As the use of technology continues to increase, the amount of data created grows as well and the need for a place to store all of that information becomes more urgent. The demand for data center space and the ability to safely and efficiently process information are rising, creating a sharp rise in the need for data center providers to expand their capacity. However, to support the growing number of new data centers, a massive amount of energy is required.
Along with the creation of new computing facilities, the demand for efficient power solutions for data centers is also expected to grow at a strong pace over the next few years, according to a new study by MarketsandMarkets. Nearly half of the total cost associated with the operation of a data center comes from power usage, causing companies to develop increasingly efficient energy solutions to help facility managers reduce their power expenditures, as well as their total cost of ownership.
According to the study, providers of power solutions are beginning to broaden their offerings in order to meet the business demands of their data center clients. Vendors are helping facility managers to reduce their infrastructure and operational costs by providing efficient electrical solutions, which also servers to increase data center capacity. A growing number of facilities are employing high-density zones in which each server rack uses more than 10kW, and to fully leverage the benefits of these zones, efficient power solutions are necessary.
Data center power market to grow over next five years
As a result of the growing use of efficient energy, the global data center industry has seen a decreased consumption of electricity over the last two years. While electricity usage is declining, the use of energy in data centers is growing rapidly, and the report estimates that the global data center power market will rise from $15.19 billion this year to more than $23 billion by 2019, increasing at a compound annual growth of 9.3 percent.
Data center power solutions currently contribute to a variety of industry verticals in a vital way, as they offer cost-effective ways to network, as well as enabling facilities to increase their capabilities while maintaining the life cycle of their IT equipment. Energy efficient data center practices are becoming more popular across the globe, but the report expects North America to be the largest region for the global data center power market.
ISG operates multiple data centers in the Midwest and is actively employing energy efficient strategies to keep costs down for clients and protect the environment. At ISG’s Wichita data center, the company has been testing a hot aisle-cool aisle system that captures heat from servers before it can circulate. Heat generated from active servers is captured and directed immediately out of the room to be cooled before it can raise the heat of the surrounding area, while in alternating aisles cool air is pumped in through the floor to keep the room at a constant temperature. Curtis Mead, head of sales for ISG’s data center services segment, says the limited testing of the technique has been so successful that the company plans to expand its use to other aisles within the facility.