Facility managers are key to implementingchanges on campus. page 20

Data Center Performance Measures page 26

Automating Fire Systems Maintenance page 32

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

TFM’s Tricks of the Tradecolumnist addresses policies

prohibiting personal electronicdevices inside a facility.

trends

By Kristy Rainwater

Business owners and directorsacross numerous industriesare beginning to acknowl-edge that the day-to-dayoperation of their data facili-

ties is just as critical as the initial engi-neering, design, and construction ofthese assets. This growing trend is evi-dent in the design development phases,as owners are taking a greater interest inhow their facilities will operate onceconstruction is complete. Human errorand the costs associated with resultantdowntime, coupled with the rising costsof energy and substantial opportunitiesfor reducing energy consumption, aredriving owners to take a closer look athow their data center assets are managedand operated.The popular saying, “you can’t man-

age what you don’t measure,” has rarelyheld more meaning than in the datacenter environment. It is also essentialthat facility managers (fms) take a holis-tic approach to maintenance and per-formance. As a result of more detailedawareness and control of facilityresources, rising energy costs can be mit-igated. This is critical, especially whentaking into consideration that energycosts can account for approximately 70%of data center operational costs accord-ing to a Forrester Research Report(Updated Q3, 2011: “Power and Cool-ing Heat Up the Data Center”).Enacting a comprehensive manage-

ment plan that enables new or legacy datacenters to drive effective day-to-day oper-ations, energy efficiency, cost manage-ment, and optimized performance callsfor several components. Experience showsthat among the most critical are:• preventive maintenance;• building management systems (BMS)integration; P

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Keeping a close eye onequipment performance is key to reliability andefficiency.

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• operational baselines;• retro-commissioning; and• local utility engagement.Chris Koerner, critical facilities man-

ager of T5@LA, which recently com-pleted construction of a 205,000 squarefoot data center in Los Angeles, CA,would say it starts with knowing thefacility’s equipment—intimately at that.According to Koerner, “Developing acomprehensive preventative mainte-nance program with equipment specificmethods of procedure (MOPs) andextensive documentation is critical to theoperation of all IT, electrical, andmechanical data center equipment.”Identifying repair opportunities

before equipment fails not only reducesunplanned capital expenditures, butdoing so also reduces the potential fordisastrous impact events that customersexperience as downtime. Keepingdetailed records of the operationalnuances of systems and equipmentallows fms to detect potential issuessooner rather than later when a readingor measurement deviates from the norm.This level of documentation alsobecomes valuable when justifying opera-tional budgets or evaluating opportuni-ties to reduce expenses without impact-ing reliability.Koerner uses the data center’s BMS

to capture and cumulate operating dataat three minute intervals (including out-side air temperature, prevailing wind,external and internal wet bulb and drybulb conditions, internal static pressure,and air temperature) throughout the day.“Establishing operational baselines,assessing daily operating trends, andtracking Power Usage Effectiveness(PUE) helps identify trends or irregular-ities in energy usage and operationalperformance that, when interpreted pro-ficiently, can be used to optimize per-formance throughout changing operat-ing conditions and potentially avoidcostly downtime,” says Koerner.Through this analysis he has developed

an intimate knowledge of how different

weather patterns and internal and externalconditions can affect the operation of hisequipment. In addition, Koerner capturesthe facility’s PUE at five second intervals,which enables him to identify opportuni-ties for immediate operational or energyefficiency improvements.

Retro-commissioningThe two steps mentioned above can

also serve as the foundation for under-standing a data center’s energyprofile/usage and indicate when a retro-commissioning project would makegood sense. As a systematic process forimproving an existing facility’s perform-ance by identifying and implementingrelatively low-cost operational andmaintenance improvements, retro-com-missioning helps ensure that facility per-formance meets an fm’s expectations.The process includes testing and adjust-ing building systems to meet the originaldesign intent and/or optimize systems tosatisfy shifting operational needs. Itrelies on detailed building and equip-ment documentation, along with func-tional testing to optimize performance.In essence, retro-commissioning is a

