A new modular data center designed specifically for South-East Asia’s tropical climate has been developed by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Toshiba.

It uses Toshiba’s free-air cooling system, previously designed for containerized data center models in Japan but tweaked for Singapore’s climate, and new technology codeveloped with NTU that focuses on server efficiency.

NTU’s ICT can consolidate multiple applications from various servers into one, then place other servers into sleep mode that aren’t in use to save on electricity and cooling requirements.

According to Toshiba and NTU, the test-bed technologies have already demonstrated energy savings of up to 40% compared to conventional data centers in Japan.

“Simulations also indicate the new system could reduce 2,800 tonnes in carbon dioxide emissions,” the team behind the project said.

The project was designed as a pilot project for the Singapore Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), which has supported three other similar projects in Singapore, each designed to drive innovation focussing on the more efficient operation of the nation’s data centers.

FOCUS magazine issue 24, out next week, covers the Green Data Center IDA initiative in detail, including the Toshiba and Nanyang Technology University project (sign up for your digital edition here).

Toshiba and NTU said they are now test-bedding the new data center, which is made up of container-sized modules which can stand alone or be combined for additional computing power.

It has placed two containers, 9mx3mx3m, one containing server modules the other containing cooling, which sits on top, at the university where it will provide high-density compute for big data analytics and HTTP video streaming.

The container can isolate hot and cold areas and in temperate climates uses an economizer based on a dry-bulb temperature.

The integrated economizer takes outside air below the economizer set point, which is around the data center return-air temperature, and cools this to supply the set point for air temperature.

Energy is saved by eliminating the mechanical refrigeration process.

NTU Energy Research Institute executive director Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar said Singapore has particular challenges when it comes to energy use by data centers, with the sector growing at rate of 15 to 20%.

“Data centers, essential for our IT-intensive telecommunications, data transmission and financial sectors, represent one of the highest levels of energy utilization in Singapore,” Mhaisalkar said.

He said he believes the expertise in sustainability and technology developed as part of this project could be used to develop green and energy efficient building technologies out to other sectors in future..

Data collected from the tests will eventually be made available to researchers around the world for further analysis.