With its Lockport design, Yahoo is joining Google on the cutting-edge of energy efficiency by running a data center without chillers, which provide refrigerated water for cooling systems and are among the most energy-intensive components of a data center.
Plans filed today with the town of Lockport indicate that the Yahoo Computing Coops will be metal prefabricated structures measuring 120 feet by 60 feet. The company plans to use five of these structures in its Lockport complex. Each of the coops will have louvers built into the side of the building to allow cold air to enter the computing area. The complex is being laid out to take advantage of prevailing wind direction, which would blow directly into the louver system.
Sure sounds like outside air to me.
NO SNAP. THE NYSPEED DATA CENTER KNOW IT ALLS MIGHT NOT KNOW IT ALL :mamoru: :ohnoes:
EDIT:
And yes, it does raise questions about what they’re going to do on those rare 90+ degree WNY days, but I’m guessing when they’re building a 150 million dollar data center they took that into consideration and don’t need the geniuses of NYSpeed to help them with their HVAC plan.
They are not necessarily going to pull the cold air from outside. It just makes it EASIER for the hvac to cool the place, when the building is already in cooler climates.
Cooling down the inside of a datacenter in Florida or somewhere else warm would cost an arm and a leg.
Me too. I really want to see pictures of how this outside air cooling system works. I’m picturing these louvers that look like the back window of an 80’s Camaro with the prevailing wind blowing through and snow drifting around a rack of servers but obviously it’s a little more high tech than that.
See below :picard, they also use natural ventilation to keep plenum space cool (or attic space). Code states you can not use natural ventilation to condition any occupied space though. It is done for IAQ. Large difference. Design criteria for a server room is 65°DB/64°WB and an OA amount of .05 cfm/sq ft. The outside air will not be touching the servers directly, they could be touching heat exchangers though if the systems are water cooled.
