2/18/2010 12:00:00 AM ... Economizers offer savings in specific circumstances, but not a fit for all data centers
Columbus, Ohio (February 18, 2010) — As energy prices continue to rise, data center managers are exploring every avenue for reducing energy consumption and cutting costs. Economizers are one such option, and Emerson Network Power, a business of Emerson (NYSE: EMR) and the global leader in enabling Business-Critical Continuity™, today rolled out its portfolio of economization solutions while urging organizations to consider carefully the benefits and accompanying risks of “free cooling.”
“When a data center is located where weather conditions are favorable, economization can be a viable strategy for reducing energy use—potentially as much as 50 percent—and cutting costs,” said Fred Stack, vice president of marketing for the Liebert Precision Cooling business of Emerson Network Power in North America. “However, because business continuance is the ultimate goal of any data center, it is important to weigh the benefits of different types of economizers against their associated costs and risks. Our solutions, which include both air- and fluid-side economization, are designed with intelligent controls to maximize efficiency without sacrificing high availability.”
Air- and fluid-side economizers use outside air—when that air is cold enough—to reduce or eliminate compressor and/or pump operation in data center cooling units. Emerson Network Power offers fluid-side economization solutions and an air-side economizer, all with Liebert iCOM® control providing intelligent monitoring and control to optimize economizer performance and maximize overall cooling efficiency. The various systems are:
- Chiller Plant (fluid-side): In this system, a chilled-water loop feeding multiple cooling units within the data center uses cold outside air temperatures to cool the water and ultimately reduce chiller operation. Economization hours are dependant on a number of factors, including wet bulb temperature and supply and return water temperatures. A Chiller Plant solution, partnered with a Liebert CW™ or Liebert Challenger™ 3000 precision cooling system, can deliver average annual energy savings of 40-60 percent.
- Liebert GLYCOOL System (fluid-side): A proven economization solution employed in many data centers, the self-contained Liebert GLYCOOL System functions as a normal glycol-cooled DX system until outside temperatures drop far enough to sufficiently cool the fluid in the heat-rejection loop. At that point, the Liebert iCOM control switches to the system’s “Econ-o-coil” and reduces or eliminates compressor and pump operation as long as outside temperatures remain low enough. Liebert GLYCOOL cooling can reduce average annual energy use by 20-50 percent and is available as an option on Liebert DS™ and Liebert Challenger 3000 precision cooling systems.
- Liebert Air Economizer System: This system pumps cool outside air into the data center, reducing or eliminating compressor operation within the cooling unit and chiller plant. Field-supplied sensors can be wired to the Liebert iCOM control to close the outside air damper, should conditions not be right for economizer operation. Liebert iCOM control also can be used with third-party air economizers to provide a tested and field-proven control system that monitors conditions and provides reliable free-cooling. The Liebert Air Economizer System can deliver average annual energy savings of 30-60 percent and is compatible with downflow configurations of the Liebert DS and Liebert CW precision cooling systems.
Emerson Network Power’s economization solutions are designed in accordance with industry standards and ASHRAE best practices and with thorough consideration of the issues that accompany economization. “Economization isn’t right for every location,” Stack said. “Ambient conditions, including temperature, humidity and dew-point, can impact performance, and airborne contaminants, if not properly filtered, can damage sensitive electronics. Even in the best of conditions, maintenance procedures and requirements should be reviewed and adjusted.”
All of these solutions are available globally, although effective economization is contingent upon climate. A local Liebert representative can help evaluate the viability of economization in a given location. For more information on Liebert economization solutions or other Liebert technologies and services from Emerson Network Power, visit www.Liebert.com.
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About Emerson Network Power
Emerson Network Power, a business of Emerson (NYSE:EMR), is the global leader in enabling Business-Critical Continuity™ from grid to chip for telecommunication networks, data centers, health care and industrial facilities. Emerson Network Power provides innovative solutions and expertise in areas including AC and DC power and precision cooling systems, embedded computing and power, integrated racks and enclosures, power switching and controls, monitoring, and connectivity. All solutions are supported globally by local Emerson Network Power service technicians. Liebert AC power, precision cooling and monitoring products and services from Emerson Network Power deliver Efficiency Without CompromiseTM by helping customers optimize their data center infrastructure to reduce costs and deliver high availability. For more information, visit www.Liebert.com, www.EmersonNetworkPower.com or www.eu.EmersonNetworkPower.com.
About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE:EMR), based in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions to customers through its network power, process management, industrial automation, climate technologies, and appliance and tools businesses. Emerson’s sales in fiscal 2009 were $20.9 billion. The company is ranked 94th on the Fortune 500 list of America’s largest companies. For more information, visit www.Emerson.com.