Seung-Jin Lee Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

Brendan O’DonnellDept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering

An Energy-Efficient Data Center for the New BIOBuilding

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Motivation

“The dramatic increase in campus-wide data server demand in recent years has

outstripped the University’s capacity to meet its instructional, research and administrative

computing requirements. This growth, combined with sharply escalating security

requirements, is expected to continue into the foreseeable future.”

- UW Data Center Task Force

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Agenda

• Power consumption• Current status at UW• Cost savings estimate

• Must account for non-uniform cooling demand

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Impact of Data Centers

PROBLEM: ELECTRICITY

• Increasing data needs (think Google)• 45 billion kWh (~$2.7 billion)• Less than 50% consumed by servers’ CPUs• Rest is for cooling and auxiliary equipment• Server power demand increases

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Data Center Power Drain

Source: Wall Street Journal (12/21/06)

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Current Status – UW Tower

• UW needs 2.5 to 3.0 MW of computing power in coming decade => at least $15 million

• Energy-efficient designs• Limits and constraints

• Floor to ceiling heights• Raised floor height (18”)• Floor loading (75 lb/sf)• Computing density (100 w/sf)• Cooling availability

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

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BIOBuilding Charrette

• Design charrette by professors & graduate students• Prof. Ed Lazowska -- CSE• Large greenhouses, sensors, advanced automation• Next generation of “Living Laboratory”• Server room evaluation

• Why do we need a data center?• Weighted Decision Matrix [UW Capital Planning] • Primary goal of efficiency

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Indicators

• Power consumption (MWh/year)• Average kW/rack• Cooling efficiency• Percentage of electricity for servers’ CPUs

• $’s saved• Life cycle cost savings

• Floor space (ft2) – Density• Average W/ft2

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Design options

• Understand nonuniformity in cooling and power

• Adaptive CRAC chillers• The data center is the

computer• Vary process control

• Direct Current (DC) power• No step down of AC power• Easier with new construction

Source: HP (2005)

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Recommendations

• No one size fits all approach • Size of data center is uncertain for both

• Physical space

• Performance • Must allow for non-uniform cooling

• Next generation technology goal

• Still make estimates of savings with help of thought leaders• Bill Weihl -- Google• Feng Zhao -- Microsoft• Marc Monroe -- Sun Microsystems

• Roughly 350MWh or $24,000 per year savings• Conservative 10% savings

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Acknowledgments

• Ed Lazowska – Chair, Dept. of Computer Science & Eng.• Scott Mah – Assistant VP C&C Service Delivery & Support• Marilyn Cox – Assistant Vice Provost for Cap. Planning• Brad Spencer – Group Manager, Capital Projects Office• Bill Weihl – Google• Feng Zhao – Microsoft Research• Marc Monroe – Sun Microsystems• Bill Courtright – Carnegie Mellon University• Casa Biota Design Team

• Todd Beyreuther• David Haak• Walker Robb

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Typical schematic

Source: Sharma, Bash, Patel, Friedrich, Chase (HP, Duke) (2005)