consume 1kw of energy for every 3–4kw
of cooling delivered.
Compare this to an equivalent sized
adiabatic solution, which for the same
1kw of energy consumed, will deliver up to
75kw of cooling.
In terms of EER, this difference
translates as an approximate EER of
4 (4kwth/1kwe) for a conventional
compressor solution, and an impressive
EER of around 75 (75kwh/1kwe) for the
equivalent ambient solution. This of
course, translates to substantial energy
and cost savings for energy-hungry
mission critical environments.
Can legacy data centres still
benefit from ambient cooling?
Older data centres which house older style
servers will still rely on compressor or
refrigeration chillers to dissipate enough
heat from the data centre and maintain an
AS WE MOVE
TOWARDS A
FUTURE EVEN
MORE RELIANT
ON THE STORAGE
AND EXCHANGE
OF DATA, THE
REST OF THE
INDUSTRY IS
EXPECTED TO
FOLLOW SUIT.
internal building environment which meets
the operational temperature thresholds of
dated server technology.
That said, given that most leading
ambient coolers are installed externally,
retrofitting additional cooling technology to
supplement an existing compressor solution
is a highly viable option for many older data
centres looking to maximise geographical
assets and weather patterns to deliver free
cooling during certain seasons.
If an older data centre retains its legacy
infrastructure but is refitted with state-
of-the art servers which can operate at
higher temperatures, adiabatic cooling
equipment can be retrofitted to the same
inlets as older equipment.
As the data centre industry evolves and
grows at a rapid pace, energy conservation
focused industry leaders like Facebook
have already maximised ambient and free
cooling technologies within their data
centres. As we move towards a future
even more reliant on the storage and
exchange of data, the rest of the industry
is expected to follow suit. ◊
Adiabatic V Cooler – A Transtherm
adiabatic V cooler
i
www.intelligentdatacentres.com
Issue 03
55