Data centers are an increasingly important part of the information infrastructure of the modern world. As more of our lives are connected to the Internet and the need for instant information grows, so do the size and number of data centers around the world.
The size of data centers can vary considerably. Some that serve just several offices might be no bigger than a large closet. Others, serving an entire building, might take up an entire floor to power the needs of their users. Still, there are others that fill entire buildings, or even multiple buildings, powering the massive operations of global companies and the public at large.
Every time you run a search or save a document to the cloud, or even send a message to a friend on your favorite social networking site, you are accessing a data center somewhere. Thousands upon thousands of anonymous computers are constantly at work storing, routing and delivering the information we use every day.
There are about 3 million data centers in the United States alone.
That equates to about one data center for every 100 people living in the country. As their size and number continue to grow, they consume more energy to keep up with the demands they serve.
Data center energy consumption is increasing rapidly.
It’s estimated that U.S. data centers used about 100 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2013. This accounts for about 2% of the total electricity used in the entire country. That number is expected to grow as time goes on.
Improvements in data center efficiency would have effects on a national scale.
If all data centers could improve their energy efficiency by 20% it would reduce energy consumption across the nation by about 20 billion kilowatt-hours, resulting in a savings of approximately two billion dollars.
Data centers typically update their IT equipment every two to five years.
New equipment is generally more efficient than that which it replaces. As IT equipment is replaced, infrastructure changes can also be made to improve the efficiency of the data center overall. About 50% of the electricity consumed in a typical data center is used by the cooling and power systems.
Data centers make up a significant portion of power used by the government.
According to Department of Energy estimates, about 10% of the power consumed by the federal government is used by data centers.
Most data centers are housed by small-to-medium-sized businesses.
Multi-tenant data center usage is increasing, but many businesses still have their own data centers on-site. The largest data centers that make up major cloud providers and other super-computer centers account for less than 10% of the total data centers in the country.
Generating clean, cool air can account for as much as half of total power consumed.
In any size data center, air that is both cool and free of dust is a major requirement for proper operation. Particles in the air must be removed before they settle on IT equipment where they can cause both electrical and temperature problems. The air conditioning and ventilation systems in data centers are constantly running, sometimes using more power than the IT equipment they help protect.
Energy And Cost Savings Are Easy To Implement
The easiest way to increase energy efficiency and cut the costs associated with maintaining a data center is to make adjustments to the air conditioning and ventilation system.
Camfil products have been shown to reduce operation costs, improve air quality, and increase efficiency in all types of data centers. Simply installing Camfil’s 5-Star air filters in existing air ventilation systems can reduce energy expenditure by up to 40% by improving airflow through the system.
With more than 50 years of experience in the air filtration industry, Camfil has designed air filtration products that produce cleaner air, allow for more efficient airflow, and have a lower total cost of ownership than competitive products. Large data center clients have documented six-figure savings in the total cost of ownership by using Camfil air filtration products. Whether your data center is powering a single office or thousands of offices on multiple continents, Camfil has a solution to fit your needs.
Lynne Laake
Camfil USA Air Filters
T: 888.599.6620,
E: Lynne.Laake@camfil.com
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