[April 18, 2012]

Skanska and INERTECH Achieve Lowest PUE to Date

Skanska's Mission Critical Center of Excellence, along with technology and manufacturing partner INERTECH, LLC, announced today its patent-pending eOPTI-TRAX^TMsystem achieved a record-setting 1.012 mechanical Power Utilization Effectiveness (PUE) reading in repeated testing.

The tests were conducted by a leading research team from the University of Maryland's Department of Mechanical Engineering.

This unprecedented low reading leads the data center industry, where the average mechanical PUE for a facility is 1.4 to 1.6 and greater.

"We test systems from manufacturers across the globe," said Dr. Ming Zhang, a researcher from University of Maryland who led a team of third-party researchers in performing the tests. "The efficiency, robustness and automation of the eOPTI-TRAX system are truly unique. These PUE readings are at least four times more efficient than simply moving air under ideal conditions, and much more efficient than traditional systems designed to the same level of reliability."

Additionally, test results reveal the energy efficiency was nearly the same from full capacity down to 30 percent load, solving a problem that has long plagued the data center industry: how to achieve a low PUE and maintain efficiency under lightly loaded IT conditions as well as extreme dense loads.

"Today's breakthrough not only has major data center and IT implications, but also promises to save the business community millions of dollars in missio critical energy costs alone," said Jakob Carnemark, Senior Vice President of Skanska's Mission Critical Center of Excellence. "We are now able to build agile IT infrastructure deployed as needed, and guarantee the PUE under fluctuating load conditions."

"This test dramatically ends the air debate," said Earl Keisling, CEO of INERTECH. "The spread in efficiency multiplies significantly in warmer climates. Moreover, we can handle densities up to 50 kW per rack and also eliminate server fans,saving more than double the system's energy use to achieve net-zero added energy."

Keisling further elaborated: "Now that we are in full production and shipping to clients, we continue to be amazed at what this technology has accomplished and its better-than-predicted performance. The robust system's components require no scheduled maintenance and are fully automated. What's more, the system uses 80 percent less water than traditional systems and can even be configured to use no water, saving millions of gallons of water."

The test aisle was configured with dynamic loads including ramping rack loads up to 32 kW per rack. The system was able to fully handle up to a 93 degree delta T and maintain a controlled environment with a 77 degree aisle temperature while introducing no outside air. The PUE includes all loads to fully cool the system. The system was able to maintain less than two percent total mechanical overhead all the way down to 30 percent loading.

"Businesses are starting to move away from traditional procurement models in order to drive innovation in the supply chain," Carnemark said."As this trend continues to emerge, the job of the Chief Information Officer has evolved to assume a much more active role in the procurement of infrastructure. Now more than ever, the CIO is focused on developing strategic partnerships similar to their approach in applications allowing opportunities for breakthrough innovation."

Skanska USA is one of the largest, most financially sound construction networks in the country serving a broad range of industries including healthcare, education, sports, data centers, government, aviation, transportation, power, energy and water/wastewater. Headquartered in New York with 36 offices across the country, Skanska USA employs approximately 9,400 employees committed to sustainable construction and an injury-free workplace. Skanska USA Building, which specializes in building construction, and Skanska USA Civil, which is focused on civil infrastructure, generated $4.9 billion in revenue in 2011, representing 28 percent of Skanska's global construction revenues. Additional operations in the U.S. include Skanska USA Commercial Development, which pursues commercial development initiatives in select U.S. markets, and Skanska Infrastructure Development Americas, which develops public-private partnerships. Global revenue of parent company Skanska AB, headquartered in Stockholm and listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange, totaled $18.9 billion in 2011.

About INERTECH, LLC

INERTECH designs, engineers and manufactures custom, state-of-the-art modular data pods and energy-efficient cooling systems for enterprise data centers, co-location centers, health care facilities, health care and hospital data collection centers, the Federal sector, including Defense and telecommunication markets.

About Dr. Ming Zhang

Dr. Zhang is an expert in mechanical systems and has led an illustrious career in the field. Having graduated with a master's degree and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, he has received numerous industry awards and accolades. He is an active member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning (ASHRAE), serving as a member for several ASHRAE technical committees. He has numerous technical publications and patents.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]