Insights. Special Convention Issue: Innovation. Education. Success. The magazine for today s electrical and systems contractor

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1 The magazine for today s electrical and systems contractor Insights SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER Innovation. Education. Success. Special Convention Issue: Walk the Flight Line Energy Efficient and Green Priorities Result in Utility Company Rebates BIM is not Software

2 Special Feature Energy Efficient and Green Priorities Result in Utility Company Rebates By Russell Senesac D ata centers place major strains on a building s electricity demand, a fact not surprising to electrical professionals working in the industry. Modern facilities require significant cooling, heating, lighting, and electrical power to run racks of high density servers all day, every day. Though reducing a data center s energy consumption is no simple task, it is a vital one: data centers can consume up to 100 times more energy per square foot than standard office buildings, and the growing demand for data center services will require continued innovation in energy reliability and efficiency. Continued on page September/October

3 Special Feature Continued from page 14. With this challenge in mind, Tech Vault, Inc. undertook a data center design and development project to maximize energy efficiency without sacrificing performance. Thanks to a smart deployment of energy efficient technology, particularly its approach to cooling and power, its new data center in South Burlington, Vermont, is considered the most efficient data center in New England and is currently under review for the U.S. Green Building Council s coveted LEED Gold certification. Importantly, Tech Vault was able to work with Efficiency Vermont to qualify for $90,000 in utility rebates, further validating its approach to efficiency as a business strategy. Meeting Market Needs for IT Services When Tech Vault started its services in September 2010, demand was high in the state for a data center, and businesses were outsourcing hosting to data centers in other states. Tech Vault sought to satisfy pent-up demand by offering a carrierneutral commercial grade facility in-state to draw new business into Vermont, as well as serve local businesses. Not only did the commercial hosting facility have to serve clients business needs by reducing IT and maintenance costs, it also had to meet high standards as a world-class green facility. Environmentallyconscious companies in our region seek a secure, clean, energyefficient facility with unlimited power and cooling capabilities for their business needs. Our clients have high environmental expectations when it comes to choosing a data center, said Bob Stewart, vice president of IT for Tech Vault. Environmentally-conscious companies in our region seek a secure, clean, energy-efficient facility with unlimited power and cooling capabilities for their business needs. We feel that we have created a facility that many companies will find congruent with their own business practices and vision, and we re proud of that, said Stewart. Schneider Electric and Leading Edge Design s expert energy management technology and guidance was key to helping Tech Vault overcome many logistical and financial challenges in data center design and construction. Tech Vault, Leading Edge Design, and Schneider Electric spent eighteen months designing the facility to meet ambitious energy efficiency goals, and completed construction on the 5,000 square foot facility in just over four months. The result is an energy-efficient data center that has access to unlimited power and cooling capabilities to meet customer needs and was qualified for lucrative incentives from Efficiency Vermont for its energyoptimized design. Energy Optimization by Design Following months of preparation, in which Schneider Electric, Leading Edge Design, and Tech Vault laid out the plans to convert an existing facility to a world-class energy-optimized data center, the teams began construction. Tech Vault made use of Schneider Electric s EcoStruxure architecture, a holistic approach that connects the various components of a facility including power, white space, process and machines, building control, and security. This strategy implements an overarching management system to increase energy efficiency, simplify processes, and reduce costs. Active and intelligent energy management relies on the technology, and the tools that monitor them, to generate a transparent stream of power usage information that enables the facility managers to constantly adjust and improve energy efficiency. Tech Vault has described its data center as a soup-to-nuts Schneider Electric house, and for good reason. The data center uses APC InRow cooling racks with rack row containment, centralized management of critical physical equipment with Infrastruxure Central, NetBotz ISP-based environmental monitoring and detection, the Symmetra PX 500-kilowatt power protection Uninterruptible Power System, a modular Power Distribution Unit (PDU), and high-density PDUs at the rack level. The facility also uses Square D electrical switchgear and distribution panels exclusively throughout the site, along with Pelco security hardware, cameras, and software to handle all security systems and monitoring. Tech Vault has also incorporated Schneider Electric s Continuum One controls hardware and software system to monitor and manage the entire data center. As part of its vision for continuous improvement, Tech Vault deployed a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) chart and data collection into the Continuum One software, allowing managers to monitor PUE for any given time range, from hourly to monthly. This enables Tech Vault data center managers to further hone energy efficiency by understanding the behavior of the facility while it s in operation to achieve optimal performance. Green Utility Incentives Many utilities across the country have incentives to encourage commercial customers, including data centers, to implement energy efficient technology and processes. Such efficiency is not only good for the environment, but can also help the utilities avoid costly infrastructure investments associated with growing energy demand. In this instance, Efficiency Vermont proved a valuable partner in the development of the Tech Vault data center. Efficiency Vermont, a nonprofit operated by the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation under the Vermont Public Service Board, provides technical assistance, rebates, and other incentives to help homes and businesses in the state reduce energy costs with energy-efficient equipment, lighting, and other approaches to construction and renovation. Leading Edge Design engaged the group early in the design process, upon completion of the programming phase, and requested input on strategies and products the Continued on page September/October

