The new energy savings chart for MT provides an intelligent new way to create smart spaces, optimize the energy efficiency of an environment, and reduce your overall carbon footprint. The energy savings chart combined with today's best practices can help organizations realize energy savings from 20-50%!
Data centers and server rooms are air conditioned and humidified to ensure uptime and reliability of business critical equipment. These spaces, however, are generally kept colder than required leading to excessive mechanical cooling and unnecessary energy consumption.
Through extensive research, the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) determined that most IT equipment can safely and reliably operate at increased temperature and humidity levels ranging from 10-35C and 20-80% RH. Safely increasing the temperature and humidity means that organizations can decrease the amount of required mechanical cooling and effectively decrease their overall energy consumption and carbon emissions.
The energy savings chart plots MT10 sensor data onto a psychrometric chart to compare the temperature and humidity levels at various locations inside an IT space. An envelope is overlaid on the chart to determine if the sensor readings are compliant with the defined ASHRAE guidelines. Noncompliant data points that fall outside the envelope can indicate inadequate temperature and humidity levels that put IT equipment at risk.
For optimal efficiency, it is recommended to use a hot aisle containment system with three temperature and humidity sensors per rack. One at the bottom of the cold aisle, one at the top of the cold aisle, and one at the top of the hot aisle. Measuring temperature and humidity at these three locations will ensure that all the equipment is operating within the ASHRAE guidelines. Through the Meraki API, sensor data can also be leveraged by the building management system to control an economizer, computer room air conditioner, or other component of the HVAC system.
It is also recommended to have door open/close sensors on each rack to make sure cabinets are not left open. Lastly, water leak detection sensors should be placed throughout the environment to identify any moisture coming from the HVAC system, leaky windows, or other sources.
For more information about the energy savings chart, please refer to the Meraki documentation.
For additional best practices, refer to the quick start guide provided by the U.S. General Services Administration
