powered Computer

DATA CENTRE END USE

Server Load/ComputingOperations

Cooling Equipment

Power Conversions& Distribution

100 Units

33 UnitsDelivered

35 Units

Source: US EPA

GREEN DATA CENTRE OBJECTIVE

Typical Practice Better Practice

Server Load/ComputingOperations

Cooling & Power

Conversions Server Load/ComputingOperations

Cooling & Power

Conversions

Source: US EPA

Server Load/ComputingOperations

Cooling Equipment

Power Conversion & Distribution

AlternativeEnergy Supply

High voltage distributionUse of DC powerHighly efficient UPS systemsEfficient redundancy strategies

Power efficiency & managementLoad managementConsolidation/Virtualisation

Better air managementFree/efficient coolingEfficient liquid coolingFlexibility and control

On-site renewablesWaste heat for coolingFuel cellsThermal storage

ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURESAdapted from US EPA original

BARRIERS

• Lack of awareness and information• Low prioritisation of sustainable ICT issues• Unsupportive financial frameworks• Lack of capacity• Limited connection of key stakeholders

- IT and facilities/building

Life Cycle Energy Use of PCs

-2000

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

Desktop Laptop CRT LCD

Tota

l Ene

rgy

(MJ)

Production

Distribution

Use

End of life

Source: European Commission EuP Studies