Rittal Participates in LBNL Study

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- At the forefront of data center cooling solutions for several years, Rittal Corporation was pleased to participate in a recently published Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) cooling energy study. The study was hosted by Sun Microsystems and was an important effort to advance the collective industry knowledge of how modular cooling systems still relatively new to the market — can impact data center cooling energy usage when compared to traditional cooling methods.

Rittal Corporation’s LCP+ modular cooling system was a featured product in the study. This high-density modular cooling system is designed to operate effectively with elevated water temperatures without compromising air delivery to the critical IT hardware.

Study parameters used 45°F inlet water as a baseline (all the systems being evaluated could work with this inlet water temperature). Warmer inlet water was then evaluated by two participants who could benefit from the substantial energy savings of using less, or perhaps no, water provided by a chiller. As cited by Accenture, the author of the resulting report, “Two liquid cooling systems were tested that demonstrated effective cooling with water temperature elevated above levels typically supplied by a chiller. One required additional cooling; the other did not.” The Rittal LCP+ did not require additional cooling.

Even minor increases in chilled water temperatures result in significant energy usage reductions. Since chiller energy represents greater than 80% of a data center’s cooling energy consumption, it is clear that impacting chiller energy usage will have a tremendous impact on the effort to reduce overall data center energy consumption. This is where the Rittal LCP+ excels, offering end users substantial energy savings. In many parts of the country, the use of chillers could be all but eliminated, resulting in “free cooling” the majority of the year!

“While more research and testing are needed on this very important topic, Rittal Corporation is excited by the findings of the LBNL study,” said Michael McGuinness, Director of Business Development. “We look forward to continued cooperation in the effort to improve data center energy efficiency.”Rittal Corp.