Whilst legislation and regulation will enforce improvement in standards The University strategy is based on adopting a proactive regime, which will both meet and where possible exceed all applicable requirements and develop solutions to energy issues.
The Keele University IT server room was previously cooled using two wall mounted air conditioning units, however, the load in the area needed to be increased and additional cooling was required to ensure equipment was running at optimal temperatures.
Therefore, in line with the University of Keele energy management strategy, rather than installing another refrigeration-based air conditioning unit, the Estates Department wanted to fit something more environmentally friendly and EcoCooling were approached to provide a solution.
The EcoCooling units are able to save up to 90% of cooling costs when compared to traditional refrigeration-based air conditioning as well as significantly reduce carbon emissions in the environment.
- Client
- Location Keele, United Kingdom
The Solution
A single down discharge EcoCooler was installed on top of the existing roof light. The unit contains two non-return shutters on either side to allow the warm air to be extracted from the area.
The unit introduces cool filtered air down the center of the area, this air is then extracted through the shutters once it has warmed up and is no longer required to cool the building.
A patented attemperation system maintains a constant temperature supply to the IT equipment. The hot air is mixed with ambient or evaporatively cooled air, using a single damper. When the external temperature rises over a set point the evaporative cooling is enabled to ensure either the typical target air supply temperature of 21C is achieved or slightly over during the very hottest periods.
A standard EcoCooler CREC module will supply ~3 cubic meters per second which can support over 35kW of IT load. Keele are expecting to save 90% on their energy bills compared to an equivalent air conditioning system. The Server room has become a sustainable and environmentally friendly building that has significantly reduced its carbon output.