whole building tune-up. Similar to avehicle’s 100,000 mile service, the end

goal is to achieve maximum operatingperformance by primarily employingminor changes, and perhaps identifyingfurther capital improvements and/orenergy retrofits. As with any system,operational issues develop over timewhen components degrade as a result ofusage, age, deferred maintenance, andmodification. In a data center, whererightsizing system operation is a movingtarget due to continuous changes inpower density and heat load, retro-com-missioning can have a huge impact.In the data center environment, a

retro-commissioning process targets: • deferred maintenance issues and equip-ment operating condition;• proactive maintenance practices;• energy management and sequence ofoperations; and• the relationship between power andcooling capabilities compared to criti-cal load capacity.This process can reveal problems with

very simple or complex solutions. A sig-nificant impact can be achieved throughminor adjustments or repairs such as:• adjusting control sequences that arenot optimized or functioning properly;• modifying air handler, chiller, andpump staging;

This 2010 graph shows the cumulative cost to operate a 2,000 square meter data center in Canada. Illustrated is a10% annual energy increase, along with the observation that 75% of the data center’s operations costs are energycosts. Figures shown here demonstrate that the facility’s operational costs were three to five times its capital cost.

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• repairing or restoring economizerand variable frequency drive (VFD)functions;• repairing or replacing thermostatsand/or sensors that are out ofcalibration;• repairing leaking valves; and• replacing worn belts and pulleys.In addition to assessing the operation

of existing systems and equipment, fur-ther investigation into such processes asair flow management, water and/or air-side economization, and central plantoptimization can reveal additional costsaving opportunities with solutions assimple as repositioning computer roomair conditioner or air handling units,rearranging raised floor air dischargetiles, adding blanking panels, andincreasing temperature set points.Proper retro-commissioning practicescan yield energy saving benefits rangingfrom 12% to 20%, and fms can achieveupwards of that when incorporatingenergy retrofits such as lightingupgrades and VFDs.

Critical to any retro-commissioningor energy project (and another best practice in general), is establishing aclose relationship with local utility representatives. There are local, state,and federal energy reduction programsthat offer incentives to organizations forreducing energy consumption. The utility representatives are responsible for managing and promoting these programs that range from direct incen-tives for equipment upgrades to pro-grams that incentivize data centers forswitching to generator power duringbrownout conditions.The key to capturing these incen-

tives is to start these conversationsearly. For most utilities, there is anapplication processing time that maytake anywhere from a few weeks to afew months, and the utility providermay have to conduct benchmarkingprior to the start of the project as well,as monitoring and verification followthe implementation of any energy conservation measures.

Aside from the energy savings associ-ated with a comprehensive energy man-agement program, there are a number ofother benefits from such plans:• increased critical load capacity;• reduced operating and capital repair costs;• improved operation and maintenancestaff productivity, capability andexpertise;• optimized equipment lifespan;• improved computing capacity manage-ment—right sized systems;• improved asset management/ITdeployment; and• increased asset value.According to Gartner Research, data

centers consume 30 to 80 times moreenergy per square foot than traditionaloffice space, and therefore, can tremen-dously impact profitability. And thechanging role of data centers in today’sbusiness environment has prompted C-suite executives to take a closer look athow their IT resources are managed andoperated. While energy efficiency is asignificant driver, the added benefit ofproviding users reliability and customersmore uptime through operational bestpractices, is undeniable.

Rainwater (KRainwater@Southlandind.com)is a business development professional for SouthlandIndustries (www.southlandind.com), a national

mechanical engineering, construction, and servicefirm. Specializing in newconstruction, retrofits, retro-commissioning, energy proj-ects, and facility operations,she is responsible for develop-ing relationships with endusers in order to deliver cus-tom design-build-maintain

solutions. Rainwater is an active member of AFCOM,Association for Data Center Management Profession-als and serves on the Board of Directors for the South-ern California Chapter of 7x24 Exchange.

Fully commissioned in August 2012, the T5@LA data center provides end users with data suites fully separated by slabto deck fire-rated walls. The facility features a 121,908 square foot raised floor and a critical IT load of 16.65 megawatts.

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Reprinted with permission from Today’s Facility Manager March 2013 issue. Copyright ® 2013 Group C Media, Inc. All rights reserved.