The purpose of this paper is to examine the need for smart metering of facilities at the branch circuit level and determine if such implementations would pay back their investment. To begin with, a definition of the term “smart metering” is in order. The phrase smart metering is presently used in the context of both home and building metering and has evolved to become a very nebulous term. One definition with which most parties would agree is a follows:

A smart meter provides a continuous feedback of accurate energy data that allows consumers to better control their usage and simultaneously allows producers to better manage their production.

Presently, most installed electric meters provide little in the way of information to their users. Some provide information only via somewhat cryptic rotary dials. Others provide different types of digital displays of energy data. However, few meters provide a real-time and accurate data stream that assists users in reducing their energy consumption while helping the power producer to better match their production to demand levels.

• amperage of each phase
• voltage of each phase
• power factor of each phase
• wattage of each phase
• kWh energy of each phase
• supply temperature
• return temperature
• Delta T
• supply humidity
• return humidity
• Delta H
• air flow in cfm
• BTU’s removed in real time
• Watts removed in real time
• Coefficient of Performance (COP) Wattage of Heat removed divided by Wattage of Power used
• Predictive Failure Analysis – Power Balance of the Phases to spot Motor Horse Power derating and potential failure

Summary: The EnviroCube, which began shipping in volume this summer, is also being represented by optimization companies Schneider Electric and CA.

It makes sense that, if you can monitor the data from the heart and veins, you can better understand what is happening in the nerve and synapse transmissions and the body’s actions or inactions.  If we consider things in this light, its clear that there is a wealth of data available in the power circuit pipes within each data center.

The next questions are:

What pieces of data are most valuable, how do you gather them, and what accuracy level is required?

Bob

Every piece of digital data creation, storage and transmission
depends on analog power creation, storage and transmission.

Let’s now consider just how close the relationship is between analog and digital in the data center.  When an IT manager speaks of circuits, he or she is often thinking of the data transmission circuits which connect their site with the outside world, be those circuits fiber, copper or otherwise.  These large pipelines of data are then connected to switches and routers that use smaller pipelines such as network cables to transmit that data to and from servers, storage and other systems.  In the same way, a large pipeline of power connects the data center to the power from the outside world and that power is, in turn, funneled to individual pieces of equipment with circuits from power distribution units and panels.

When a piece of network equipment needs to process, store or transmit data through the digital data pipeline, it calls on the analog power pipeline for as much power as it needs to complete the job, without regard to available resources.  That is, the demand from digital operations is blind to the supply available on the analog power side.  Attempts to look at power demands have, to date, been separate islands of information ( often sparse at that ) that are not correlated to faults, trouble or future analysis of digital data issues.

Until our next blog, another challenge to the readers.  Consider how each pipe of analog power is simply transmitting analog data, and how can this be viewed in conjunction with digital data.

Bob

TrendPoint Systems, a 10-year-old smart metering and appliance manufacturer for the datacenter, released the EnviroCube on Monday, May 9, 2011. TrendPoint is based in San Ramon, California, and focuses on facilities remote monitoring for the datacenter. Their latest product is the EnviroCube, a device meant to monitor, manage, and directly control cooling units on the datacenter floor.

The EnviroCube focuses on measuring all the relevant metrics on computer room air conditioners (CRACs) and computer room air handlers (CRAHs). These metrics include:

• CRAC/CRAH air flow in cubic feet per minute
• Temperature rise (return temperature minus supply temperature on the CRAC/CRAH unit)
• Voltage
• Amperage
• Power factor and wattage of each phase of power feeding unit

This introduction by TrendPoint is significant in that it offers visibility into datacenter cooling systems that today present a significant gap in facilities metrics. TrendPoint’s EnviroCube feeds key real-time, accurate cooling information into their own HTML software and into datacenter infrastructure management (DCIM) software from their partners, CA Technologies and Schneider Electric. The metrics collected can significantly increase energy efficiency in the datacenter by identifying underperforming cooling infrastructure. Also, as the EnviroCube provides constant real-time data on system performance, datacenter managers can predict potential cooling system failures (such as motor failures) before they happen, decreasing the risk of downtime.

