Green data centers

Reducing our carbon footprint and being aware of how efficiently we use our energy has rapidly become a high priority with many companies. Naturally, we must look at the areas that consume the most energy; data centers and computer rooms. Although extremely crucial for business operations, data centers and computer rooms are filled with high energy consuming electrical (UPS systems), mechanical (high powered A/C units) and IT equipment (servers and blade servers).
 
FM Engineering Inc. understands and recognizes these growing concerns and has created options to accommodate any budget. To help reduce carbon footprint and create a more energy efficient data center or computer room, we offer the following plans:
 

• Simple Plan-
  This plan includes conducting a Room Integrity Test / Door Fan Test. In doing so, we can locate and neutralize the areas where air leakage is present. Is it important to do this as air that should be cooling IT equipment may be lost through walls and other various types of penetrations. We call this “the low hanging fruit” as it is a simple and great first step to becoming more energy efficient. This plan includes a detailed written report with locations, photographs, and descriptions of penetrations, as well as budgetary numbers to rectify all problematic areas.

 

• Moderate Plan-
  This plan includes the Simple Plan, as well as conducting a CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) Analysis. By completing a CFD Anaylsis, you can truly get a real time analysis of where the cooling is being used and if it is being used efficiently. Simply by knowing where the air-stream is travelling, we can restructure and reposition items within the data center or computer room to ensure all cooling entering the room is only being used where it is NEEDED. This in turn saves energy and ultimately reduces cost and carbon footprint. This plan includes a written report describing issues with the air-stream, hot spots, and other various problematic areas. This plan can also include video simulations, which can be used to simulate the affects of installing, removing, or the reconfiguring of equipment.

 

• Full Plan-
  This plan includes the Moderate Plan, as well as a detailed report on your data center or computer room. We complete a full assessment which includes an in-depth analysis on all electrical, mechanical and physical components. We then provide a documented report that includes the rankings of equipment, pinpointing of problematic areas, solutions to fix deficiencies and improve functionality, as well as budgeting numbers to correct the issues. This is the ideal plan for those who want to become more energy efficient, while essentially getting a snapshot of the data center’s integral components. We recommend this plan to all clients looking to expand or restructure.