Data Centre Power & Air Conditioning

Description

IT Services are reliant on a data centre that provides continuous power and adequate air conditioning for the IT infrastructure. The components that deliver this are the building electrical infrastructure, UPS systems, generators, data electrical infrastructure and independent air conditioning systems.

IT services are moving to higher density servers, and while this enables the installation of more equipment per square metre of data centre it results in greater demands on air conditioning and power. When combined with the move to centralise outlying corporate data systems and the consolidation of e-research systems into building 28, the capacity of power and air conditioning has reached its capacity.

The difficulties Monash is experiencing with electrical and air conditioning capacity for our data centre are not unique. In fact, it is very common with most companies either building or refurbishing their data centres in the next two years due to these issues. A recent survey of the Data Centre User Group found 46% of respondents cited power limitations as their primary limiting factor.

This project will address this situation and provide an interim solution pending the building of two new data centres in the near future.