As businesses from all over the world transfer their workforce online, there has been a notable uptick in the number of data servers being installed across the nation. While net power usage hasn’t posed a problem in past years—and isn’t projected to increase despite a larger number of servers—businesses are still responsible for the amount of power their operations consume throughout the year.
Sphere IT an IT consultancy firm in London, reported that larger data centers have taken the necessary precautions in improving their power consumption, which is one of the main reasons as to why overall consumption rates remain steady. However, their strides are only effective if minor data centers choose to follow their example and partake in practices that increase their energy efficiency.
Luckily, these are changes that any professional IT consulting company can help your business to implement. Not only will improving your energy efficiency save you resources in the long run, but help power consumption remain low across the board, keeping your bills at a minimum.
As the director of Sphere IT also noted, “by lowering data center power consumption, businesses can reduce their environmental footprint, increase the quality and lifetime of their IT equipment, enhance the capabilities of their electrical and mechanical systems, and prevent unexpected outages or equipment malfunctions.”
If your business is looking to take the next step in reducing its power consumption, the following methods are surefire ways to improve energy efficiency.
Eliminate Unused Servers from your Workplace
Sometimes, the most significant threats are the ones we don’t notice. For years, providers of outsourced IT consulting have urged businesses to get rid of their underused servers to reduce overall energy consumption. Even though they might seem harmless, an idle server can still drain your resources without so much as a whisper.
To combat this issue, make sure your team is closely monitoring every server in the building. Condense any that aren’t being used to their fullest potential and eliminate those that aren’t pulling their weight.
Watch the Lights
Energy-efficiency doesn’t get much simpler than this. To reduce your power consumption immediately, ensure both you and your staff are regularly turning off any unnecessary lights. Or, to make things easier, install motion sensors throughout the building.
Doing so won’t only reduce your utility bills at the end of the month, but potentially increase the lifespan of your cooling systems, which can be affected by high temperatures due to exposure from overhead lights.
Do Some Remodeling
Not every solution requires a call to your IT consultancy company, as this practical method is something your business can incorporate easily. If black cabinets surround your data center, you’ll inevitably be using more light to illuminate the space, therefore causing a higher utility bill. By installing white cabinets—which will reflect and retain more light within the room—you can simultaneously reduce costs and eliminate heat output.
Pay Attention to Temperatures
Following ASHRAE’s standards, a temperature range of 65-80 degrees F is acceptable for your server’s inlets, but some businesses may still fall victim to an unnecessarily low temperature. By keeping your thermostat at the highest temperature possible, you’ll be saving money while reducing your power consumption. If you wouldn’t do it in your own home, you shouldn’t do it at your workplace.
Fill Open Rack U-Space with Blanking Panels
If you’re spending resources so that cold air is regularly pumped into your server room, failing to fill open racks can render the investment utterly useless as the air supply is lost in return. Installing blanking panels into these slots is the best way to prevent exhaust from spilling into the room while improving airflow, subsequently improving thermal management and reducing overall temperatures—which puts your money to good use.
Seek Professional Help
Sometimes, a call to your IT consultancy provider is the only step you can take if you’re unsure or overwhelmed by the steps it takes to improve energy efficiency. A visit from a professional can help you to understand where your current operations stand and identify the key areas where your energy efficiency requires improvement. Not only will this give you useful insight into the inner workings of your data center but provide you with a valuable resource to answer any concerns or questions you might have.
