IBM, Syracuse Team on 'Green' Testbed

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An artist rendering of the exterior of a new data center IBM will build and equip at Syracuse University.

A new data center at Syracuse University will serve as a testbed for energy efficient data center design, backed by technology from IBM and financial support from the state of New York. The $12.4 million, 6,000-square-foot data center will combine multiple energy-saving technologies, including on-site power generation, DC power distribution, chillers and cabinets equipped with water-cooled rear-door heat exchangers.

Syracuse University will use the data center for its IT equipment, and also provide detailed analysis of its energy efficiency. IBM will supply $5 million in electrical co-generation equipment and servers, and use the facility to showcase its "green" data center technology. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is contributing $2 million to the project.

The new facility, which is scheduled to be completed late this year, will be powered by a microturbine engine fueled by natural gas, which will generate all electricity for the center and provide cooling for the computer servers. The heat generated by the microturbine will power an absorption chiller unit, which will convert the heat into chilled water to cool the data center’s servers.

The chilled water will be piped into IBM's "Cool Blue" rear-door heat exchangers attached to each cabinet. IBM and Syracuse say they will implement a precision cooling system that reduces energy use by targeting only the servers that require cooling resources, rather than delivering cooling to all servers as in most data centers. Computer-controlled sensors will be used to monitor thermal conditions in the data center and direct cooling.

None of the specific technologies being used in the Syracuse facility are new, but the project will allow IBM and Syracuse to develop data on the most effective way to use them in tandem for the best collective power savings. Here's a closer look at some of the energy-saving technologies planned for the facility:

"IBM is joining with Syracuse University to address the end-to-end data center infrastructure, from electricity generation to cooling systems to the operation and management of servers, to develop the greenest, most efficient data center possible," said Vijay Lund, vice president for development and manufacturing operations in IBM’s Systems and Technology Group.

Syracue University Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor called the project "a perfect example of how effective cross-sector partnerships can be. IBM, NYSERDA and SU each are bringing their strengths to the table to gain vital insight into solving crucial aspects of the intensifying global problem of increasing energy consumption that none of us could achieve separately."