How to Choose the Right Economizer Cooling System
With the rising costs of energy in data center, IT and facility managers need impactful ways of conserving energy. Economizer cooling solutions are integral for optimizing Data Center efficiency.
With multiple deployment options and ever-evolving monitoring solutions, an Economizer system can keep the data center running with more productivity for less cost.
What does an Economizer do?
An economizer system integrates into and works with a Data Center’s cooling system to provide free cooling to a room or facility. All economizer systems use air and/or water to reduce mechanical cooling. When choosing an economizer consider:
- The data center environment
- Temperature and humidity control needed
Direct economizers bring outside air into the data center for cooling. Indirect economizers use an “indirect” method to transfer heat from the data center to outside of the facility.
When investing in reducing energy costs, consider these 3 different types of cooling system: Air-Side, Water-side and Refrigerant-based.
Air-Side Economizer
An air-side economizer utilizes the outside air, purifies it, and pumps it through the data center. There, condenser water accepts this heat and ultimately rejects it to the atmosphere via a dry cooler or evaporative tower.
This type of economizer is ideal for climates that stay below 70 degrees for most of the year.
Water-Side Economizer
A water-side economizer eliminates the need for cooling via compressors.
When environmental conditions are optimal, the warm return water from the data center is routed to the economizer. There, condenser water accepts this heat and ultimately rejects it to the atmosphere via a dry cooler or evaporative tower.
This type is ideal for system with a water-cooled chiller plant is already in place.
Refrigerant-Based Economizer
The newest member to the economizer family is the refrigerant-based system.
This system utilizes a series of pumps to move refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator, absorbing the heat from the data center and ‘rejecting’ heat outside. It can be deployed in a wide variety of environments as its performance is not dependent on the temperature of the outside air.
Pumped refrigerant can carry 2 times as much heat as water and 40 times more heat than air, therefore cooling the system much more quickly and efficiently than its predecessors.
The systems can often be placed outside the data center, conserving valuable space inside. With some systems achieving PUEs as low as 1.05 the refrigerant based economizer is quickly becoming the industry leader.
Get Help to Design an Economizer System
As data center managers place more emphasis on efficiency, an economizer system becomes a key component to ensure cooling equipment runs properly.
As your partner, we offer a variety of cooling solutions. We’ll align your data center goals, site requirements, geography, and climate, with the best economizer application for your budget. Let us design a system that fits your footprint and saves you money on your energy costs. Contact us today to learn more.