Managing data center energy use is a hard and fast way to both reduce energy expenses and avoid the related GHG emissions. Towards that end, TrendPoint Systems has developed the EnviroCube®. a data center cooling management appliance that monitors a full range of electrical and environmental metrics, giving users the information needed to precisely tune cooling units to their best possible performance. In addition, the data provided can also warn users of cooling inefficiencies before they can cause heat-related downtime.

Providing data center managers with an accurate way to measure and manage the performance of computer room air conditioning and computer room air handling units, EnviroCube® measures air flow in cubic feet per minute, temperature rise, as well as voltage, amperage, power factor and wattage of each phase of power feeding the unit. This information is used to rank air conditioning/air handling units from highest to lowest performing, spot potential cooling unit failures before they can cause downtime, and shut down unnecessary cooling units. These metrics also help users identify and tune-up the low performing units so then can perform effectively in the data center.

The EnviroCube® energy management application uses HTML to render live graphs of all key metrics that can be viewed on both the iPad/iPod platforms as well as PCs. EnviroCube® is currently installed in several locations, including a 70,000 sq.ft. hosting center located in Springfield, Missouri.

View the article at ThomasNet News

Summary: Trendpoint’s EnviroCube appliance addresses real-time mamangement for CRAC/CRAH equipment

With so many changes going on in the way that datacenters are built and equipped, the huge amount of new construction being done, and the wealth of new technology focused on building state-of-the-art facilities, it is sometimes easy to lose sight of the fact that the majority of datacenters in use aren’t in a position to take advantage of all of the advances in facilities design and management.

We forget that the standard datacenter in use today can still bring back memories of the design introduced for mainframes in the 1960’s; a large room with a raised floor, filled with racks of computing equipment and kept chilled by massive CRAC (computer room air conditioning) units that run constantly to maintain the required operating temperature in the facility. And while new datacenters are built from the ground up with energy efficiency as a stated design goal, the vast majority of datacenters in use were designed during a time of more profligate spending with a focus on simply maintaining the operational environment with little regard for the energy expenditure.

Datacenter operators go to great lengths to economize in these older facilities using any number of techniques, ranging from modification to room, row, and rack cooling architecture changes, to hot-aisles. To containment systems with in-rack cooling built within existing facilities, using little more than shower curtain-style PVC sheeting. However, regardless of the techniques that existing datacenter operators choose to use, the key to making it all work is staying on top of the overall environmental cooling and avoiding potential problems that can be caused by hotspots or unexpected airflow (not to mention potential failures of computer room air handling devices).

This is the perfect environment for Trendpoint’s new EnviroCube cooling management appliance. This relatively inexpensive ($2995) box effectively can be plugged into your datacenter at critical junctures for your existing air handling equipment and measure the real-time efficiency of each CRAC/CRAH by measuring the power being utilized and the effectiveness of your cooling and humidity control. On a one to one basis, the EnviroCube can be installed with each air handling device to enable datacenter management to continually evaluate the effectiveness of the unit, determine its operating efficiency and keep an eye out for potential points of failure.

This is a more effective way for datacenters, especially legacy facilities, to get control of their air handling issues. Instrumenting the rooms and the data processing equipment is all well and good, but management by evaluating the effects of your air handling on the devices in use can never be more than reactive. By monitoring and managing the CRAC/CRAH device directly, datacenter operators will be able to take a proactive approach to maintaining an optimal datacenter environment in the most efficient way possible.

View the article at ZDNet

EnviroCube monitors a full spectrum of electrical and environmental metrics that have been proven to indicate cooling inefficiencies before they cause heat-related downtime, which can happen in a matter of seconds if a cooling unit fails. The EnviroCube also provides the first set of metrics that allows cooling units to be tuned to their best possible performance, which has been shown to cut cooling costs by up to 30%. The new energy management appliance also enables power and cooling units to run in a manner that extends equipment life, making them much less likely to fail, and ensuring that they perform at maximum energy efficiency.

