Equinix to "Adjust the Thermostat" to Optimize Data Center Energy Use

[Jantzen]

Hi Community,

I just finished reviewing the official announcement and wanted to share my highlights

TLDR

• IT equipment within data centers, including routers, servers and storage arrays, emit high levels of heat that requires data centers to be fitted with robust cooling systems to remove that heat
• "Most datacenters operate within restrictive temperature and humidity bands, resulting in environments that are unnecessarily cooler than required," said Rob Brothers, Program Vice President, Datacenter Services, IDC
• "Optimizing data center temperatures results in more efficient operations, benefitting businesses and the planet..." - Sue Preston, vice president and general manager, Advisory and Professional Services, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).
• As a part of this new efficiency initiative, Equinix expects to operate its facilities closer to 27°C (80°F), aligning operating limits across its global data center portfolio with the globally accepted boundaries of the A1A standards from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). 
• this new initiative will contribute to the overall sustainability of its data centers through efficiency improvements
• "Our cooling systems account for approximately 25% of our total energy usage globally..."  "we anticipate energy efficiency improvements of as much as 10% in various locations."  - Raouf Abdel, Executive Vice President, Global Operations for Equinix.
• Equinix was the first in the data center industry to commit to becoming climate neutral, aligned to approved science-based targets, for emissions reduction across its global operations and supply chain by 2030.
• Equinix's renewable energy coverage has been over 90% since 2018. In 2021, the company achieved 95% renewable energy coverage.

Read the full press release here

Other resources

• Equinix Documentation
• Colocation Docs