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5 Special Feature Continued from page 16. team was considering, to garner insight on infrastructure augmentations that could increase efficiency and available incentives. Early engagement with Efficiency Vermont ensured a collaborative relationship between all parties on the project, and enabled Tech Vault to make informed decisions on design strategies and equipment selections based on a complete understanding of incentives and ROI for implementation. Efficiency Vermont was able to provide a number of specific rebates and incentives throughout the Tech Vault data center project, ultimately saving the company significant up-front costs for multiple undertakings designed to make their facility more efficient. These included initial cash incentives, assistance with the incremental cost of improvements throughout the build, and rebates for the estimated first year annual energy savings and for the lifetime carbon dioxide reduction of the facility. In total, Efficiency Vermont was able to provide Tech Vault with over $90,000 in savings over the course of their build. In the LEED LEED certification is a challenge for any building, let alone a data center with high uptime. To date, roughly half a dozen data centers have achieved LEED certification, and all are in new buildings, but Tech Vault was adamant that it could transform a 20 year-old building into a LEED compliant facility. To achieve LEED Gold certification, a facility needs to earn at least 60 out of a possible 100 points in several design categories, including: sustainable site selection, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere conditions, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. Tech Vault also knew it could potentially qualify for 10 bonus points available for innovation in design and regional priority. Energy use proved the greatest challenge: the energy used to light, heat, and cool a data center alone is tremendous. Nearly 80 percent of the points that companies need to earn for LEED certification are associated with the lighting, HVAC, and electrical systems in a building. Schneider Electric helped Tech Efficiency Vermont was able to provide a number of specific rebates and incentives throughout the Tech Vault data center project, ultimately saving the company significant up-front costs for multiple undertakings designed to make their facility more efficient. By understanding the unique demands of the Vermont data center market, Schneider Electric and Leading Edge Design helped Tech Vault develop the most efficient data center in the New England market and meet the growing needs of businesses in the region. Thoughtful planning enabled Tech Vault to realize the benefits of energy optimization: exceeding customer expectations while minimizing its environmental footprint. Russell Senesac is director, Data Center Business Development for APC by Schneider Electric in North America. Since joining APC in 1996, Russell has held various positions in product and business management, including Data Center Systems Manager for APC. Working with a team of engineers and other product management, Senesac conducted extensive research in computer room and data center environments worldwide to understand how data centers are designed, managed and maintained. Senesac will be presenting his session, Energy Efficient and Green Priorities Results in Utility Company Rebates, at the 54th Annual IEC National Convention & Electric Expo. Please join him on Friday, October 14, at 8:00 a.m. to hear him speak. Each utility company develops unique programs to encourage efficiency, so details will vary by location. But in most cases, the utility is keen to engage on projects early in the design process, when the specifics of a project are most malleable. Data center projects are generally evaluated as a custom measure, meaning customers must fill out an application for a custom incentive, either for a new construction project or a retrofit. In addition, most utilities will perform an analysis of the proposed design, in which they compare it against a baseline, which requires detailed technical information on the equipment proposed. To handle the potential complexity, local contractors can coordinate with equipment vendors directly or engage a partner that is familiar with the programs to assist in the qualification stages. Most utilities provide the customer with an incentive offer letter following qualification of the energy efficient technologies in the facility, where they formally commit to funding a certain amount for incentives. Funding, however, is not released until the project is complete and the utility company verifies that all equipment and systems installed are consistent with the previous evaluation. Vault meet this challenge by designing the facility to build out requisite modules for energy efficiency as the facility scaled up over time, spreading out the investment for energy efficiency as demand for the data center s services grows. Tech Vault began its final commissioning process in October 2010 and is anticipating to be certified well within the Gold spectrum, an unprecedented achievement for a data center built in a pre-existing facility. A Model for Success The success of the Tech Vault data center is a testament to the knowledge and dedication of everyone involved, said Todd Boucher, Principal at Leading Edge Design Group. Through careful site planning, analysis of the customer s needs, and deployment of the most efficient technology available, we are happy to have helped Tech Vault exceed expectations in energy optimization and environmental consciousness. This project is a stellar example of a coordinated approach between Schneider Electric, LEED, and our customers yielding great results and performance from day one. 18 September/October