We talk a lot about the potential for energy savings in the data center through thoughtful placement, optimal air conditioning, and centralized power management. Today we will talk about how you can save energy in the office.
Unlike data centers, electricity in offices is needed not only by equipment, but also by people. Therefore, it will not be possible to obtain a PUE coefficient here at the level of 1,5β2, as in modern data centers. People need heating, lighting, air conditioning, they use microwave ovens, ride elevators and constantly turn on the coffee maker. IT equipment itself accounts for only 10-20% of energy consumption, and the rest is taken by the equipment necessary for a person.
This often creates problems, since in many cities in the Russian Federation less energy is produced than consumed. , in 2017, this situation developed in 49 regions of the Russian Federation, despite the commissioning of more than 25 GW of capacities over the past 5 years. Large office centers in Moscow and other metropolitan areas often cannot provide a large supply of capacity for each tenant. Therefore, energy optimization remains not only a way to save money, but also a competitive advantage, a method of adapting to modern conditions.
No need to heat (and cool) an empty office
According to statistics, the most expensive is air conditioning. Offices require heating in winter and cooling in summer. Therefore, air conditioners and heating appliances account for more than half of all energy costs. However, other appliances and lighting also make a significant contribution to the monthly cost estimate, which, if desired, can be reduced by tens of percent.
Air conditioners and heaters can run all the time, but it doesn't make any sense if there is no one in the office, for example at night or on weekends. Using programmable thermostats, you can set the switching on and off of climate equipment according to the schedule, so that when the staff arrives at work in the office there is a suitable temperature, but at the same time there are no extra costs at a time when people are simply not at their workplaces.
Window control helps save money
Large windows, typical for modern offices, are the main causes of energy losses. In winter, heat escapes through them, and in summer, air is heated, which then has to be cooled. So if energy efficiency is a priority, something needs to be done about windows. The most effective options include:
- The use of special films and glasses that retain heat (for the northern regions) and do not allow the sun to overheat the air (in the southern regions).
- Installation of roller shutters and blinds with automatic drive. You can program the closing and opening of windows according to a timer, as well as depending on the air temperature in the office and outside.
Can use energy from IT equipment in winter
PCs and servers installed right in the work area not only create a lot of noise, but also heat up the air. The power consumption of a modern computer is on the order of 100-200 W, and even if only 20 people work in an office, their equipment creates heat equivalent to a 2 kW oil cooler.
As desktop virtualization is becoming more and more common these days, it is possible to place all workloads in a server room and provide users with access through energy-efficient thin clients. In addition to increasing comfort in the office in summer, such a move allows you to get additional heating in winter. To do this, you need to consider a ventilation and recovery system (heat transfer) so that the air leaving the server room heats up the office space.
Smart lighting
Lighting costs have become much lower with the advent of LED lamps. Intelligent light control further reduces costs.
Light control module with motion sensor
For example, switches with motion and light sensors allow you to turn on the light only when there are people in the premises, and the street light from the windows is not enough for comfortable work. What's more, modern DALI lamps support intelligent dimming. Based on the readings from the sensors, the control system turns on the luminaires with the power that is necessary to obtain the optimal level of illumination. With this approach, in clear sunny weather, there will be no costs for artificial light in the office at all, and in the late afternoon the lamps will begin to shine brighter.
Electricity conditioning
Power surges and other disturbances are a common occurrence in our power grids. In order to protect sensitive equipment from them, active filters are used. Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) keep critical equipment running during a power outage.
Delta PCS Power Conditioning Unit
An even greater effect can be achieved by installing electric power conditioning. For example, Delta PCS (Power Conditioning System) systems use batteries to compensate for power peaks without placing additional strain on the central grid. In addition, they help to deal with the problem of reactive power. Due to the uneven distribution of the load in the electrical networks (the elevator turned on, someone in the office brews coffee for himself, the cleaner works as a vacuum cleaner), part of the power becomes reactive, resulting in heating of conductors and equipment. The level of losses in this case can range from several units to 50% of the useful power. The reactive power index increases significantly with the increase in the number of electronic devices used in the building. In this case, PCS class solutions can reduce the level of reactive power and significantly reduce energy consumption.
Comprehensive power management
Maximum energy savings can be achieved by using a comprehensive monitoring and energy management system. For example, Delta enteliWEB solutions allow you to manage the engineering systems of a building or office via a web interface. You can connect air conditioners, heaters, lamps and fixtures, as well as household appliances to the control system - in general, any devices with standard interfaces. You can then monitor the power consumption of the entire network, identify load sources, and manage drives and relays for maximum comfort and energy savings at the same time. Just such a solution was presented at the COMPUTEX 2019 exhibition. The βGreenβ cinema (link to the previous post) independently determines the presence and number of spectators in the hall, and also controls the lighting and curtain drives on the windows, changing the lighting before the show, during the session and after its completion.
Delta control system enteliWEB
When you need more energy
Often, the power grid simply cannot provide the company with additional capacity, or its cost is very high. Practice shows that additional batteries and uninterruptible power supplies can be used to ensure peak load. The stored energy will be enough for a short increase in load. For example, shown in Battery Energy Storage systems have been designed specifically to meet these challenges.
New Delta PV Inverters
However, no one cancels the "green" energy that can be obtained from the sun and wind. Modern high-efficiency solar panels can provide a few extra kilowatts, and the Delta PV inverter M70A allows you to use the energy received from the sun, while the efficiency level is 98,7%. In addition to this, the inverter integrates with cloud-based electricity generation monitoring systems.
Source: habr.com