Wireless Sensor Technology for Data Centers
Richard Oberg · 2008
This paper describes the development and impacts of a new wireless sensor technology for data centers. Due to the critical nature of data processing equipment, and a lack of detailed real-time information on conditions within data centers, most facilities are over-cooled significantly to compensate for hot and cold spots within the building. This new wireless sensor technology will allow facility managers to evaluate and monitor real-time energy use within a data center, and benchmark their facility using an algorithm developed by DOE and LBNL (Green Grid Metrics: Describing Datacenter Power Efficiency Technical Committee White Paper, February, 2007). The result includes an energy efficiency report with specific recommendations for increasing energy efficiency and the corresponding GHG (Greenhouse Gas) reduction potential. The paper provides results of an application of this new technology by a utility at their data processing center. The paper also illustrates an innovative approach taken by a publicly-owned utility for helping to achieve ambitious goals for increasing energy efficiency, and promoting environmentally sustainable local and global development. This utility has partnered with a wireless instrumentation company to promote development of this new technology. The utility implemented this technology at its own facilities to demonstrate data center energy savings potential. Since the technology is produced by a local company, future growth of this technology represents a significant potential source of clean sustainable local economic development, and a way for the utility to help achieve its community’s goal of contributing to broader global environmental challenges. Background The purpose of the demonstration project is to assess this new wireless sensor technology for data center environments. This study will baseline the energy use within this facility and provide an energy savings potential report to include the avoided carbon emissions potential SynapSense Wireless Green Data Center Solution (www.synapsense.com) was leased and installed in the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s (SMUD) data center with the intent to investigate the technology. Further investigation will include the application of this technology at three additional commercial data centers. With these projects, SMUD staff will be able to assess the capability of this wireless technology, study issues around energy benchmarking of data centers, and investigate continuous commissioning of data centers. Specific items include: