Existing metrics, codes and technologies for HVAC design of energy-efficient data centre: A literature review

The data centre energy demand increased rapidly because the explosion of IT industry, and the annual increasing rate will keep as high as 20% in the predictable future. Until 2013, there are over 1000 large colocation data centres from 24 countries in EU and 562 from China, taken 1.3% and 1.2% energy from the whole social energy consumption respectively. However, in a typical EU data centre, 40% energy is used for HAVC and 10% is relevant to the building itself, both of which have a huge energy saving potential by applying advanced HAVC technologies and proper building design strategies. This paper reviewed the codes and standards for energy-efficient data centre, as well as relevant techniques in term of data centre HVAC system design. The most widely used data centre energy efficacy metrics and benchmarks are studies, the requirements of codes from main countries are compared and analysed, such as Chinese “DB31/651-2012: The norm of Data centre Unit Energy Effectiveness” and “The EU Code of Conduct on Data Centres”. Meanwhile, a number of data centre adoptable energy saving system (mainly represent by cooling system) are investigated. By investigation and comparison of metrics, code and techniques mainly including cooling and energy recovery, the energy efficiency requirements emphasis and the features of available energy saving techniques for data centre are summarised in this paper. Although the code requirement is higher and higher, and the technologies are keep improving, obvious shortcomings still exist in sustainability and economic aspects which are discussed in the end of this review.