Reducing your Costs
and your Carbon
Footprint
Tom Raftery
Blog: cix.ie / tomrafteryit.net
Podcast: www.podleaders.com
Email: tom@tomrafteryit.net

CIX
• Cork Internet eXchange - CIX
• First hyper energy-efficient data centre

Geek Porn

Geek Porn

Geek Porn

Geek Porn

Geek Porn

Geek Porn

CIX Vision
• Energy-Efficient data centre
• Why?
• How?

Why? Climate change

Why?
• DC running costs
• Staffing - controllable
• Connectivity - decreasing
• Energy - increasing

DC Energy requirements
• Rack of equipment typically used
• 1.5 kW 8 years ago
• 4.5 kW 5 years ago and
• 15 kW in 2006!

Optimal DC environment

DC Energy Flow
Free Cooling

DC Energy Flow
Max Temp

DC Energy Flow
Minimise
Humidification

DC Energy Flow
Water mixing

DC Energy Flow
Air mixing

Typical DC

Also
• Low resistance, slow speed air paths
• Dimplex heat exchange unit
• Servers heat the CIX offices!

Power
• 10kv low impedence looped
connection to the national grid
• Using GE Super ECO UPS’s
offering >98% efficiency

!
Power
o d
Normal mode
Bypass
Static bypass
supply
o
•Normal mode
• The output voltage is newly generated, Rectifier Inverter
independently from the input voltage
Rectifie AC DC Load
• Heat losses are present in rectifier and inverter r
G
DC AC
supply
Battery bank
•Super Eco Mode
• Load is supplied via the bypass Super Eco Mode
• UPS rectifier keeps the battery charged
Bypass
• UPS inverter switched off supply
Static bypass
(no heat losses)
Rectifier Inverter Transf.
Rectifie AC DC Load
r DC AC
supply
Battery bank

End Result
Standard DC CIX
Chiller 33% 12%
Humidifier 3% <1%
CRAC 9% 4%
IT Equipment 30% 80%
PDU 5% 0.01%
UPS 18% <2%
Lighting 1% <1%
Switch Gear 1% 1%

Conclusion
• Simple steps taken
• Large savings and USP

References
• Uptime Institute - www.upsite.com
• APC - www.apc.com
• GE - www.ge.com
• CIX Energy Efficiency White Paper - www.cix.ie/air-
conditioning-efficiency-at-the-cix-data-centre

Thanks
Tom Raftery
Blog: www.tomrafteryit.net
Podcast: www.podleaders.com
Email: tom@tomrafteryit.net