Farmingdale, New York – (The Hosting News) – May 22, 2008 – A new guide from green datacenter resource management firm, AFCO Systems, is designed to assist IT managers in understanding and reacting to EPA recommendations for datacenter power efficiency.

In a report to Congress last summer, the EPA highlighted the critical usage of energy by datacenters and made recommendations on how to alter the state of current and future datacenters to lessen a looming energy crunch. To help datacenter managers better understand the lengthy EPA Report to Congress on Server and Data Center Energy Efficiency, and to give them greater insight into ways to boost the utilization of their existing power and cooling infrastructures, AFCO Systems developed ”Deciphering the EPA Report on Datacenter Energy Efficiency.” This guide discusses the technologies and strategies involved, and is available for free download at www.afcosystems.com/white_papers.htm.

Michael Mallia, CEO, AFCO Systems noted, ”The EPA’s report points out the dramatic effect the growing usage of datacenters will have on US energy consumption if left unchecked. Through our analysis and recommendations, we hope to help customers make their datacenters more energy efficient.”

To aid datacenter managers in where to start with power efficiency, AFCO Systems experts developed the ”Four Ms for Datacenter Energy Efficiency.” For increased efficiency, the focus must extend beyond ambient room temperature. Supply, server inlet and return must be measured as well. Many managers who believe they are ”out of cooling” may be surprised to find out how much cooling is actually being wasted. Airflow MUST be measured along with power consumption and air temperature. Understanding the relationships and interactions of these different components will help ensure greater control.

The EPA study clearly identifies airflow management as a key factor toward enhancing datacenter efficiency. A first step is to ”plug the leaks.” Many datacenters have tiles removed or holes that no longer serve a purpose. These situations negatively impact airflow. The key is to be able to manage the flow of supply air as closely as you can to the computer inlet. Equipment such as variable speed fans at the air-handler, or preferably at the rack level, and high-efficiency, chilled water pumps help you manage airflow at the cabinet level.

With loads approaching 15-20 kW per cabinet, cabinet level monitoring is no longer an option. It’s a necessity! This process facilitates proactive management of the datacenter against ”downing” events.

Maintain: Planned and systematic enforcement of best practices is a vital part of keeping the datacenter environment efficiently in tune with technology turnover. Trend analysis helps offset the obsolescence of legacy infrastructure. Air-handler systems should be rebalanced following a significant IT configuration. Systems should be sized and redundancies configured to maximize efficiency.

AFCO Systems’ John Consoli talks about the ”4Ms” and provides additional tips on how to ”Improve Your Data Center Cooling” in a recent issue of Processor Magazine.

AFCO Systems designs and manufactures advanced enclosure technology for mission-critical datacenter environments, with the largest installed base of active, air-cooled, high-density (5-8 kW) and extreme high-density (up to 20 kW) server and network cabinets. AFCO Systems’ enhanced airflow management technology provides reliable, efficient rack cooling in accordance with ASHRAE standards. The company is headquartered in Farmingdale, NY, and has a global presence with operations in North America, Ireland, London, Singapore and Tokyo.

To learn more, please visit: www.afcosystems.com.

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