One of the emerging trends in data centers is the use of lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries, both for distributed and centralized uninterruptible power supplies. Research by Uptime Institute and others predicts high levels of adoption in the years ahead. The primary reasons for this are technical, relating to energy density, rechargeability and management. But Li-ion energy storage is also regarded as a key component in renewable energy distribution, which is being adopted primarily to reduce carbon emissions.
But one question keeps coming up that has, on occasion, put proponents of Li-ion on the defensive: How “green” — and how ethically responsible — are Li-ion batteries? Is there an environmental dimension to the use of Li-ion technologies?
Before considering this question, we should note that data centers will probably only ever account for a tiny proportion of demand for Li-ion batteries. Even in 2019, with electric vehicles still in early infancy, the automotive sector accounted for 60% of Li-ion battery use. Demand overall is expected to grow tenfold (1,000%) to 2030, according to mining analysts Roskill, driven primarily by mobile applications. That notwithstanding, big data center operators, such as Google, Microsoft, Equinix and others, use a lot of batteries. They pride themselves on sound environmental policies, and they are paying attention. Indeed, activists may give them no choice.
There are two issues with these batteries: first, the use of rare or expensive metals, and the environmental impact of mining these; and second — related to this — the current lack of recycling.
In a Li-ion battery, there are two elements that are a concern: lithium and cobalt. It is possible to do without the latter, but at a cost of some energy density — a critical factor in deployment. Analysts in the mineral sector say that there are sufficient reserves of both metals to meet medium-term demand, although cobalt reserves are less plentiful. But there is strong commercial pressure among battery makers, car manufacturers and other big industrial consumers to secure access to the main reserves, extract the minerals profitably, and meet current demand. This led to some big speculative price rises in 2019, although increased mining activity since has brought prices (and price forecasts) down.
For lithium, half of the world’s resources are in the “lithium triangle,” mostly in pristine salt flats spanning areas of Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. Mining companies have been accused of exploiting local populations, extracting excessive amounts of valuable water, and damaging unspoiled habitats. For cobalt, more than half of the world’s reserves are in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where mining companies have been accused of child exploitation and serious health and safety violations. In 2019, a human rights groups filed a suit against Apple, Google, Dell, Microsoft and Tesla on behalf of 14 families in Congo.
For the data center industry, and the renewable energy industry, many of these concerns may seem far up the supply chain. But buyers can move the market: They can favor suppliers who source their components responsibly and pressure vendors to improve their supplier’s practices. They could also choose suppliers who pursue alternative sources of these metals in regions with more robust monitoring of environmental and health and safety concerns.
Recycling and extending the life of batteries also plays a role. At present, while almost all lead-acid batteries are recycled, Li-ion batteries are not. The most common way to get rid of an old Li-ion battery is to burn it — they burn exceedingly well.
There is a big effort underway to improve Li-ion technology. Tesla and GM are both working on million-mile batteries, designed to outlast the car, as well as designing batteries for easier reconditioning and recycling. Such technical advances can also be applied to stationary Li-ion batteries (which mostly have a different chemistry). Tesla is among the battery suppliers now targeting the data center market.
Although currently few Li-ion batteries are recycled, there are now dozens of companies with Li-ion recycling services or technologies. This activity will eventually reduce the pressure on mining companies to extract the minerals at such a rapid rate, and in such a damaging way.
Repurposing second-use batteries from mobile use to stationary applications, such as solar battery farms, is also likely to prove economic; this may lead to a “residual value” market in batteries and more renewable applications. Although some tests have proven favorable, data centers are unlikely to be suitable for this. The best way for data center operators to reduce the impact of Li-ion use will be to open a serious dialog with suppliers.
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Lithium-Element-Blog.jpg8302255Andy Lawrence, Executive Director of Research, Uptime Institute, alawrence@uptimeinstitute.comhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/uptime-institute-logo-r_240x88_v2023-with-space.pngAndy Lawrence, Executive Director of Research, Uptime Institute, alawrence@uptimeinstitute.com2020-09-06 06:00:082020-08-27 10:49:33Lithium-ion batteries in the Data Center: An ethical dimension?
Increasingly, data centers cannot find qualified candidates for open jobs. Companies that commit to diverse and inclusive workplaces are more likely to have better financial performance; greater innovation and productivity; and higher employee-ambassador recruitment, employee retention and employee job satisfaction rates.
Diversity and Data Center Hiring
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/blog-infographic-aug2020sm.jpg7502025Rhonda Ascierto, Vice President, Research, Uptime Institutehttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/uptime-institute-logo-r_240x88_v2023-with-space.pngRhonda Ascierto, Vice President, Research, Uptime Institute2020-08-31 05:00:132020-10-22 14:27:22Data center workforce diversity makes good business sense
When the PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) metric for data centers was first agreed upon by the members of The Green Grid back in 2007, almost everyone in that crowded room in California agreed: This is not intended to be used as comparative metric across sites (as every situation is different) but it would be an excellent metric when comparing the effect of improvements at any site over time.
It is with some wariness, then, that Uptime Institute publishes the chart below showing that, overall, Europe has the most energy efficient data centers, and the Middle East and Africa, the least efficient.
The data comes from a question Uptime asks each year as part of our global data center survey: What is the average annual PUE for your largest data center? Among the nearly 450 respondents to that question in 2020, the average PUE of their largest data center was 1.59. This number was down slightly from last year, but effectively continued a trend of no improvement, or marginal improvement, since 2013.
The chart is based on a subset of the data — those who reported PUEs between 1.0 and 2.19 (313 respondents). We considered others to be special cases or extreme outliers (see below). Regional averages ranged from a low of 1.46 (Europe) to 1.79 (Africa and the Middle East).
In the areas with the highest PUEs — Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and much of the Asia-Pacific region — climate may play a factor. Regions with less temperate environmental profiles may be less able to take advantage of free cooling technologies, which can substantially reduce power use. This is especially so in areas with high humidity or water constraints.
Other factors may cause operators to take an approach that is less energy efficient than they would like, but that is less risky. For example, operators in regions that are prone to supply chain issues, that lack reliable access to service technicians, or that are subject to power grid instability may hesitate to use techniques or technologies that save energy but may have a more narrow margin for error. They may opt for higher levels of redundancy, which, of course, require more power.
The two regions reporting the lowest PUEs — Europe and the US/Canada — have roughly equivalent sample sizes, but Europe’s average PUE is almost 5% lower. Why? This might be because European energy prices tend to be higher, and/or that the attitudes of operators and regulators are more environmentally conscientious than those in the US. Another contributing factor: London, Amsterdam and Frankfurt house a big portion of the European continent’s data centers, along with the Nordic countries and Dublin. All have temperate climates.
What of those who said, “Our PUE is over 2.19”? Although in most cases the sample size on a per-region basis was too small to be significant, it was nevertheless noteworthy that in the Asia-Pacific region, more than one in 10 reported a PUE greater than 2.19.
When Uptime asked respondents for PUE information, there were several answer options not addressed above (e.g., don’t operate a data center, data center is filling/emptying, don’t know). Interestingly, one in six respondents (of a survey of operators/owners/managers) didn’t know the average PUE of their largest data center. European respondents were twice as likely to know as US/Canadian respondents: for many, a good PUE figure is a badge of honor. A poor one requires an explanation.
The full report Uptime Institute global data center survey 2020 is available to members of the Uptime Institute Network here.
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/energy-Efficiency2.jpg8702500Andy Lawrence, Executive Director of Research, Uptime Institute, alawrence@uptimeinstitute.comhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/uptime-institute-logo-r_240x88_v2023-with-space.pngAndy Lawrence, Executive Director of Research, Uptime Institute, alawrence@uptimeinstitute.com2020-08-24 06:00:242021-05-04 10:16:46Which regions have the most energy efficient data centers?
Data center managers have gone to some lengths to avoid transmission of the COVID-19 virus in their facilities. Fortunately, many factors help keep transmission rates low in data centers: few staff are required; most jobs do not require close physical interaction with colleagues; and air filtration may help to reduce, if not necessarily eliminate, airborne transmission.
Presently, researchers are still debating the extent to which the virus can be transmitted through the air. Early in July, over 200 scientists wrote the World Health Organization (WHO), asking it to officially acknowledge that coronavirus transmission could be airborne. (Airborne transmission requires tiny particles containing infectious microorganisms stay suspended in the air for long periods of time. This is distinct from droplet transmission, which requires relatively close proximity and shorter time frames.) If this is the case, it means maintaining a 2-meter (approximately 6-foot) distance from others may be a less effective means of preventing transmission, especially indoors, than previously thought.
If a virus is transmitted in this way, the level of humidity can play a significant role in increasing or decreasing infection rates. Uptime Institute’s advisory report Pandemic planning and response: A guide for critical infrastructure addresses humidity and air filtration, but primarily in terms of ensuring appropriate air temperature and humidity for effective operation, especially if additional filtration is used.
