Historically, our data centers have been operated as open-air environments where supply and exhaust air were free to mix as we attempted to create homogeneous temperature and humidity levels throughout the facility, and while we provided enough chilled air to neutralize the maximum heat load emitted from all the servers and other technology in the space. In other words, we dramatically overcooled our spaces and managed to invent something called hot spots along the way.
But, about eight years ago, we all finally realized how terribly wasteful this practice really is. Heating up the supply air that we just paid so much to chill and before it could reach the servers that it was intended to cool just doesn’t make sense, does it? So we have all quickly moved to contain our aisles or to segregate chilled supply air from the hot exhaust air in just about any way we could. And, if we do a good job of sealing the air passages there should be no more hot spots to worry about.
I’m afraid to say that I have seen many data center operators stop at this point, which really bothers me because just getting rid of hot spots doesn’t offer much of a return on investment at all. We have to find a better reason to add curtains or barriers that get into everyone’s way-and saving energy is just that.