Why regulation on temperature can be counterproductive

With data centers coming under increasing sustainability regulations globally, many operators have been looking to boost the energy efficiency of their facilities. So far, the focus has been mostly on facility systems with little or no impact on IT. However, some operators are now considering the temperature at which inlet air is fed to IT equipment in an effort to maximize overall data center energy efficiency. This report evaluates raising the supply air temperature in data centers as a potential best practice or regulatory standard, noting that there are significant uncertainties regarding energy savings and potential conflicts with resiliency goals.

KEY POINTS

• Raising supply air temperature can cut the total energy use for certain data centers where the resulting cooling plant savings are substantial and IT energy increases are minimal.
• For other data centers, including many with diverse IT environments, raised supply air temperature can leave energy consumption unchanged or even cause it to increase while compromising resiliency.
• Resiliency risks from raised supply air temperature include a reduced thermal buffer before some IT equipment will throttle, increased IT component failures and reduced time to act in case of cooling system failures.
• Mandating higher supply air temperatures by law could backfire, resulting in an increase in energy use and a weakened resiliency against system failures and extreme weather events.