Metering, Devolved Energy Budgeting and Charging for Energy Use Colin Love ULCC Data Centre Manager
Metering, Devolved Energy Budgeting and Charging for Energy Use
Colin Love
ULCC Data Centre Manager
Who are ULCC ?
• Wholly owned subsidiary of the University of London
• Receive no direct funding and so self-sufficient
• Operate own data centre facility (568sqM of IT space)
• Large number of external customers taking services
ranging from simple co-location hosting up to full
operating system & application management
• Not for profit organisation
Metering, Devolved Energy Budgeting and Charging for Energy Use
• What we meter, where and why
• Who we charge for power usage
• Why devolve energy budgeting
Electrical Distribution
• Single main panel for Data Centre and associated
equipment (plant kit) with dual grid feeds and standby
generator
• Dual feeds to dedicated plant equipment panel
• Dual UPS units running as 2N
• 4 PDUs within Data centre (2 per UPS), with discreet
A and B supplies to every cabinet
Power meters
DIRIS A40 Panel Meter Main Incomer
In rack power monitors
CL-Amp unit In rack PDU monitor
In rack PDU monitor
Close up Raw data
Why monitor power usage
• To ensure power demand doesn’t exceed availability
(limited power availability in the Data Centre)
• Understand PuE of the Data Centre so improvements
can be implemented
• To monitor and charge customers for excess power
usage where appropriate
• IT power loads are increasing, even with virtualisation
• Planning for the future – PuE, CRC, EUCoC
Improving Data Centre Efficiency
• Rack Containment
• More efficient cooling (in-row, free air, ECC fans)
• Higher temperatures in Data Centre (difficult in a co-
location environment due to legacy kit!!)
ULCC Data Centre 2
• Learnt from the original data centre
• Hot aisle-containment solution
• More efficient air conditioning, although still DX
because of building fabric limitations
• Metering is more focused, and more accurate in-rack
monitoring as greenfield site.
Devolved Energy Budgeting
• Why devolve
– Reduced space charges typically, but....
– The risks are higher overall costs
– Greater visibility of power usage
– Directly benefit from efficiency improvements
– Results in much closer involvement in energy
efficiency overall
The Future
• More sub-metering of supplies
• Networkable meters to provide trending data
• Better management software for the whole Data
Centre estate
• CRC challenges, EU Code of Conduct
Thank You
• Any Questions ???
• Contact Me: [email protected]
• GoodCampus/RECSO case study at
http://www.goodcampus.org/susteit/susteit-cases/