Developing a low-cost, systematic approach to increase an existing data center's Energy Efficiency

Abstract

Data centers consume approximately 1.5% of total US electricity and 0.8% of the total world electricity, and this percentage will increase with the integration of technology into daily lives. In typical data centers, valued added IT equipment such as memory, servers, and networking account for less than one half of the electricity consumed, while support equipment consumes the remaining electricity. The purpose of this thesis is to present the results of developing, testing, and implementing a low-cost, systematic approach for increasing the energy efficiency of data centers. The pilot process was developed using industry best practices, and was piloted at a Raytheon site in Garland, TX. Because the approach is low-cost, there is an emphasis on increasing the energy efficiency of data centers' heat removal and lighting equipment. The result of implementing the low-cost systematic approach, consisting of both technical and behavior modifications, was a 23% reduction in electricity consumption, leading to annual savings of over $53,000. The improvement to the heat removal equipment's energy efficiency was 54%. In addition to presenting the results of the pilot, recommendations for replicating the pilot's success are provided. Two major managerial techniques are described - creating an aligned incentive structure in both Facilities and IT departments during the data center design phase, and empowering employees to make improvements during the use phase. Finally, a recommended roll out plan, which included a structure for Data Center Energy Efficiency Rapid Results Teams, is provided.