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A biotech company in the Boston, Mass., area was approved for a rebate from the local utility for implementing energy efficiency measures in its data center.
Instrumental in the project's success was Norwell, Mass.-based engineering service firm Bluestone Energy Services. One of the company's specialties is optimizing data centers to qualify for energy-efficiency incentives from utilities around US.
In this particular data center, located in Cambridge, whose owner company wished to remain anonymous, Bluestone installed more efficient CRAC units that could use free cooling and put in a system of floor trays that allow for more cooling in specific spots where it is needed, as well as overhead return units, Bluestone VP of Engineering and Business Development Adam Fairbanks said.
Bluestone also helped the client qualify a data center virtualization project for a rebate from Nstar – the energy provider in the area. It is the largest investor-owned utility in Massachusetts.
Each of the floor trays, manufactured by AdaptivCool, has a variable-speed fan that pushes air into the nearby equipment rack to boost cooling capacity locally. The trays replace perforated floor tiles where needed and the system can scale up along with the data center.
The new overhead return units use motor fans to draw air through ductwork from the hot aisles. In combination with new strategically placed air barriers, the system allowed the facility's operators to raise overall temperature in the computer room from 67 degrees to 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Keywords: Bluestone Energy, Nstar, Cambridge data center, biotech data center, data center cooling, precision cooling, AdaptiveCool | | 
