Server Cooling Efficiency

Efficiency in Cabinet Cooling: The Maxi-Cool Energy Chart Explained

The cooling system must work in any server room to keep the IT equipment and the rest of the room cool. Often the cooling systems in a server room will consume as much power as the IT equipment. Are there more efficient ways of achieving adequate cooling for server racks? 

Integrated cooling systems like Maxi-Cool are more energy efficient than server rooms because they cool the rack and not the room. The Maxi-Cool Energy Efficient Chart demonstrates that integrated server cooling systems like Maxi-Cool can offer significant savings for businesses in terms of running and capital costs.  The chart’s conclusions are based on 5kW of cooling as this would meet the cooling requirements of the equipment that might populate a typical rack used by an SME.

Typically, a server room-sized to provide 5 kW of cooling is 9 meters square. The footprint of Maxi-Cool TM5 is 1-meter square. Maxi-Cool’s smaller footprint means it uses less power when running at full load to achieve 5kW of cooling. Where a server room would use a total of 10kW of power, and Maxi-Cool would use 6.2 kW. Similarly, where the PUE of a server room using 10kW of power is 2, the PUE of a Maxi-Cool unit is 1.24. The efficiency chart concludes that powerful cooling is possible in a small space.

The average power consumption of a server room cooling system running 24/7 at 50% capacity is 21900 kW hours. The equivalent cooling achieved by Maxi-Cool is 5256 kW hours. In terms of cost, the power consumption of a server room based on a unit cost of £0.28 is £6132.00, and the cost of running a Maxi-Cool unit at the same unit cost is £1471.68.   

The comparative running costs between a small server room and Maxi-Cool Enclosure demonstrate that using an integrated server cooling system like Maxi-Cool is more efficient.  Maxi-Cool exclusively cools the IT cabinet, and the power consumption is lower than in a typical server room. Choosing integrated cooling for your server racks would save £4,660 per year in power bills if the electricity cost is £0.28 per kW hour. If this cost per kW hour rises, the savings will increase. 

Additionally, Integrated server cooling like Maxi-Cool has a lower capital cost than building a server room from scratch. The typical cost of building a server room with cooling is £10,000.00, whereas the typical capital cost of Maxi-Cool TM5 is £6500.00. 

Maxi-Cool Enclosures are an efficient alternative to a server room because the racks can be fully populated, and the consistent cooling eliminates hotspots. Consequently, the servers are more reliable and have a longer life span. Maxi-Cool efficiently uses limited workspace and is suitable for use in buildings where an external condenser would otherwise be required. Maxi-Cool is designed with castors to be portable, so if you move, you can move your IT and your cooling system, which is impossible with a server room. 

For more information, visit https://maxi-cool.co.uk or call 01733873262 to discuss your server cooling requirements today!