Designing for efficient data center power usage

As data center power usage continues to increase, designing data centers for efficient power usage is critical. High power density data centers are engineered to provide access to additional power when needed and also offer a lower total cost of ownership. But designing data centers to pack more power and cooling into a smaller footprint requires careful planning and collaboration with a local power grid to support high-density power needs.

Designing for high power density

Different geographic regions have different approaches to power consumption. Generally speaking, most utilities aren’t very concerned about how much power you are using, because they want to sell you power. However, the rising demand for data center power in certain areas has resulted in programs to conserve power.

For example, Power Gas & Electric (PG&E) of California has developed programs specifically designed to help data center operators use power more efficiently. Typically, utilities will request a power demand letter that summarizes your power requirements for the next five years so that they can help you plan ahead for the correct equipment and costs.

When it comes to high-density data centers, understanding how power density will affect your utility requirements is critical and requires careful planning. Working together with an experienced data center engineer and your local utility is highly recommended when planning for efficient power usage in the future.

At Internap, we include sustainability consultants as part of our data center design team. This allows us to create a plan that ensures optimal facility performance while incorporating sustainable, green design practices where possible.

To learn more about best practices for data center design and engineering, watch the webinar recording.