Climate change has made the last eight years the hottest on record, but this year in particular, with the El Niño weather phenomenon exacerbating the situation, many predictions anticipate record temperatures in 2023. These sweltering environmental conditions and their consequences pose significant challenges for data center operators, who already face a daily battle with the heat generated by their facilities. Fortunately, there are several measures that organizations can take to mitigate the risks associated with extreme heat. Some of these measures include:
Clean or replace your air filters: The eerie orange haze that enveloped New York City was a striking visual representation of one of the most immediate and severe impacts of climate change. For data center operators, it should serve as a reminder of the need to clean or replace the air filters in their data center's cooling and HVAC systems. These filters help protect sensitive electronics from airborne particles, including smoke from distant fires.
Accelerate planned maintenance and service: Data center infrastructure systems aren't the only ones negatively impacted by extreme heat and poor air quality. Power providers often struggle to keep up with the peak demand associated with high temperatures, resulting in frequent power outages. These events are a terrible time to discover problems with your uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or cooling units. Cleaning condenser coils and maintaining refrigerant charge levels are examples of proactive maintenance that can help prevent unexpected failures.
Activate available efficiency tools: Many modern UPS systems come equipped with high-efficiency eco-modes that reduce the power the system draws from the grid. Heat waves like the ones we've recently experienced push the grid to its limits, so any reduction in demand can be the difference between uninterrupted service and a devastating power outage.
Leverage alternative energy sources: Not all data centers have access to viable alternative energy sources, but those that can utilize off-grid options should take advantage of them. These sources can include solar panels on or off-site, as well as other alternative sources such as remote wind farms and lithium-ion batteries to help delay or reduce peak energy consumption. Using generators during heat waves is not advisable unless a power outage occurs. Diesel generators produce more greenhouse gas emissions associated with climate change than backup options that use alternative energy. In fact, organizations should postpone planned generator testing during periods of high temperatures.
“These heat waves are becoming more frequent and extreme, placing enormous pressure on electricity providers and data center operators globally,” explained John Niemann, Global Vice President of Vertiv’s Precision Cooling business. “Organizations must adjust the intensity of their responses, proactively preparing for the stress these heat waves place not only on their own power and cooling systems, but also on the broader grid. Prioritizing preventative maintenance and collaborating with electricity providers to manage demand can help reduce the likelihood of any heat-related equipment failures.”
“This year, we are once again seeing record temperatures across various parts of Europe, and in our business specifically, we have observed the impact these have on data centers. Prioritizing thermal redundancy and collaborating with a service provider that has a strong local presence and world-class repair capabilities can make all the difference in data center availability,” said Flora Cavinato, Global Director of Services Portfolio. “Agile response times and proactive maintenance programs can help organizations sustain their business operations while effectively optimizing critical infrastructure.”
The recommendations issued complement Vertiv's previous guidelines, which include:
Activate as many cooling units as possible to reduce the load on each individual unit and save energy through teamwork controls.
Evaluate different types of cooling systems, including liquid refrigerants, closed-loop chilled water cooling, and free cooling, which are designed for high-temperature environments.
Use predictive models for thermal impacts, rather than historical data. As the frequency of extreme heat events increases, historical metrics are often inadequate for assessing current risks.