Research suggests that not only does low humidity help particles stay aloft longer, but also dry air decreases the effectiveness of the initial human response to a viral infection. Cold, dry air brought in from outside, then warmed, may be a particular concern, because the humidity drops significantly.
At the same time, higher levels of humidity increase condensation, even if not perceptibly. This enables the virus to remain infectious on surfaces for a longer period of time.
As it turns out, humidity may not be such a concern for data centers — although it may be an issue for offices and other indoor spaces. The ideal level of humidity to minimize airborne transmission of a virus may be in the region of 40% to 60%. Fortunately, this a perfect match for data centers: ASHRAE’s 2016 guidelines recommend data centers maintain ambient relative humidity of 50% (previously 45% to 55%). Data centers operators should, however, review the ideal humidity for non-white space areas.
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Humidity3.jpg4661261Andy Lawrence, Executive Director of Research, Uptime Institute, alawrence@uptimeinstitute.comhttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/uptime-institute-logo-r_240x88_v2023-with-space.pngAndy Lawrence, Executive Director of Research, Uptime Institute, alawrence@uptimeinstitute.com2020-08-17 06:00:332020-07-26 21:36:34Humidity and COVID-19 in data centers
Mitigating Risk Now with Remote Delivery of Tier Certifications
COVID-19 has changed the way we go about our lives and how we approach our work. We found ourselves—almost overnight—not traveling, not going into an office, figuring out how to stay home most of the time while continuing to work, and wondering why a respiratory infection requires so much toilet paper. We all faced, and still face, significant impact to all aspects of our lives. And companies learned quickly that they are not immune. Organizations and their approach to their business also changed practically overnight. Of course, Uptime Institute faced the same situation. We wondered how we were going to continue to support and positively impact the data center industry without the opportunity to meet face-to-face with clients to help them work through their challenges.
Remote Capabilities
Uptime Institute has spent decades helping the data center industry understand how best to design, build, and operate data centers to provide the availability required to meet unique business objectives. We reacted to the COVID-19 challenge by figuring out how to deliver value to our clients remotely. We have always been able to remotely review a design package for a new data center build or upgrade and provide insight into how that design meets Tier requirements, how easy it would be to operate, and if that design has the support spaces and features to provide for effective operations. Our Tier Certification of Design Documents has always been performed remotely, so continuing that was a no brainer. However, we often sit down with clients and work through design challenges in Working Sessions. Now, we utilize video conferencing in numerous areas to meaningfully connect with clients to discuss those challenges. Along the way, we did realize early on that focusing on a video screen for hours on end was challenging and tiresome, so we designed our Working Sessions to work more efficiently, with two half days of intensive discussion instead of one full day. We have all learned more about the need for creativity and flexibility during this pandemic.
It was obvious to us that design packages could be effectively reviewed remotely, but then asked ourselves “what’s the best way to witness demonstrations to confirm that a final completed facility was built according to the design documents and performs to Tier requirements?” We knew a remote delivery of a Tier Certification of Constructed Facility would involve video conferencing systems, but the challenge was to figure out precisely how to capture the proper perspective of what is going on in a data center to demonstration that it is performing in a correct and meaningful way.
As you might realize, watching a video feed has limitations, since the peripheral view is less than normal and is limited by the operator of the camera. To solve that issue, we worked closely with our clients to fine-tune an approach that involves multiple cameras, audio channels, and access to the Building Management System or DCIM, along with some important preplanning. Another tricky part is that working with someone in person it is far easier and effective to talk things through. But for some reason, is does seem a bit less effective over the phone or a video conferencing system.
It’s in the Angle
That tricky part is just one of the reasons the preplanning of the demonstrations is so critical. This requires the client to have documented and thought through the procedures for performing all demonstrations. This upfront work pays dividends to the operations, because as the facility moves forward with these procedures, they will be used to configure the systems to perform maintenance, and be tested. This gives operations personnel hands-on experience with the procedures during the demonstrations. An additional preplanning step is a dry run of the video and audio communications channels. This way everyone has experience with the setup since it is so very different in look and feel for both the Uptime Institute team and our clients.
The demonstrations are then performed according to the plan and scripts. Uptime Institute consultants witness remotely and the audio channel allows us to ask questions and indicate where we need a better angle or view on the camera or make a correction to see something further if a step that has been missed.
Site Visits Still Needed
Even though the demonstrations can be witnessed remotely, the Tier Certification of Constructed Facility still requires a site visit. We need to put eyes on the systems We understand and appreciate that the industry places their trust in us, and when we say something is Tier III compliant, we mean it is Tier III complaint. With that always in mind, we want to ensure and verify that what we saw live online. This includes verifying that the facility we saw on-camera is the correct one, and that nothing off-camera impacts compliance. This is something that simply cannot be fully verified remotely.
