Tools
A host of computer-based tools are available to help evaluate energy-efficiency options for data centers, spanning engineering and economic analysis. Some of tools described below focus on evaluating specific technologies (e.g. uninterupptible power supplies), while others help to organize information or guide the user through cross-cutting processes such as benchmarking.
- Calculating Energy Savings Using High Efficiency DC Power Architecture in Server Applications
- Calculations based on typical power budget for a dual 2.4 GHz Xeon Processor based 1U Server Rack Initial version.
- Calculating Energy Savings Using High Efficiency Power Conversion (UPS, AC-DC & DC-DC Power Supply) in a Server and other IT Applications
- Calculations based on typical power budget for a Dual 2.4 GHz Xeon Processor based 1U Server Rack.
- Cost-Benefit Analysis
- The U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program offers a good compilation of software. The Whole Building Design Guide provides a methodology for lifecycle cost analysis. The National Institute for Standards and Technology also offers training materials.
- Design Intent Tool
- This database tool provides a structured approach to recording design decisions that impact a facility's performance in areas such as energy efficiency. Using the tool, owners and designers alike can plan, monitor, and verify that a facility's design intent is being met during each stage of the design process. Additionally, the Tool gives commissioning agents, facility operators and future owners and renovators an understanding of how the building and its subsystems are intended to operate, and thus track and benchmark performance. We have prepared a special template for the DIT, which collects the various best practices discussed in this training module. Users can download the template and modify it to suit their needs.
- Self-benchmarking Guide
- In order to optimize any system, or combination of systems working together such as those found in a typical data center, it is crucial to accurately assess its current performance. This guide is intended to show data center operators, or their contractors, how to perform a comprehensive measurement, or benchmarking, of their own facilities’ energy use.
- Server Power Supply Loading Guideline
- The purposes of this Guideline are to ensure that the loading for each DC bus for a multi output server power supply is consistent when measuring power supply efficiency and to allow consistency in comparing server power supply efficiency reported by vendors as part of the electrical specification. (Draft of 6/21/2004).
[top]