Five Things You Should Know about Datacenter Temperatures

A recent request by Processor magazine to discuss datacenter temperature concerns got AFCO CTO John Consoli thinking. Here are John’s tips for staying on top of temperature in your datacenter:

Know the CURRENT ASHRAE TC 9.9 Guidelines: Most data centers are kept much colder than necessary.

Know the AVERAGE and PEAK loaded PER CABINET in your data center: Planning by “watts per square foot” can be very inefficient.

Know WHERE the air in your DC is going: Most “cooling” problems are attributable to poor air flow management. CFD modeling is a good investment.

Know the basic rule of cooling: Every WATT of power you put in the DC will be converted into a WATT of HEAT that needs to be cooled.

Know your cooling STRATEGY: Whether you use Hot/Cold Aisle, Aisle Containment, In Row Cooling, or Active (Cabinet) Airflow Management, every approach has positives and negatives.