News

As you already know, there are two kinds of temperature-controlled aisle containment systems: Cold Aisle Containment (CAC) and Hot Aisle Containment Systems (HAC). Today we’re going to look at the installation process of the latter. What is Hot Aisle Containment/HAC? First things first: Let’s do a refresher on what exactly Hot Aisle Containment (HAC) is.

You probably know that data and control centers have to be temperature controlled. But how do they do that? Cold Aisle Containment has to do with aisle containment, or a temperature-controlled layout that impacts servers. There are two kinds of aisle containment, but we’re going to look at Cold Aisle Containment.

Keeping a data center the proper temperature for the maximum level of efficiency and prolonged longevity for the equipment is essential. One of the more common methods of achieving this is through aisle containment. When it comes to Cold Aisle Containment (CAC) as a method of keeping a data center’s server rooms at an optimal temperature, the idea is to keep most of the cool air confined to certain server aisles. Generally, the hot air exhausted from the operation of the machines can be ushered elsewhere. This keeps the warm and cool air from mixing together in the data center…

For many businesses, the heart of their technical operation is the server room. This room houses all the critical data for the organization. Protecting this infrastructure is essential to the functioning of your business, which is why aisle containment is so crucial.

Aisle containment has become an increasingly pervasive option for improving data center cooling efficiency. After all, footing the hefty energy bill for air conditioning can dig a big hole in your bank account. Whether you opt for cold aisle containment or hot aisle containment, you can rest assured that you’ll cut power costs, reduce your carbon footprint and ensure that your data center is optimally cool to operate the racks at maximum efficiency. For the best results, however, data center facilities have to invest in top-notch aisle containment products like ceiling panels, wall panels, containment strips, and, of course, doors.

Energy consumed by data centers to keep their facilities (and racks) acceptably cool can have a huge impact on the company’s bottom-line, overall carbon footprint, and operating costs. One of the most efficient ways to greatly reduce energy usage in a data center environment is aisle containment. This entails the use of aisle containment apparatus like strips, wall panels, doors, ceiling panels, and so forth to create a barrier between exhaust air from hot equipment and cold supply airflow.

There’s no question that cold aisle / hot aisle concept of data center setup is here to stay. But data centers are facing new cooling challenges in the face of accelerating energy consumption rates and rising energy costs. One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that existing cooling systems can keep up with the demands of ongoing technology upgrades and client needs. That’s why most data centers are turning to aisle containment to keep their facilities and cooling infrastructures up and running, as well as keep up with high-density rack loads. The good news is that aisle containment solutions can…

Despite how and why it is produced, excessive heat has long posed a problem for users of machines. When an energy source, such as electricity, is used to provide power to a machine, it is typical to all energy sources to be released in the form of heat. The results of overheating are damage to the equipment used as well as any nearby components and energy waste. The problem of overheating has been addressed in many forms over time.

In order to meet the growing demand of new services and applications, such as block chain technology and other increasingly complex data apps, control rooms and command centers for any and all sized businesses are having to step it up a notch. As a result, more servers and server space is required, presenting organizations with greater challenges with regard to efficiency, manageability, and costs. Increase the number of servers and you’ll require more space. This has begun to spell trouble for the current data center setup as temperature spikes and fluctuations can cause servers to overheat and shut down. In…

Choosing suitable server racks for your data center is one of the most important parts of the initial design phase. When you’re in the market for data center server racks there are several important factors to consider. Here’s a rundown to help you choose the racks that are right for you. Server Rack Size The size of server rack you need will depend on both the type of server equipment you need mounting and the amount that requires enclosure space. When you’re calculating how much space you will need now, don’t forget to factor in future expansion. Server Rack Cooling…

California Title 24 Compliance for Aisle Containment As of July 1, 2014, California’s Title 24 of the Building Efficiency Standards has become mandatory. This means that each newly constructed data center must have a form of airflow containment in the facility. This prevents air recirculating and throughout the facility and causing inadvertent temperature changes. If this is permitted to happen, cooling expenses are higher and over time, equipment will become damaged. One of the best solutions for containment is cold aisle containment. This is comprised of barriers which contains the cool air supply to the IT equipment’s intake, ensuring predictable and uniform temperature throughout the aisle….

5 Things You Need To Know About Air Conditioned Enclosures for Your Data Center Air conditioned enclosures (ACE) are designed to take full control of the temperature inside your data center. They are particularly suitable for hot spots or locations that have neither constant air-conditioning nor room air-conditioning. Here are five things you should know about ACE. Variable configurations: ACE is available in three different configurations designed to optimize the performance of equipment loads. These may be placed within a closet, on a production floor or in an office where the air-conditioning is turned off during weekends. Environmentally friendly cooling:…

5 Tips for Cooling High Density Racks and Hot Spots in Your Data Center or Server Room As a data center operator, you are aware that the average power consumption of a single server rack is around 1.7kW. However, a rack that is filled with high density servers can consume more than 20kW. Such a high load dramatically exceeds the typical data centers power and cooling capacities. In this situation you need to know how to cool hot spots and high density racks. Here are five tips to help you. Spreading the load: this refers to spreading the high density…

Using In-Row Cooling To Reduce Energy Costs In-row cooling (IRC) refers to a form of data center air conditioning, which implements cooling units between server cabinets to offer a direct supply of cool air. Each unit pulls warm exhaust air from the hot aisle, cools it and sends it to the cold aisle, thus maintaining a steady temperature within the server room. Data Center Resource’s IRC is available in three different configurations: Open-loop: this type of system has the plumbing, heat exchange coil, monitoring devices and controls in each single unit. Hot air is drawn from the hot aisle, passed…

