4 useful ways to boost power efficiency in your data centre

By their very nature, data centres are very power-intensive facilities, and so even relatively small inefficiencies can end up creating huge unnecessary operating costs further down the line. Here at Rubber Box we have a long history of serving data centres with our own line of power distribution boxes, so we’ve picked up a few useful tips over the years. Here are some of the most useful ways you can boost the energy efficiency of your own data centre, and potentially make a significant impact on your bottom line.

Daisy chaining

OK, so right off the bat, we know that we haven’t been the biggest proponents for daisy chaining in the past. However, this time we’re not talking about power cables, but ethernet ones instead. If you’ve got the option, it can be beneficial to wire together several of your power distribution units with ethernet cables, as it means that as many as four of them can all share the same IP address. This results in less network infrastructure being necessary, as it becomes a lot easier to group them all together in a neat, organised manner.

Colour coding your power distribution boxes

This is arguably one of the simplest and most straightforward measures you can take, but you might be surprised at how much easier it makes everything for you. Colour coding your power distribution units can help you to easily identify separate power feeds at a glance, and you can utilise colour-coded locking receptacles to intuitively categorise various sub-units, too. From here, any time you’re adding something new to the overall circuit, you’ll be able to tell first at a glance how much power the existing system is using, which reduces the risk of costly (or dangerous) overloads.

Identify underused or idle servers

Here’s a slightly frightening statistic: it’s estimated that about 30% of the world’s data centres are either underutilised, or else completely idle. Depending on how large your own data centre is, that’s the sort of thing that can easily end up costing you thousands. Take a moment to consider how you’re monitoring your power consumption, and whether there’s any way that you can tighten up those systems to give you more precise data, helping you more accurately identify any inefficiencies.

For example, you might want to consider using Data Centre Management Software (if you’re not doing so already), as that can give you highly precise real-time insights into your data centre’s assets.

Incorporate environmental sensors

While they might have once been amongst the more sophisticated high-end pieces of equipment, these days environmental sensors are relatively easy to come by, and can be quite cost-effective – especially when you consider how much they could end up helping you save in the long term.

Environmental sensors can keep track of air temperatures, humidity, airflow, vibration, smoke, water and air pressure. That can help you save on any unnecessary cooling, as well as helping you to make better-informed decisions on cooling design and containment. And of course, environmental sensors can help prevent your equipment from overheating, helping you to optimise your power usage and maintain maximum efficiency across your facilities.

We’ll leave you to work out the specifics of what would be best for your own individual business – as for us, you can count on us here at Rubber Box to provide a wide range of power distros to choose from, ranging from our 32A power supply distros to our 63A power supply distros. Or, if you know what you want already, you can always request a quote now! We’re always happy to provide guidance you might need, so if you’re looking for a quick word of advice just give us a call on 01282 677 910.