In today’s digital era, data centers have become the backbone of the global information infrastructure, powering everything from cloud computing services to online transactions. However, as these centers expand and scale to meet the growing demands of data storage and processing, energy consumption has surged, creating a significant environmental and financial challenge. According to recent studies, data centers account for a substantial portion of global electricity usage, making energy optimization an urgent priority for organizations aiming to reduce costs and environmental impact.

The Optimization of Energy Use in Data Centers course, provided by The British Academy for Training and Development, offers professionals a comprehensive understanding of the strategies, technologies, and practices necessary to reduce energy consumption in data centers while maintaining optimal performance. This course will guide participants through the critical aspects of energy management, from designing energy-efficient data centers to implementing advanced cooling techniques and monitoring tools.

Who Should Attend?

• Data Center Managers and Operations Teams seeking to enhance energy efficiency in existing data centers.
• IT Professionals interested in understanding how their infrastructure impacts energy consumption and how to mitigate it.
• Facility Managers tasked with overseeing the physical aspects of data center energy systems, such as HVAC, lighting, and cooling systems.
• Energy Managers and Sustainability Officers working to integrate energy-saving strategies within their organizations or clients' data centers.
• Consultants and Design Engineers involved in the design, construction, or renovation of energy-efficient data centers.

Knowledge and Benefits:

After completing the program, participants will be able to master the following:

• Understand the key factors that contribute to high energy consumption in data centers and how to mitigate them.
• Implement energy-saving technologies such as advanced cooling systems, power management tools, and virtualization techniques to optimize energy use.
• Design and manage energy-efficient data centers by applying best practices in energy monitoring, capacity planning, and energy performance metrics.

• Energy Consumption in Data Centers

  • Overview of energy use in data centers and its growing importance.
  • The environmental impact of excessive energy consumption and its role in sustainability goals.
  • Understanding the main components contributing to energy use: servers, cooling systems, and power infrastructure.

• Key Drivers of Energy Inefficiency

  • The role of underutilized servers and inefficient power distribution in high energy costs.
  • The impact of legacy equipment and outdated infrastructure on energy consumption.
  • How poor facility management practices can contribute to energy wastage.

• Global Trends and Regulatory Frameworks

  • International energy efficiency standards and regulations affecting data centers (e.g., EU Code of Conduct, Energy Star, LEED).
  • Trends in data center energy consumption and the move towards greener technologies.
  • Understanding the business case for energy optimization in data centers, from cost savings to corporate social responsibility (CSR).

• Energy-efficient Infrastructure Design

  • Key principles of energy-efficient data center design: layout, cooling, and energy supply.
  • The importance of modular design and scalability in reducing energy waste.
  • Optimizing server utilization through virtualization and server consolidation.

• Cooling Systems and Strategies

  • The role of cooling systems in energy consumption and how to reduce their energy footprint.
  • Best practices for efficient cooling: hot aisle/cold aisle containment, free cooling, and liquid cooling.
  • How to select and implement the right cooling technology based on data center needs.

• Power Supply Optimization

  • Understanding power distribution units (PDUs) and their efficiency in a data center environment.
  • The role of power factor correction and high-efficiency UPS (uninterruptible power supplies).
  • Best practices for load balancing and reducing electrical losses.

• Free Cooling and Air-side Economization

  • The concept of free cooling and how external environmental conditions can be leveraged for cooling.
  • The benefits and challenges of air-side economization for cooling in warmer climates.
  • Implementing hybrid cooling systems to optimize both energy efficiency and cooling capacity.

• Liquid Cooling Systems

  • Introduction to liquid cooling and its advantages over traditional air cooling methods.
  • How to design and implement liquid cooling systems for high-density server environments.
  • The economic and environmental benefits of liquid cooling over air conditioning.

• Data Center Layout and Cooling Optimization

  • Optimizing the physical layout of a data center for better airflow and cooling efficiency.
  • The importance of airflow management in reducing cooling energy consumption.
  • Case studies of companies that have successfully reduced energy use through cooling system optimization.

• Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and Other Metrics

  • Understanding PUE as a key metric for measuring energy efficiency in data centers.
  • How to calculate PUE and improve it through better management practices.
  • Other relevant metrics for energy efficiency: DCiE, WUE, and energy usage per transaction.

• Energy Management Systems (EMS)

  • The role of EMS in monitoring and managing energy consumption in real-time.
  • Key features of an effective energy management system, including data logging and reporting.
  • How to use EMS data to identify inefficiencies and optimize energy use across the entire data center.

• Capacity Planning and Load Balancing

  • The importance of accurate capacity planning in avoiding energy waste.
  • Tools and techniques for load balancing to ensure servers operate at optimal efficiency.
  • Strategies for dynamically managing power loads to reduce energy spikes.

• The Role of Virtualization in Energy Efficiency

  • How virtualization reduces the need for physical servers and optimizes energy use.
  • Key virtualization technologies and their impact on energy savings.
  • Best practices for implementing virtualization in a data center environment.

• Cloud Computing and Energy Efficiency

  • The energy efficiency benefits of cloud computing and shared resources.
  • How cloud providers optimize energy use through multi-tenant infrastructures and resource pooling.
  • Evaluating the trade-offs between private, public, and hybrid cloud solutions in terms of energy use.

• Optimizing IT Workloads and Resource Allocation

  • The importance of efficient workload management to minimize energy waste.
  • Tools for automating resource allocation based on real-time demand.
  • How to leverage predictive analytics to optimize IT resource usage and reduce energy consumption.

• Energy Efficiency Strategies for Existing Data Centers

  • How to audit and assess the energy performance of an existing data center.
  • Identifying key areas of improvement, from server optimization to cooling upgrades.
  • Creating an energy optimization roadmap with clear, measurable goals.

• Renewable Energy Integration

  • Integrating renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, into data center operations.
  • How to assess the feasibility of renewable energy projects based on location and available resources.
  • The benefits and challenges of hybrid systems that combine traditional and renewable power sources.

• Long-term Energy Management and Sustainability

  • Building a culture of continuous improvement in energy management within data centers.
  • Monitoring energy efficiency over time and implementing corrective actions when necessary.
  • How to maintain compliance with evolving regulations and achieve sustainability certifications (e.g., LEED, ISO 50001).