“Until now, common industry wisdom held that you couldn’t simultaneously focus on preventing downtime and saving energy – it was always thought to be a tradeoff between the two,” said Bob Hunter, CEO of TrendPoint Systems. “But we’ve eliminated this notion with EnviroCube. The key is to precisely measure—and manage—the effectiveness of cooling units, spotting any potential problems and inefficiencies before they cause downtime. Our extensive tests show that an efficient infrastructure is a healthy and reliable infrastructure. EnviroCube’s full spectrum of metrics captures the efficiency of each individual cooling unit, taking this concept to a whole new level.”

Data center cooling systems consume one-third to one-half of total data center energy. Yet until now, data center managers have not had an accurate way to measure and manage the performance of CRAC (computer room air conditioning) and CRAH (computer room air handling) cooling units. Latent power or mechanical problems with cooling units has caused significant downtime and been a significant contributor to data center energy waste. By placing an EnviroCube appliance in each cooling unit, data center managers can now spot poor-performing units and continuously rank units from highest to lowest efficiency. Lower efficiency units can be further examined with TrendPoint’s full spectrum of power and environmental data from the targeted units.

“As a result, data center managers can move beyond hoping that each unit is functioning effectively, to fully understanding the condition of each unit and proactively preventing any problems,” said Hunter.

EnviroCube product highlights and beta installations:
EnviroCube is the only product on the market that can measure all the key metrics required to manage cooling performance: CRAC/CRAH air flow (in cubic feet per minute); temperature rise (return temperature minus supply temperature); as well as voltage, amperage, power factor and wattage of each phase of power feeding the unit. This information is used to:

• Rank the CRAC/CRAH units from highest-to lowest-performing
• Spot potential cooling unit failures before they cause downtime
• Target unnecessary cooling units for shutdown, based on performance data
• Tune the lowest performing units
• Add variable-frequency drives (VFDs) with full understanding of their performance before purchasing.

The EnviroCube energy management app uses HTML to render live graphs of all key metrics required to manage cooling performance. By choosing HTML, TrendPoint has ensured that the systems’ live graphs are optimized for both the iPad/iPod platforms as well as PCs. “It literally allows you to carry your data center with you,” Hunter noted. In addition, TrendPoint’s partners including Schneider and CA will support the EnviroCube as well. EnviroCube is currently installed in several locations including SpringNet’s 70,000 sq.ft. hosting center located in Springfield, MO.

“We have a long and successful relationship with TrendPoint and have used their EnerSure product to bill and manage our data center’s power usage,” said Chris Yates, operations & engineering manager. “We have been looking forward to using their EnviroCube and now have four of them installed in one of our separate data rooms. The unique and targeted information from the EnviroCube has allowed us to identify opportunities to increase our cooling system performance. This allows us both to insure that our uptime remains at its highest possible levels and that our cooling systems are tuned for peak energy efficiency. We plan to deploy the units throughout our data center and expect a payback on investment in less than two years.”

View the article at Mission Critical Magagzine

It’s the green IT roundup.

by MICHAEL KANELLOS: MAY 9, 2011

A watt of power plugged into a server ultimately turns into a watt of waste heat.

That neat equation is at the basis of the EnviroCube, a novel device from TrendPoint designed to better manage air conditioning in datacenters. It works like this: TrendPoint monitors the power going into various datacenter equipment and the air conditioning system. The data allows it to determine how much heat should be produced and where it will come out. It then cross-checks it against data on the ambient environment to determine cooling efficiency or gaps in a cooling strategy. Most datacenters overcool their servers by a significant margin to make sure the hottest ones farthest away from the vents get the minimal amount of cold air needed, said CEO Bob Hunter.

“A server is a toaster,” noted Hunter. “MIPS (millions of instructions per second) per watt keeps going down but total power consumption keeps going up.”

The system also anticipates mechanical breakdowns and failures, trimming downtime.

Although some companies have begun to erect datacenters in cold environments to take advantage of chilly winds — Yahoo built one near Lake Erie, for instance — you don’t have to move to Buffalo to get better cooling. In 2008, EDS (now part of HP) reconfigured a datacenter in the United Kingdom. One change involved putting AC vents right below each server rack. It cut cooling energy by 30 percent.

Schneider Electric and Computer Associates rebrands and resells TrendPoint’s technology, but the company hopes to market equipment under its own brand more in the future.

See the entire article on GreenTechMedia.com