“๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ๐ปโ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ช๐ฒ๐๐….”
That was the response from Chandra Irawan, when I asked the question:
โ๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ค๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ค๐ ๐ช๐จ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ก๐๐๐ง๐ฃ, ๐ง๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ง๐๐จ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐๐, ๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฎ?”
And I think he managed to answer that question.โฆ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ณ๐๐น๐น๐.
He reminded me that the first principle of Tagar#sustainability is not about technology. It comes from basic principle of ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐, including how we design the building facility in the first place.
.
.
.
When I came home, I decided to give some thoughts about it.
Building orientation significantly affects a data centerโs cooling requirements, especially in regions with strong afternoon sun.
A west-facing data center is exposed to the most intense solar radiation during the hottest part of the day.
This results in higher heat gain within the building, directly increasing the cooling load required to maintain optimal operating temperatures for servers and equipment.
๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ต๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ.
If your windows face west, you know how hot they get in the afternoon when the sun is strongest.
The same thing happens with data centers.
If a data center faces west, it gets blasted by the hottest sun of the day, making the building much warmer inside.
๐๐ฒ๐โ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐
Cooling is a major operational expense for data centers, often comprising a significant portion of total energy costs….up to 60% of their operating expenses.
If a data center faces west, the increased solar heat gain leads to:
1๏ธโฃ Higher energy consumption for air conditioning systems.
2๏ธโฃ Greater wear and tear on cooling equipment, increasing maintenance needs.
3๏ธโฃ Potentially reduced servers lifespan due to higher and more variable internal temperatures.
๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐?
Best practices for data center design generally discourage the use of exterior windows, particularly on west-facing walls.
This is not only due to energy efficiency concerns but also because of security and weather-related risks.
West-facing windows or facades are more vulnerable to severe weather events and can represent a physical security risk.
๐ ๐ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ-๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐?
Sometimes, the simplest design choices make the biggest difference!
If you want your data center to be energy-efficient, cost-effective, and safe, donโt build it facing west.
Thanks to ABB and Asosiasi Penyelenggara Data Center Indonesia – IDPRO for bringing us all together, so we can continue learning, sharing, and reminding these lessons in our community.
#datacenter
#resilience
#greenertomorrow
#expertday