The other site component we now can begin remotely is data center operations, which we have traditionally delivered by a site visit to review the processes and procedures for a site, interview personnel to ensure they are aware of the processes, know what they are and where to find them, as well as regularly and completely follow through with the processes. These are delivered via Tier Certification of Operational Sustainability and the Management and Operations Stamp of Approval. Many aspects of these reviews are now delivered remotely through a document review of the processes and procedures along with video conference interviews of key personnel. This is followed up by a site visit to ensure the plans are being effectively put into practice, and that the results are evident. The remote delivery of a TCOS or M&O provides additional value as our clients receive initial feedback on their operational plans. Then when we do arrive onsite (after travel is possible again) there is an opportunity to review any updates to help identify and solve any problems or issues that have occurred in the meantime.
Why Now?
I know most data centers are under increased demand and scrutiny during the uncertain times we are all now facing. Most have changed operations to help ensure that staff are social distancing and to protect relief personnel from exposure to COVID-19, allowing them to be ready to step in as needed. Some ask us, why should they take the time out now to work with Uptime Institute to evaluate their data centers and/or operations?
Why? If you think about it there are two basic responses to such a situation that we find ourselves in today. The first is to keep doing what you are doing and to refrain from introducing any more additional distractions than necessary. The other way is to evaluate your situation, identify the risks, and start to mitigate them, or at minimum, at least plan for that risk mitigation. Taking the time to engage with us allows data center owners and operators the opportunity to learn where they have gaps in their design and/or operations and provides them with the ability to better plan on which corrective measures to take as soon as possible. This way they are ready and prepared to execute on that plan to improve their situation quickly. And, just maybe, the next global, or local, dilemma is not quite so disruptive as this one!
It’s HERE!!! Every year, Uptime Institute reaches out to thousands of industry leaders, enterprises and suppliers to ask them about their view of where the data center and digital infrastructure industry is going and what kinds of challenges they are dealing with today and expect in the future. We ask about trends and migrations, tactics and strategies, challenges and successes. This survey is the most comprehensive and longest-running of its kind and used by thousands of companies worldwide to influence their own IT choices and directions. The results may also make you think about some of your long-held ideas which may be becoming widely accepoted or perhaps no longer accurate or strategic.
This year, more than 1300 people responded. The 10th annual survey was conducted in the spring of 2020 and the results provide an overview of the practices, experiences and underlying trends in the mission-critical digital infrastructure industry, today and in the future.
I encourage you to listen to the entire narrative by Andy Lawrence, our head of our Uptime Intelligence research group. Andy will describe a sector that is grappling with a number of difficult issues including the increasing scope and frequency of outages, the actual rate at which migration to cloud is occuring, increasing complexity of hybrid infrastructures and their resilience and the resulting performance expectations.
The survey also confirms that it is an industry that is growing in absolute size and one that is adapting to rapid change on multiple levels. In almost every area under discussion — outages, resiliency, staffing, placement of workloads, deployment of innovation and the use of cloud — there is considerable diversity in the strategies being employed by the professionals chartered to deliver business critical results. And perhaps most importantly, respondants overwhelmingly agree that they have the ability to address each of these challenges IF THEY CHOOSE TO take the required steps and actions! (i.e. Outages are preventable if more attention is paid to operational planning, staffing shortages can be addressed if they widen their searches, data centers will be able to withstand more stress if they were designed and verified properly, etc)
Key findings:
The enterprise data center is neither dead nor dying. The migration of critical loads to a public cloud is happening slowly, with more than half of workloads expected to remain in on-premises data centers in 2022.
Transparent clouds are good for business. Cloud operators would win more mission-critical business if they were more open. Enterprises want greater visibility into facilities and how resiliency is achieved.
Edge is still on the edge. Most organizations expect their edge computing requirements to increase somewhat in 2020, but fewer than 20% expect a significant increase.
Average site energy efficiency has flatlined. Power usage effectiveness values have not improved much across the industry since 2013. But because more work is now done in big, efficient facilities, the overall energy efficiency of IT has improved.
Rack densities are rising, but facilities are not stretched. The mean average density for 2020 was 8.4 kilowatts per rack. Densities are rising, but not enough to drive wholesale site-level changes in power distribution or cooling technologies.
Bigger outages are becoming more painful. Outages generally continue to occur with disturbing frequency, and the bigger outages are becoming more damaging and expensive — a fact supported by Uptime Institute survey findings for three years running.