Air Flow Systems For Your Data Center Heat is the primary enemy that every data center operator struggles to manage and keep under control. The servers require certain types of conditions in order to thrive and excessive heat can lead to all sorts of problems including reduced server performance and even failure. Air flow is really the vehicle that must be used to eliminate excessive heat and deliver the proper amount of cooling. Fortunately, there are a number of air flow systems for your data center such as rack containment, in-row cooling, room and aisle containment systems. Rack Containment Systems:…

5 Benefits of a Sliding Door for Cool Shield Aisle Containment The Cool Shield aisle containment system is comprised of hundreds of separate components each individually designed to help you get the most out of an efficient cooling infrastructure. At the heart of Cool Shield aisle containment is the Cool Shield channel, which can be configured in a myriad of ways thanks to its combination of threaded and slotted sides. When you choose this type of aisle containment you have the option of hinged or sliding doors. The sliding door option is highly functional and has many great advantages. The…

How Do I Fill Gaps In My Containment? Every data center manager knows that improving the efficiency of their energy consumption is an ongoing battle and aisle containment issues are a necessarily present part of the deal. These days, aisle containment has begun to take precedence when it come s to reducing energy costs, with the most popular form of containment being hot aisle/cold aisle containment. Hot Aisle/Cold Aisle Containment The logic behind this type of containment is that it’s best to isolate the hot air from the cold air to maximize cooling efficiency. By configuring your data center in…

What is Data Center Containment? Data center aisle containment allows you to fully separate cold airflow from exhaust air coming from hot equipment. By creating a separation you can maintain a supply temperature that is uniform and predictable. A large amount of energy is used daily to maintain acceptable intake temperatures for your data center equipment. Though you may not realize it, data center cooling is responsible for 50 percent of your energy consumption. The introduction of containment has had a very positive impact on data center cooling and can save you thousands of dollars every year. Containment Benefits Today’s cutting-edge…

Popular Data Center Cooling Solutions Nowadays, one of the most efficient ways to manage data center temperature is to deploy a hot aisle/cold aislearrangement of server racks. In this type of layout the server rack are aligned in alternating rows in which front of the racks are facing and draw cold air into the rack to cool servers and switches. The back of the rows of racks also face each other so they can expel warm air into a hot aisle. This type of configuration prevents hot and cold air from mixing. Tips for hot aisle/cold aisle containment: Raise the…

Popular Data Center Containment Solutions Data center aisle containment is all about maintaining a cool enough temperature to enable equipment to run optimally. This requires aligning cabinets in a hot aisle/cold aisle configuration, where the cabinet fronts face each other in one row and the rears face each other in the row behind. Strips or panels are used to prevent the cool supply air and the hot exhaust air from mingling, thus increasing the infrastructure’s efficiency and cooling capacity. If you implement aisle containment you can expect 20-50% reduction in cooling costs. Hot or Cold Aisle Containment? In general, both…

What Are Thermal Drop Panels? Aisle containment ceiling panels are a great solution for cold aisle containment in your data center, particularly if your facility has high ceilings or obstructions above your cabinets. One of the challenges with ceiling panels, particularly if you are retrofitting your data center, is not to obstruct your fire suppression release. Thermal drop panels are a perfect solution if you’re looking for a panel that will not prevent your current sprinkler system from performing properly over its designed disbursement area. The clear panels let in ambient light so that your data center personnel can see…

Data Center Aisle Containment Curtains Cost Effectively Seal Gaps Openings One of the biggest expenses of running your data center the cost of heating and cooling. Equally important, setting up a hot aisle/cold aisle containment system in your data center is a great way to save money. In addition, this type of containment system encloses the aisle so that hot air produced by the IT equipment is captured and separated from the cold air. As a result, the rest of the data center is now a cold air return. For example, this type of environmental containment necessitates that the data…

Tips for Installing Drop Ceiling Panels for your Data Center Installing a drop ceiling system in your data center can be a major factor in your efforts to optimize cooling efficiency. Deploying a drop ceiling above the white space addresses several cooling issues, in that it: Reduces the quantity of air that need to be cooled, especially in rooms with high ceilings Increases control of ducted return air in the hot aisle Delivering warmer air to cooling units will increase cooling capacity Allows for implementing hot aisle containment to significantly increase cooling efficiency However a drop ceiling may sometimes present…

Hot Aisle vs. Cold Aisle Containment Data center environmental control is a critical issue in terms of IT efficiency and security. Both cold aisle and hot aisle containment can improve the efficiency of data centers, although currently, cold aisle containment is considered preferable. Here is an overview of both types of data center containment. Hot Aisle Containment A hot aisle containment system is one that that encloses the hot aisle to capture the hot air produced by the equipment, thus separating the hot and cold air and enabling the rest of the data center to become a cold air return….

Finding The Right Aisle Containment System Aisle Containment Panel Walls   An aisle containment system is generally used to separate hot and cold aisles in order to avoid the hot exhaust air and cooler supply air from mixing. This simple concept has proven extremely effective at minimizing cooling costs in the data center. Initially aisle containment systems consisted of physical barriers comprised merely of flexible strip curtains or clear plastic panels. These days, aisle containment systems are becoming more sophisticated, and are designed to be compliant with the new NFPA 75 data center code. The type of aisle containment system…