Posted by Kim Otte on Thu, Nov 12, 2009 @ 10:20 AM
Data centers and server rooms require large amounts of energy to operate and the push now is to reduce the use of energy in data centers - green initiatives. Additional encouragement is coming from utilities throughout the United States in the form of energy efficiency rebates and incentives.
Typically, energy efficiency programs focus on new data center construction, retrofitting the current environment, or optimization of the equipment in the data center. They encourage everything from server consolidation projects to energy efficiency "refreshes," such as installing more efficient servers and cooling technology.
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Recently Electronic Environments installed 13 Ultrasonic Humidifiers at a customer site - the customer worked with their local utility and is receiving $47,000 from the utility in the form of a rebate based on the energy savings they will receive from the ultrasonic humidifiers. |
There are many different types of incentives and rebates available from local utilities and state energy efficiency programs, so make sure you do your homework to see if your energy savings initiatives are eligible for the rebates/incentives.
According to Forrester Research - Government bodies and an increasing number of utilities have mechanisms in place that encourage business engagement in more environmentally sustainable behaviors. These mechanisms typically take on one of three forms: arbitrage, incentives, or penalties. Forrester recommends IT leaders get up to speed on the mechanisms available in their region, since the financial implications - both cost avoidance and savings - can be compelling and further improve the return on investment from green initiatives. Because incentive programs vary widely depending on your location of operation (e.g., state), a great starting point is to call your local utility provider and government representative.
The onus is on data center managers to start implementing energy efficiency measures as soon as possible. Data center power demand has risen steadily over the last 4 to 5 years - if that doesn't change, the data center industry may be headed into regulation. Different states have already enacted legislation in curtailing data center power usage, the Federal Government could be following suit. When this happens, energy rebates will disappear as well.
These resources, coupled with reduced energy bills, provide a compelling financial return on the initial efficiency investment as well as a positive message of corporate responsibility.
Check this out: Installation of Room Scale Intelligent Cooling Technology in Manhatten Bank Data Center Results in Rebate from NYSERDA
Has your company participated in any energy rebates? If so, can you share your experience?
Posted by Paul Golden on Mon, Nov 02, 2009 @ 10:58 AM
Data Centers rely heavily on power to give it the ability to perform. Testing the power in your data center is something that should be done because you need to know your backup power in your data center is strong enough to handle even the heaviest of loads.
Operating an emergency backup generator in a data center should come with the responsibility of doing preventative maintenance (PM) to ensure it is in peak condition to be able to respond to your 
critical facility's need for on-demand emergency backup power. Besides the standard PMs done on the standby generator, which includes fluid and filter changes, load bank testing is an invaluable tool to determine that a generator set is able to fully handle the load demands placed on it when you most need it.
Load bank testing allows your data center's emergency backup generator to be tested to verify its ability to run at its full rated KW output. Typically, a standby generator is running at a level far less than the units rated output capability.
Most data center customers exercise their standby generators weekly un-loaded (or no load) but very rarely test them with building loads, allowing the occasional utility loss to do the testing. For diesel engine driven standby generator sets this can cause ‘wet stacking'. Wet stacking is when unburned fuel accumulates in the engine exhaust -- this is caused by under loading an emergency generator. When exercising a generator, or running it for short duration outages, while under-loaded the engine may not reach its optimum operating temperature. When this is allowed to continue for long periods of time the unburned fuel accumulates becoming harmful to the engine's efficiency and life span.
Load bank testing of the emergency backup generator allows the engine to reach this full operating temperature and ‘burns out' the accumulation of un-burnt fuel, allowing the unit to run cleaner and more efficiently. It also offers peace of mind that your standby generator is operating as it was designed to. Any generator set, whether the prime mover is diesel or gaseous fuel driven, can benefit from undergoing a load bank test.
Load banking allows testing of the emergency backup generator with no interruption to your facility's loads. This service is in no way intrusive, and can be done at your convenience or during a scheduled PM. Most original equipment (OEM) manufacturers agree a generator set that is frequently run lightly loaded, or never loaded at all, can benefit from being load bank tested on a yearly basis.
While load banking a standby generator up to its rated output a technician is able to monitor critical engine parameters such as; oil pressure, engine temperature, fuel pressure, etc. These readings should be recorded to show that once the unit reaches full rated load it runs at normal operating temperatures and pressures.
Electronic Environments offers load bank testing and we provide a full report of the readings including generator output readings such as; voltages, amperages, KW amounts, etc.
Do you currently run a load bank test on your backup power or have ideas/questions pertaining to backup power, feel free to comment here or contact me:
Paul Golden
Standby Power Supervisor
pgolden@eecnet.com