Operators admit most outages were their fault. Three-quarters of respondents admit that, in hindsight, their most recent major outage was preventable. With more attention and investment, outage frequency would almost certainly fall significantly.
Power problems are still the biggest cause of major outages. Systems/software and networks may be catching up, but power failures — which impact everything on-site and can cause knock-on effects — are the most likely cause of major outages.
Hardware refreshes are less frequent. Operators are upgrading or replacing their servers less frequently. However, the slowdown in Moore’s law means the potential energy savings from frequent refreshes are no longer very significant.
The data center staffing crisis is getting worse. The portion of managers saying they have difficulty finding qualified candidates for open jobs has risen steadily over the past several years.
Artificial intelligence won’t take over … yet. Artificial intelligence and automation will not reduce data center operations staffing requirements in the next five years, according to the majority of respondents. After that, however, most think it will.
Water use is unmetered by many. Despite the growing threat of water scarcity, only half of respondents say their organization collects water usage data for their IT/data center operations.
More work is needed to address the workforce gender imbalance. The proportion of women in the data center industry remains very low. Despite pressure and good intent, relatively few operators have a plan or initiative in place to boost the hiring of women.
Use of availability zones is now mainstream. The use of multi-data center availability zones is now common beyond hyperscale operators, with half of respondents saying they use this approach.
https://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Survey-2020blog2.jpg5001350Mark Harrishttps://journal.uptimeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/uptime-institute-logo-r_240x88_v2023-with-space.pngMark Harris2020-07-29 06:45:112020-07-30 11:11:31Uptime Institute’s 10th Annual Data Center Survey is here!
Lithium-ion batteries in the Data Center: An ethical dimension?
/in Design, Executive/by Andy Lawrence, Executive Director of Research, Uptime Institute, alawrence@uptimeinstitute.comOne of the emerging trends in data centers is the use of lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries, both for distributed and centralized uninterruptible power supplies. Research by Uptime Institute and others predicts high levels of adoption in the years ahead. The primary reasons for this are technical, relating to energy density, rechargeability and management. But Li-ion energy storage is also regarded as a key component in renewable energy distribution, which is being adopted primarily to reduce carbon emissions.
But one question keeps coming up that has, on occasion, put proponents of Li-ion on the defensive: How “green” — and how ethically responsible — are Li-ion batteries? Is there an environmental dimension to the use of Li-ion technologies?
Before considering this question, we should note that data centers will probably only ever account for a tiny proportion of demand for Li-ion batteries. Even in 2019, with electric vehicles still in early infancy, the automotive sector accounted for 60% of Li-ion battery use. Demand overall is expected to grow tenfold (1,000%) to 2030, according to mining analysts Roskill, driven primarily by mobile applications. That notwithstanding, big data center operators, such as Google, Microsoft, Equinix and others, use a lot of batteries. They pride themselves on sound environmental policies, and they are paying attention. Indeed, activists may give them no choice.
There are two issues with these batteries: first, the use of rare or expensive metals, and the environmental impact of mining these; and second — related to this — the current lack of recycling.
In a Li-ion battery, there are two elements that are a concern: lithium and cobalt. It is possible to do without the latter, but at a cost of some energy density — a critical factor in deployment. Analysts in the mineral sector say that there are sufficient reserves of both metals to meet medium-term demand, although cobalt reserves are less plentiful. But there is strong commercial pressure among battery makers, car manufacturers and other big industrial consumers to secure access to the main reserves, extract the minerals profitably, and meet current demand. This led to some big speculative price rises in 2019, although increased mining activity since has brought prices (and price forecasts) down.
For lithium, half of the world’s resources are in the “lithium triangle,” mostly in pristine salt flats spanning areas of Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. Mining companies have been accused of exploiting local populations, extracting excessive amounts of valuable water, and damaging unspoiled habitats. For cobalt, more than half of the world’s reserves are in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where mining companies have been accused of child exploitation and serious health and safety violations. In 2019, a human rights groups filed a suit against Apple, Google, Dell, Microsoft and Tesla on behalf of 14 families in Congo.
For the data center industry, and the renewable energy industry, many of these concerns may seem far up the supply chain. But buyers can move the market: They can favor suppliers who source their components responsibly and pressure vendors to improve their supplier’s practices. They could also choose suppliers who pursue alternative sources of these metals in regions with more robust monitoring of environmental and health and safety concerns.
