CRAC Retrofit Saves Datacenter 38 Percent in Power Costs
The Cisco Yintai Data Center in Beijing, China, recently retrofitted three 25-ton DX Computer Room Air Conditioning (CRAC) units with dual compressors and Bes-Tech's patented Digi-CRAC technology. The aftermarket control device was developed specifically for datacenter air conditioning units by Bes-Tech, Inc., an Omaha, Nebraska-based energy-efficiency technology vendor.
Because of the efficiency upgrade the datacenter's electrical usage dropped from 50.38 kWh/hr to 36.07 kWh/hr – this translates into a 38 percent savings in annual electrical costs. Return on investment (simple payback) is achievable in two years.
Bes-Tech's Digi-CRAC unit modulates the cooling output of the air-conditioning system so that it closely matches the actual cooling demand, providing an average energy savings of 30 percent.
Digi-CRAC improves temperature and humidity control, maintaining set points of 20-22° C (68-72° F) and 45% respectively, so there is less thermal stress on mission critical equipment. A reduction in electric fluctuation and hot/cold spots helps extend equipment life and provides savings on maintenance costs as well.
Datacenter operators share many of the same concerns: chief among these are cutting energy costs and improving availability. Bes-Tech asserts that retrofitting Digi-CRAC to existing units results in substantial cost savings without the capital expense of replacing CRAC units outright.
As a result of this successful demo in Beijing, Bes-Tech reports it is currently installing additional Digi-CRAC units in a second Cisco building in Shanghai.
