SynapSense Corporation recently participated in a General Services Administration (GSA) study that demonstrated significant energy consumption reduction and cost savings within data centers that utilized a real-time, environmental monitoring sensor network. The study was from the Green Proving Ground (GPG) program.

The monitoring network, installed at a U.S. Department of Agriculture data center within a GSA facility, provided floor-to-ceiling information on humidity, air pressure and temperature conditions, and utilized data management software to capture and graphically display real-time conditions. Based on this information, data center operators were able to identify and implement specific no-cost, air-flow-management and cooling-efficiency changes to optimize operations.

The first set of results assessing the use of wireless sensor technology in data centers showed significant energy savings. Specifically, with the installation of nearly 600 wireless sensors, the data center’s facilities staff was able to reduce cooling loads by 48 percent, thereby decreasing overall data center energy use by 17 percent. The payback period at the demonstration site was calculated at just less than three and a half years.

The GPG study shows a potential to save $61 million annually if the technology were to be applied across GSA’s portfolio by tenant agencies, which could reduce carbon emissions by 532,000 metric tons. This is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from approximately 104,000 passenger vehicles.

“We’re very pleased with the results of this Green Proving Ground technology assessment,” said Peter Van Deventer, CEO of SynapSense. “The study shows that installing a DCIM network can result in tremendous cost and energy savings, even in a well-designed, well-managed data center operated by an engaged facility staff.”