INTRODUCTION

its core . CHALLENGE

SOLUTION

corporate citizen .

ControlNET LLC

LATEST INTELLIGENCE case study

Integration of Power , Electric and HVAC Systems for a Global-Brand Data Center

Most data centers operate with a 24X7 high availability mandate . Every effort must be taken to ensure against any system failing — from the servers ’ internal processors to the power and chilled water systems that keep servers running and cooled . There needs to be redundant backup systems for every contingency . The Whirlpool Corporate data center in Benton Harbor , Michigan , has been operating with near 100 % uptime , in part thanks to an integrated controls system with Niagara Framework ® at

Whirlpool ’ s Benton Harbor data center needs to deliver near 100 % uptime to keep the home appliance company ’ s manufacturing and marketing operations humming on four continents . Multiple boxcar-sized generators , transfer switches , sub-stations , UPS and battery systems power the 12,000 square-foot facility . And to cool the space , there are multiple chillers and CRAC units . An adjacent building houses the data center ’ s HVAC controls . Over fifteen years ago , when Whirlpool first migrated from mainframe computers to this high-density server environment , the company conducted a single point-of-failure study . One finding was that conventional approaches to managing primary power and cooling systems were insufficient for a data center . They would need to be more innovative to ensure on-time maintenance and to enable rapid emergency response . They would need to integrate all the primary power systems . Whirlpool looked to ControlNET , L . L . C ., an early Tridium partner and adopter of open-protocol integration for this project .

“ To do successful integration work for data centers and server rooms , with their mission-critical 24X7 availability requirements , your depth of knowledge must be wider and deeper than that of the average temperature controls contractor ,” comments Chris Bonzheim , General Manager , ControlNET . “ Our Senior Application Engineer Chris Davis had deep knowledge of electrical systems . He understood how an electric power grid worked , and he could envision the integrated solution . When he created the graphic that tied together all these multiple systems — the majority not HVAC — it looked like one system . That vision was exactly what Whirlpool was looking for .” “ d

The Whirlpool project represented a very complex building integration project on a fast-track schedule . ControlNET had only four months to turn the project around . Pulling off the job required coordination of the

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PRESENTED BY

Project Type : Data center power , electrical and HVAC integration

Client : Whirlpool Corporation Systems Integrator : ControlNET LLC

Key Technology : Niagara Framework delivered under Honeywell WEBs brand

Benefits : Integrated controls enable proactive maintenance and rapid response to emergency and recovery in the face of disaster . The Niagara-based system delivers control , automation and security befitting a global manufacturer , along with the energy efficiency that supports its drive to be a good

“ Due to our early adoption of Tridium Niagara and its premise of protocol normalization into a single database as the gateway into integration , we won the project . At the time , there really were no other contractors in our market embracing integration and meeting the challenges head-on . Whirlpool searched nationally for a contractor that could do it . Little did they know , we were right in their backyard and we were the guys who could do it .”

Chris Bonzheim General Manager

INTRODUCTION

Most data centers operate with a 24X7 high availability mandate . Every effort must be taken to ensure against any system failing – from the servers ’ internal processors to the power and chilled water systems that keep servers running and cooled . There needs to be redundant backup systems for every contingency . The Whirlpool Corporate data center in Benton Harbor , Michigan , has been operating with near 100 % uptime , in part thanks to an integrated controls system with Niagara Framework ® at its core .

CHALLENGE

Whirlpool ’ s Benton Harbor data center needs to deliver near 100 % uptime to keep the home appliance company ’ s manufacturing and marketing operations humming on four continents . Multiple boxcar-sized generators , transfer switches , substations , UPS and battery systems power the 12,000 square-foot facility . And to cool the space , there are multiple chillers and CRAC units . An adjacent building houses the data center ’ s HVAC controls . Over fifteen years ago , when Whirlpool first migrated from mainframe computers to this high-density server environment , the company conducted a single point-of-failure study . One finding was that conventional approaches to managing primary power and cooling systems were insufficient for a data center . They would need to be more innovative to ensure on-time maintenance and to enable rapid emergency response . They would need to integrate all the primary power systems . Whirlpool looked to ControlNET , L . L . C ., an early Tridium partner and adopter of open-protocol integration for this project . � www . intelligentdatacentres . com

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