By the Numbers: Energy Analytics for Data Centers
William J. Kosik, PE, CEM, LEED AP
Green Data Center Technology Director
HP Critical Facilities Services
January 8, 2010
Abstract
Reducing power consumption in computing devices while simultaneously increasing performance is a
fundamental parameter in the development of computing systems. Over the last several years the focus
on optimization of power and cooling systems use has begun to incorporate the environmental impact of
the data center as a whole.
In the last 12 to 18 months there has been an order of magnitude leap in the amount of products, services
and technical information that has been developed on topics such as green IT, carbon footprint of
technology and data center energy use. While all of the current research and analysis is generating
extremely valuable data on how to reduce the overall energy and environmental impact of an
organization’s ICT systems, it is still compartmentalized into the traditional silos of facilities, power,
cooling, compute and storage servers, networking hardware, software applications, control systems and
others. Creating linkage and interoperability between these typically disparate silos is critical to actually
reaching the full potential in optimizing energy use and lowering the environmental impacts of the ICT
enterprise.
The data center is the fulcrum in leveraging opportunities to reduce overall power use and enable
strategies for true environmental stewardship. This core idea, where the data center becomes the
computer, will manifest itself through a roadmap and maturity model with clearly articulated goals and
industry-accepted metrics for performance to eliminate “greenwashing” and marketing hype that has little
or no quantifiable energy or environmental advantages.
Outline of Presentation
The presentation will go beyond the issues of how to develop the lowest PUE and will provide case study
analytical models that have been developed specifically for data centers, providing accurate and credible
data on:
1.
Rapid prototyping of different data center concepts, including geography, facility
size/constriction, reliability level, and power/cooling system options which provides data on
annual operating cost, CO2 emissions, granular annual power usage of cooling and power
distribution systems.
2.
The tradeoff between water use and electricity use when considering the location and electrical
utility provider.
3.
Current research in the dematerialization of the data center, which can dramatically lower overall
life-cycle CO2 emissions and embodied energy of the data center facility and ICT equipment.
Curriculum Vitae for Presenter
Bill is the Green Data Center Technology Director for Hewlett-Packard’s Critical Facilities Services group.
Kosik is a licensed professional mechanical engineer, LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) and a
Certified Energy Manager (CEM). He is responsible for research, development, and implementation of
sustainable, energy-efficient, and environmentally responsible design strategies for data centers,
specifically focusing on the integration of power/cooling, ICT (information and communication
technology) systems, and operations and control software. Also an expert on high-performance
computing, Kosik is also collaborating with multiple Super Computing 500 (SC500) clients, developing
innovative design strategies for scalable, energy efficient cooling in ultra- high density environments.
Bill is currently the subject matter expert working for the US Green Building Council in the development of
the new LEED for Data Centers standard. Among Kosik's 50+ articles and speaking engagements are
presentations to AFCOM, the American Institute of Architects, ASHRAE, Data Center Dynamics, Hollywood
Goes Green, IFMA, Labs21, NeoCon, ULI and 7x24, as well as articles in the ASHRAE Journal, Energy &
Power Management magazine, Building Operations Management, Engineered Systems, Consulting
Specifying Engineer, Pure Power, R&D Magazine, and Zero Downtime magazine. Kosik worked as a
consultant for the U.S. Green Building Council on the launch of the LEED Core & Shell Pilot Program and
has presented at multiple USGBC conferences, as well as at the World Forum for Building Innovation in
the UK and the Sustainable Buildings Conference in Finland. He also worked with the city of Chicago in
developing city-specific environmental criteria. Kosik is on the editorial advisory board for Consulting
Specifying Engineer magazine and is currently consulting on a new program sponsored by the California
Energy Commission defining environmental performance criteria (EPC) for data centers. He is also the codeveloper of the upcoming ASHRAE publication, Green Tips for Data Centers. His most current initiative is
with the U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE) to develop a new program for certifying data center energy
specialists, where he sits on the steering committee. He has his degree in engineering mechanics from the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and lives in Oak Park, Illinois with his wife and their two
children.
The following is a partial listing of presentations/educational seminars that Bill has done:
Publications
Green Tips for Data Centers, ASHRAE Publication, Q2 2010.
“It’s Not the Heat, It’s the Humidity.” Engineered Systems, April 2008.
“Seeing the Big Picture in the Greening of IT,” Zerodowntime Magazine, January 2008.
“Outdoor Air Data Centers,” Consulting-Specifying Engineer, January 2008.
“Going Green in Data Centers,” Consulting-Specifying Engineer, October 2007.
“Current Thinking in Data Center Energy and Environmental Topics,” Sustainable Facility, October 2007.
“Optimizing Power Usage Effectiveness in Data Centers,” Engineered Systems, September 2007.
“Serving Up Efficiency,” Building Operating Management, August 2007.
“Taking the Long View,” Energy and Power Management, March 2007.
“Design Strategies for Hybrid Ventilation,” ASHRAE Journal, October 2001.
Presentations
“Energy Use in Data Centers,” Energy and Power Management magazine
“Energy-Use Trends in Data Centers,” 7x24 National Conference
“Going Green,” Datacentre Dynamics
“Optimizing Your Data Center Investments,” AFCOM Chicago Chapter
“LEED Criteria Applied to Technology-Intensive Buildings,” Abbott Laboratories’ Global Environmental
Health & Safety Conference
“The Convergence of IT and Facilities,” EYP MCF Chicago Technical Seminar
“Sustainability, Reliability, and Cost: Finding the Balance in Mission Critical Facilities,” SAME Great Lakes
and Ohio Valley Regional Education and Training Conference
“Sustainability, Reliability, and Cost: Finding the Balance in Mission Critical Facilities,” SAME Great
Lakes Post
“Evangelizing and Differentiating Your Data Center,” AFCOM National Conference
“Reliability as a New Metric for Building Assessments, Design and Commissioning,” IFMA Chicago
“Reliability, Energy Use and Cost: Finding the Balance in Critical Facilities,” Datacentre Dynamic
“Optimizing Cooling Efficiency in High-Density Data Centers,” AFCOM Chicago Chapter
“Hot Designs for Cool Data Centers,” Consulting-Specifying Engineer (quoted in article)
“Reliability, Energy Use and Cost: Finding the Balance in Critical Facilities,” EYP MCF Atlanta Technical
Seminar
“Evaluating Low-Flow Fume Hoods Using CFD Modeling,” R&D Magazine
“Building Performance Simulation: Designing for High Reliability and Energy Efficiency”
EYP MCF Chicago Technical Seminar
“Reliability and Energy Efficiency Can Coexist,” Liebert Users Conference, Columbus, OH
“Linking Water Use to Energy Efficiency in Open Cooling Towers” University of Illinois/Chicago
Environmental Fund–sponsored Confluence of Water, Society and Ecological Design Conference
“Thinking Green,” ULI Chicago Conference