Data centers are used to house computer systems and related components that host important information and resources for different companies. As such, these spaces need to constantly operate at optimum room temperature for increased server efficiency.
When it comes to IT equipment failures, over 65% of them are directly attributed to inadequate, poorly maintained or failed air conditioning in the server room. Fortunately, the industry and its advancement have provided server cooling solutions such as cold and hot aisle containment systems, which are now used by 80% of data centers.
The thermal containment system is an intelligent server cooling system solution designed to create ideal temperatures inside a server room, minimizing IT equipment failures and improving energy efficiency.
Choosing the Right Containment Solution for Your Facility
The best containment system highly depends on the design of the facility. But again your budget is also an important consideration if at all you’re looking for a cost-effective solution. The two main types of thermal containment systems are a cold aisle and hot aisle containment system. While the cold aisle containment system is considered the ideal option when it comes to underfloor air distribution, hot aisle containment is more efficient.
Benefits of Cold and Hot Aisle Containment System
- Reliability The whole idea of a thermal containment system is to eliminate hot spots by preventing hot air and cold air from mixing, which increases the reliability of the entire system.
- Cooling Efficiency Unlike the traditional uncontained data centers where a significant amount of cold air is lost by the cooling units, thermal containment systems are designed to preserve the supplied air and ensure they circulate through IT equipment for maximum cooling.
- Increased Data Centers and Server Rack Power Density If you’re looking to improve your rack power density then a containment system will help to achieve that. The system is able to prevent hot air recirculation back into data storage equipment allowing you to have a high thermal load.
- Energy Efficiency Properly installed air containment system can significantly reduce cooling costs by up to 40%. The system eliminates common issues associated with the high cooling energy cost such as hot-cold air mixing, leakage, hot air recirculation, and airflow obstructions. Along with control and monitoring systems, data centers can optimize energy consumption across the entire facility.
In conclusion, a thermal containment system effectively reduces cooling energy costs whether it’s a cold aisle or hot containment system. This has been made possible by increased supply and returns air temperature.
