Cooling upgrade euNetworks saves 62% energy

Project

At the euNetworks data centre, APAC replaced various parts of the cooling system and upgraded the controls. This upgrade will save the customer a magnificent 62% of energy.

Background

euNetworks, a major western European broadband network provider, asked APAC for an upgrade of the cooling system in one of its data centres in Amsterdam. The existing system was about 15 years old and consumed too much energy in order to comply with the municipal sustainability requirements. It was up to us to make the cooling system more efficient. The system has 42 indoor units and is used to create an ideal temperature for the equipment in four large server rooms that measure about 20 by 40 metres each.

Our solution

As the frame and the heat exchanger were still in good working order, we focused on replacing the mechanics in the indoor units. First, we replaced four AC fans with three much more economic EC fans. We also decided against building the fans into the units; we installed them underneath the units instead. This way, the air does not blow through a hole, which reduces resistance. We then replaced the complete switch panels included the controller, sensors and switches, among other things. We will be using the new switch panels for the controls of the new fans.
If the air temperature is OK, we can apply sufficient targeted cooling without the entire room adopting a certain temperature. Thanks to smart pressure control, we can always shift the right amount of air towards the servers in the data centre.

The result

We converted all units while the data centre remained fully active. We calculated that the cooling system had sufficient spare capacity for that. And we were right, as the installation process was completed without a hitch. We then fully adjusted the new system. For instance, we readjusted the perforated tiles that let air into the room from underneath the floor so that every piece of equipment receives the right amount of air. We then determined the difference in energy consumption between the old and the new situation. With the same amount of air, the upgrade proved to yield energy savings of as much as 62%. This means the municipal sustainability objectives were amply achieved. The energy bill will also be much lower. euNetworks is extremely satisfied and has already hired APAC for another job, namely replacing the chillers.