As anyone in the tech or IT sectors knows, data centers are a vital component in the smooth running of any business. The utmost care must therefore be taken to ensure that none of the sensitive data it may contain is lost. Among all the problems that can be encountered, the heat emitted by the equipment is one to bear in mind. But do you know the optimum temperature for a data center? If you're looking to cool your data center, you should ideally aim for a range between 18 and 27 degrees.
What temperature is recommended for a data center?
Given the importance of data centers for large corporations, it's vital to guarantee their security and longevity.
In France, and more widely in Europe, there is a standard applicable to manufacturers which requires them to guarantee their equipment for a temperature of between 5 and 40 degrees Celsius. Certified ETSI EN 300-019-1-3, this standard provides an initial temperature range.
In the USA, the weight of large companies using massive data centers is not negligible. Indeed, with firms such as Google, HP and Microsoft, the Americans have had to adapt their server technology solutions. To guarantee the viability of their datacenters, ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) recommends a temperature of between 18 and 27 degrees Celsius.
💡 S ee all our articles on building energy performance
What solutions can be used to achieve this temperature?
To ensure that the optimum temperatures recommended for a data center are reached, several solutions can be considered.
First of all, you can imagine using an air-conditioning system to cool your server room. However, air conditioning is part of the HVAC triad (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning), which represents a company's biggest energy consumers. To be in line with the energy transition, this option should be avoided if possible.
You can turn to another, more ecological solution: cool roofing. Cool roofing involves applying reflective paint to the roof of the data center to reflect the sun's rays back into the atmosphere. This prevents heat from penetrating the building.
Finally, free cooling is another particularly effective cooling system for data centers, but one that requires technical modifications. It exploits outside air to cool equipment without resorting to intensive mechanical systems.
To find out more :