Recycling and extending the life of batteries also plays a role. At present, while almost all lead-acid batteries are recycled, Li-ion batteries are not. The most common way to get rid of an old Li-ion battery is to burn it — they burn exceedingly well.
There is a big effort underway to improve Li-ion technology. Tesla and GM are both working on million-mile batteries, designed to outlast the car, as well as designing batteries for easier reconditioning and recycling. Such technical advances can also be applied to stationary Li-ion batteries (which mostly have a different chemistry). Tesla is among the battery suppliers now targeting the data center market.
Although currently few Li-ion batteries are recycled, there are now dozens of companies with Li-ion recycling services or technologies. This activity will eventually reduce the pressure on mining companies to extract the minerals at such a rapid rate, and in such a damaging way.
Repurposing second-use batteries from mobile use to stationary applications, such as solar battery farms, is also likely to prove economic; this may lead to a “residual value” market in batteries and more renewable applications. Although some tests have proven favorable, data centers are unlikely to be suitable for this. The best way for data center operators to reduce the impact of Li-ion use will be to open a serious dialog with suppliers.
Data center workforce diversity makes good business sense
/in Executive, Operations/by Rhonda Ascierto, Vice President, Research, Uptime InstituteIncreasingly, data centers cannot find qualified candidates for open jobs. Companies that commit to diverse and inclusive workplaces are more likely to have better financial performance; greater innovation and productivity; and higher employee-ambassador recruitment, employee retention and employee job satisfaction rates.
Diversity and Data Center Hiring
Which regions have the most energy efficient data centers?
/in Design, Operations/by Andy Lawrence, Executive Director of Research, Uptime Institute, alawrence@uptimeinstitute.comWhen the PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) metric for data centers was first agreed upon by the members of The Green Grid back in 2007, almost everyone in that crowded room in California agreed: This is not intended to be used as comparative metric across sites (as every situation is different) but it would be an excellent metric when comparing the effect of improvements at any site over time.
It is with some wariness, then, that Uptime Institute publishes the chart below showing that, overall, Europe has the most energy efficient data centers, and the Middle East and Africa, the least efficient.
The data comes from a question Uptime asks each year as part of our global data center survey: What is the average annual PUE for your largest data center? Among the nearly 450 respondents to that question in 2020, the average PUE of their largest data center was 1.59. This number was down slightly from last year, but effectively continued a trend of no improvement, or marginal improvement, since 2013.
The chart is based on a subset of the data — those who reported PUEs between 1.0 and 2.19 (313 respondents). We considered others to be special cases or extreme outliers (see below). Regional averages ranged from a low of 1.46 (Europe) to 1.79 (Africa and the Middle East).
In the areas with the highest PUEs — Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and much of the Asia-Pacific region — climate may play a factor. Regions with less temperate environmental profiles may be less able to take advantage of free cooling technologies, which can substantially reduce power use. This is especially so in areas with high humidity or water constraints.
Other factors may cause operators to take an approach that is less energy efficient than they would like, but that is less risky. For example, operators in regions that are prone to supply chain issues, that lack reliable access to service technicians, or that are subject to power grid instability may hesitate to use techniques or technologies that save energy but may have a more narrow margin for error. They may opt for higher levels of redundancy, which, of course, require more power.
The two regions reporting the lowest PUEs — Europe and the US/Canada — have roughly equivalent sample sizes, but Europe’s average PUE is almost 5% lower. Why? This might be because European energy prices tend to be higher, and/or that the attitudes of operators and regulators are more environmentally conscientious than those in the US. Another contributing factor: London, Amsterdam and Frankfurt house a big portion of the European continent’s data centers, along with the Nordic countries and Dublin. All have temperate climates.
What of those who said, “Our PUE is over 2.19”? Although in most cases the sample size on a per-region basis was too small to be significant, it was nevertheless noteworthy that in the Asia-Pacific region, more than one in 10 reported a PUE greater than 2.19.
When Uptime asked respondents for PUE information, there were several answer options not addressed above (e.g., don’t operate a data center, data center is filling/emptying, don’t know). Interestingly, one in six respondents (of a survey of operators/owners/managers) didn’t know the average PUE of their largest data center. European respondents were twice as likely to know as US/Canadian respondents: for many, a good PUE figure is a badge of honor. A poor one requires an explanation.
The full report Uptime Institute global data center survey 2020 is available to members of the Uptime Institute Network here.
Humidity and COVID-19 in data centers
/in Operations/by Andy Lawrence, Executive Director of Research, Uptime Institute, alawrence@uptimeinstitute.comData center managers have gone to some lengths to avoid transmission of the COVID-19 virus in their facilities. Fortunately, many factors help keep transmission rates low in data centers: few staff are required; most jobs do not require close physical interaction with colleagues; and air filtration may help to reduce, if not necessarily eliminate, airborne transmission.
