4 Tips to Minimize Water Consumption in the Data Center

Throughout the years, we have talked about energy consumption in data centers, but,more recently, the focus has shifted to data center water consumption. There is a limited amount of data about how and why data centers use water. In the US alone, there are nearly 3 million data centers of various sizes that use water to cool their servers. In 2009, Amazon required 360,000 gallons of water per day to cool their 15 megawatt data center. They also admitted to needing to use their water more efficiently in the data center. Many data centers have implemented both efficient and expensive measures to control their water consumption. Here are some simple and efficient steps you can take to control the waste of water in your data centers.

Increase the Temperature of the Data Center

raised the standard data center temperature to 80.6 degrees F from the previous 77 degrees F. Many large, air-conditioned data centers are using water for heat rejection. According to industry experts, data centers can control their water usage by increasing temperatures because there is less of a burden on air conditioners.

Seal the Data Center

Sealing the data center is one of the best ways to control water usage because temperature and humidity levels are balanced. Improperly sealed data centers create imbalances between humidity and temperature, which increases pressure on cooling infrastructure.

Raise the Humidity

According to the ASHRAE guidelines, data centers can manage their moisture levels by increasing humidity from 50 percent to 60 percent with no adverse effects. Humidity is a critical component for data centers. Too much of it can increase corrosion and wear & tear for disks and tapes.

Recycle Water

Water recycling is a beneficial way to minimize water consumption in data centers. Google has set an example by using wastewater for cooling their data centers. Microsoft and Yahoo have installed air-cooling systems, and, while water consumption is reduced, they still need more electricity for data center operations.

Lifeline Data Centers has efficiently managed water consumption in our data centers by following the above steps. Be environmentally conscience when selecting the right data center for your business needs. If you’d like to learn more, contact us today.

Rich Banta

Managing Member at Lifeline Data Centers

Rich is responsible for Compliance and Certifications, Data Center Operations, Information Technology, and Client Concierge Services. Rich has an extensive background in server and network management, large scale wide-area networks, storage, business continuity, and monitoring. Rich is a former CTO of a major health care system. Rich is hands-on every day in the data centers. He also holds many certifications, including: CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor CRISC – Certified in Risk & Information Systems Management CDCE – Certified Data Center Expert CDCDP – Certified Data Center Design Professional