Case Study: Cutting Data Center Cooling Costs with Indirect Evaporative Cooling (IDC)

A Southern California data center dramatically reduced its energy costs by installing a Dykier Indirect Evaporative Cooling (IDC) system. By leveraging advanced, energy-efficient technology, the facility achieved precise, reliable cooling without the high costs of traditional air conditioning.

Background

The facility - a 45,000 sq. ft. datacenter - experienced extreme indoor temperatures, can reachi up to 130F in summer due to high-power equipment. Offices were cooled separately with traditional AC, while the warehouse required around 385 tons of cooling capacity. The electric bill was approximately $60,000 per month.

Traditional AC for this scale would cost $700,000 to install, but the IDC system was installed for much less. Importantly, the facility needed to meet strict GMP (FDA-monitored) requirements for air cleanliness, humidity, and pressurization due to regulations.

This installation was at a data center, located in Southern California. Their operations were located in a 45,000 sqft space. The outdoor air temperature ranged from 70 degrees in the winter to 110 in the summer.

The datacenter was divided into offices and production space, with 90 percent of it being production space. In the production space were large printing presses used to print the boxes. The rest was production and storage. Due to the high power consumption of the presses the warehouse indoor temperature could reach as high a 130 degrees during the summer. The presses alone produced 150 tons of heat. The offices were cooled separately by traditional air conditioning.

The estimated cooling required to handle the warehouse (and offices) was 385 tons. The cost of a traditional air conditioning system of this capacity is $700,000. The cost of an indirect evaporative cooling (IDC) system is much less.

Since they produce boxes used in the food industry this is a G-M-P facility. This means indoor air quality must comply with F.D.A. standard. A G-M-P facility has requirements for air cleanliness, humidity, and pressurization.

The electric bill was about $60,000 per month.

The Solution

1. We installed a 2-stage indirect cooling system to cool both the warehouse and the datacenter.

2. The old air conditioning, used to cool the offices and presses, was no longer required. These were removed (along with the electricity used to run them).

3. The electric bill was lowered up to 80% per month.

4. All the G-M-P requirements (cleanliness, humidity, temperature, room pressurization) were easily met by the new IDC system.

5. The datacenter space - that formally ran as high as 130 degrees in the summer - was a comfortable 75 degrees year round.

Indirect Evaporative Cooling systems are ideal for a variety of applications including:

1. Laboratories
2. GMP (Government F.D.A Monitored) Facilities
3. Warehouses With Internal Offices
4. Humidity Controlled Environments
5. Environments Requiring Room Pressurization
6. Clean Rooms
7. Food Warehouses
8. Wineries
9. Food Production Facilities
10. Large Indoor Environments Such As Malls and Stadiums

Why IDC Works

We use a process called Indirect Evaporative Cooling (IDC). IDC uses heat exchangers to take advantage of evaporative cooling without introducing moisture into the environment. IDC uses fan motors with small energy requirements instead of compressor motors with BIG energy requirements. We don't compress anything. We don't have to. Traditional air conditioning is inefficient, woefully inefficient. With IDC the cooling is the same and the energy cost is a mere fraction. Our system is continuously monitoring and adjusting to achieve the optimum cooling cost for your facility while maintaining all your quality air requirements!

1. IDC systems have proven to be MORE RELIABLE than traditional air conditioning because they do not require the high pressure / high power of standard systems.

2. IDC systems use a hybrid of indirect and direct evaporative cooling plus a small supplemental traditional air conditioner to achieve minimum power consumption.

3. IDC uses direct evaporative cooling to introduce humidity when required. Traditional systems use air conditioning and add humidity with a humidifier (a horrendous waste of energy).

4. IDC systems are the Greenest cooling systems available requiring only 20% of the power used by a comparable traditional air conditioner.

5. IDC systems use low power fans not high power compressors.

6. IDC systems create positive indoor air pressure. This drives dust and contaminants out of the environment. Traditional systems suck dust and contaminants into the environment.

7.  IDC systems are perfect for low relative humidity areas such as the American Southwest.

8. IDC systems are perfect for any environment with high ventilation requirements.

Conclusion

IDC systems are greener, more efficient, and more reliable than traditional air conditioning. By installing a Dykier IDC system, this Southern California facility achieved massive energy savings while maintaining strict air quality standards - a win for both the environment and operational costs.