Presently, researchers are still debating the extent to which the virus can be transmitted through the air. Early in July, over 200 scientists wrote the World Health Organization (WHO), asking it to officially acknowledge that coronavirus transmission could be airborne. (Airborne transmission requires tiny particles containing infectious microorganisms stay suspended in the air for long periods of time. This is distinct from droplet transmission, which requires relatively close proximity and shorter time frames.) If this is the case, it means maintaining a 2-meter (approximately 6-foot) distance from others may be a less effective means of preventing transmission, especially indoors, than previously thought.
If a virus is transmitted in this way, the level of humidity can play a significant role in increasing or decreasing infection rates. Uptime Institute’s advisory report Pandemic planning and response: A guide for critical infrastructure addresses humidity and air filtration, but primarily in terms of ensuring appropriate air temperature and humidity for effective operation, especially if additional filtration is used.
Research suggests that not only does low humidity help particles stay aloft longer, but also dry air decreases the effectiveness of the initial human response to a viral infection. Cold, dry air brought in from outside, then warmed, may be a particular concern, because the humidity drops significantly.
At the same time, higher levels of humidity increase condensation, even if not perceptibly. This enables the virus to remain infectious on surfaces for a longer period of time.
As it turns out, humidity may not be such a concern for data centers — although it may be an issue for offices and other indoor spaces. The ideal level of humidity to minimize airborne transmission of a virus may be in the region of 40% to 60%. Fortunately, this a perfect match for data centers: ASHRAE’s 2016 guidelines recommend data centers maintain ambient relative humidity of 50% (previously 45% to 55%). Data centers operators should, however, review the ideal humidity for non-white space areas.
Certifying the Tier performance data center… Remotely? Yes!
/in Design/by Chris Brown, Chief Technical Officer, Uptime InstituteMitigating Risk Now with Remote Delivery of Tier Certifications
COVID-19 has changed the way we go about our lives and how we approach our work. We found ourselves—almost overnight—not traveling, not going into an office, figuring out how to stay home most of the time while continuing to work, and wondering why a respiratory infection requires so much toilet paper. We all faced, and still face, significant impact to all aspects of our lives. And companies learned quickly that they are not immune. Organizations and their approach to their business also changed practically overnight. Of course, Uptime Institute faced the same situation. We wondered how we were going to continue to support and positively impact the data center industry without the opportunity to meet face-to-face with clients to help them work through their challenges.
Remote Capabilities
Uptime Institute has spent decades helping the data center industry understand how best to design, build, and operate data centers to provide the availability required to meet unique business objectives. We reacted to the COVID-19 challenge by figuring out how to deliver value to our clients remotely. We have always been able to remotely review a design package for a new data center build or upgrade and provide insight into how that design meets Tier requirements, how easy it would be to operate, and if that design has the support spaces and features to provide for effective operations. Our Tier Certification of Design Documents has always been performed remotely, so continuing that was a no brainer. However, we often sit down with clients and work through design challenges in Working Sessions. Now, we utilize video conferencing in numerous areas to meaningfully connect with clients to discuss those challenges. Along the way, we did realize early on that focusing on a video screen for hours on end was challenging and tiresome, so we designed our Working Sessions to work more efficiently, with two half days of intensive discussion instead of one full day. We have all learned more about the need for creativity and flexibility during this pandemic.
It was obvious to us that design packages could be effectively reviewed remotely, but then asked ourselves “what’s the best way to witness demonstrations to confirm that a final completed facility was built according to the design documents and performs to Tier requirements?” We knew a remote delivery of a Tier Certification of Constructed Facility would involve video conferencing systems, but the challenge was to figure out precisely how to capture the proper perspective of what is going on in a data center to demonstration that it is performing in a correct and meaningful way.
As you might realize, watching a video feed has limitations, since the peripheral view is less than normal and is limited by the operator of the camera. To solve that issue, we worked closely with our clients to fine-tune an approach that involves multiple cameras, audio channels, and access to the Building Management System or DCIM, along with some important preplanning. Another tricky part is that working with someone in person it is far easier and effective to talk things through. But for some reason, is does seem a bit less effective over the phone or a video conferencing system.
