4 Simple (and Cheap) Ways to Cool Server Rooms | Teems Electric

From retailers in e-commerce to companies running large, automated systems, business these days frequently means expansive tech installations. That can mean complications for climate control HVAC engineers just a decade or two ago never imagined.

Global tech giant Alphabet, parent company of Google, has spent years and countless labor hours on a still-ongoing effort to manage the heat created by its sprawling server farmers. That machinery creates latent heat that can reduce operational efficiency (reliability is reduced by half for every 18 degrees the ambient temperature goes above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Uptime Institute), making cooling the buildings that hold it a daunting task.

For everyone that doesn’t have the power to harness the sun and the oceans to cool those spaces, as Google does, it’s an ongoing challenge. Teems Electric can help in that effort when it comes to designing and installing climate control systems, but here are some tips for managing server closets, rooms and warehouses to ensure optimal efficiency of systems.

Ventilate

This can be a tall order if your server room is more closet than room. Where possible, create airflow by leaving doors and/or windows open. If that isn’t an option or you don’t want that exposure to sensitive equipment, you may consider adding a transom window, an opening above the door that can be opened to provide ventilation. Since heat rises, it will automatically move up and out the window, and can then be picked up by your HVAC’s intakes.

Minimize

Hardware, including racks and furniture, can reduce airflow and make it harder for systems to cool themselves. Work with a systems engineer to ensure you’re using racks to maximum efficiency and eliminate any that aren’t needed. As part of that review, ensure your stacks are properly space to prevent them constantly releasing heat onto each other.

Get Some Fans

This is another low-tech solution to protect your high-tech equipment. Fans move the air around, preventing heat from pooling around equipment. While they can only do so much, since they don’t actually remove or dissipate heat, spreading the warmth can still be helpful.

Go Blank

Blanking panels are essentially false fronts that fill in gaps in stacks. These aren’t cosmetic additions; they’re meant to keep heat from server exhaust fans from feeding directly into their intakes. They’re designed to affix to the sides of racks and are a fairly cheap protective measure.

The specialists at Teems can help you design an HVAC system that protects and optimizes your computing hardware. Call us today to get to work!