“Designing and building a data center based on our volume method allows you to make better decisions, faster, and particularly when it comes to implementing a cooling solution,” says Jeroen Hol, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Minkels. “The volume approach is applicable to existing data centers in their current locations, which accounts for approximately 90 percent of the entire data center construction. The ability to make smoother, more appropriate decisions at the initial data center design stage leads to optimized costs and energy efficiency.”

According
to Hol, “The traditional approach, based on the number of available square meters, often leads to inadequate decisions during the initial phase, which unfortunately results in lengthy implementation projects and a continuous increase in risk throughout the data center’s lifespan.”

The white paper contains a wealth of solid advice and guidelines for data center design and volume-based design. Data center installers and designers can also glean valuable insights from the product notes, such as: ideal process-based approaches to data center installation, setting technological and business objectives, and establishing relevant parameters. This also includes a Bernoulli formula, which makes the "volume dimension tangible," allowing users to apply it in a way that aligns the yields of a relevant strategic design with their own requirements.

The author of the white paper is Patrick Timmer, Business Development Engineer at Aegide Group. While awaiting the publication of the white paper, Mr. Timmer gave a presentation on the topic at the Data Center Dynamics 2010 Conference & Expo, held in London in November.

Power
Usage Effectiveness (PUE) is a crucial aspect of data center operations today. It must be as low as possible to enable optimal energy efficiency. Therefore, making the right choice of cooling solutions also plays a significant role in this regard.

According to Patrick Timmer: "The choice of cooling medium includes air, water, and various combinations of the two, which may or may not include outside air intake. The room volume is a crucial factor in arriving at the right choice of cooling solution, with a view to reducing PUE." If design decisions are based on square footage, there's a risk of inadvertently choosing water cooling, for example. The computer room might offer sufficient volume to justify an air-cooling system, which is far more energy-efficient and cost-effective. After all, changing those choices later is often very expensive and risky. "

By using room volume as the basis for calculations, you can lay a solid foundation for achieving operational excellence in the data center environment," insists Mr. Timmer. "Operational excellence is becoming increasingly important as both IT and energy taxes increase the demand for efficiency in computer rooms. Furthermore, it's essential in the field of data center design and implementation to apply a process comparable to product development, involving all the different stakeholders in the design. A comprehensive monitoring and management solution can be used to provide the insights needed to continuously evaluate, adapt, and adjust the design."

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