‘Cool’ Ideas Abound for Data Centers

The higher temperature ranges and increased humidity levels set for data centers by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) have spawned innovative ideas for data center cooling, according to the Wall Street Journal.

For instance, REI is utilizing evaporative cooling at its data center near Seattle, Wash. REI’s retrofit led to a 93 percent reduction in the energy needed to cool the data center, according to WSJ, adding that the data center had a PUE rating of 2.4 prior to the project and now aims for a PUE below 1.4.

The Wall Street Journal story also cited Syracuse’s Green Data Center, which is using waste heat from its onsite natural gas-fired microturbines. Syracuse partnered on its Green Data Center with IBM and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.