It’s in the Angle
That tricky part is just one of the reasons the preplanning of the demonstrations is so critical. This requires the client to have documented and thought through the procedures for performing all demonstrations. This upfront work pays dividends to the operations, because as the facility moves forward with these procedures, they will be used to configure the systems to perform maintenance, and be tested. This gives operations personnel hands-on experience with the procedures during the demonstrations. An additional preplanning step is a dry run of the video and audio communications channels. This way everyone has experience with the setup since it is so very different in look and feel for both the Uptime Institute team and our clients.
The demonstrations are then performed according to the plan and scripts. Uptime Institute consultants witness remotely and the audio channel allows us to ask questions and indicate where we need a better angle or view on the camera or make a correction to see something further if a step that has been missed.
Site Visits Still Needed
Even though the demonstrations can be witnessed remotely, the Tier Certification of Constructed Facility still requires a site visit. We need to put eyes on the systems We understand and appreciate that the industry places their trust in us, and when we say something is Tier III compliant, we mean it is Tier III complaint. With that always in mind, we want to ensure and verify that what we saw live online. This includes verifying that the facility we saw on-camera is the correct one, and that nothing off-camera impacts compliance. This is something that simply cannot be fully verified remotely.
The other site component we now can begin remotely is data center operations, which we have traditionally delivered by a site visit to review the processes and procedures for a site, interview personnel to ensure they are aware of the processes, know what they are and where to find them, as well as regularly and completely follow through with the processes. These are delivered via Tier Certification of Operational Sustainability and the Management and Operations Stamp of Approval. Many aspects of these reviews are now delivered remotely through a document review of the processes and procedures along with video conference interviews of key personnel. This is followed up by a site visit to ensure the plans are being effectively put into practice, and that the results are evident. The remote delivery of a TCOS or M&O provides additional value as our clients receive initial feedback on their operational plans. Then when we do arrive onsite (after travel is possible again) there is an opportunity to review any updates to help identify and solve any problems or issues that have occurred in the meantime.
Why Now?
I know most data centers are under increased demand and scrutiny during the uncertain times we are all now facing. Most have changed operations to help ensure that staff are social distancing and to protect relief personnel from exposure to COVID-19, allowing them to be ready to step in as needed. Some ask us, why should they take the time out now to work with Uptime Institute to evaluate their data centers and/or operations?
Why? If you think about it there are two basic responses to such a situation that we find ourselves in today. The first is to keep doing what you are doing and to refrain from introducing any more additional distractions than necessary. The other way is to evaluate your situation, identify the risks, and start to mitigate them, or at minimum, at least plan for that risk mitigation. Taking the time to engage with us allows data center owners and operators the opportunity to learn where they have gaps in their design and/or operations and provides them with the ability to better plan on which corrective measures to take as soon as possible. This way they are ready and prepared to execute on that plan to improve their situation quickly. And, just maybe, the next global, or local, dilemma is not quite so disruptive as this one!
Uptime Institute’s 10th Annual Data Center Survey is here!
/in Executive/by Mark HarrisIt’s HERE!!! Every year, Uptime Institute reaches out to thousands of industry leaders, enterprises and suppliers to ask them about their view of where the data center and digital infrastructure industry is going and what kinds of challenges they are dealing with today and expect in the future. We ask about trends and migrations, tactics and strategies, challenges and successes. This survey is the most comprehensive and longest-running of its kind and used by thousands of companies worldwide to influence their own IT choices and directions. The results may also make you think about some of your long-held ideas which may be becoming widely accepoted or perhaps no longer accurate or strategic.
This year, more than 1300 people responded. The 10th annual survey was conducted in the spring of 2020 and the results provide an overview of the practices, experiences and underlying trends in the mission-critical digital infrastructure industry, today and in the future.
I encourage you to listen to the entire narrative by Andy Lawrence, our head of our Uptime Intelligence research group. Andy will describe a sector that is grappling with a number of difficult issues including the increasing scope and frequency of outages, the actual rate at which migration to cloud is occuring, increasing complexity of hybrid infrastructures and their resilience and the resulting performance expectations.
The survey also confirms that it is an industry that is growing in absolute size and one that is adapting to rapid change on multiple levels. In almost every area under discussion — outages, resiliency, staffing, placement of workloads, deployment of innovation and the use of cloud — there is considerable diversity in the strategies being employed by the professionals chartered to deliver business critical results. And perhaps most importantly, respondants overwhelmingly agree that they have the ability to address each of these challenges IF THEY CHOOSE TO take the required steps and actions! (i.e. Outages are preventable if more attention is paid to operational planning, staffing shortages can be addressed if they widen their searches, data centers will be able to withstand more stress if they were designed and verified properly, etc)
Key findings:
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