With data center computers running 24x7x365, even a small
increase in efficiency can really add up. Conceptually “hot
aisle containment” is one of the simplest to envision and one of
the hardest to implement since it normally involves a large
amount of moving of the equipment racks. The concept here is to
prevent the hot and cold air from mixing allowing the data
center cooling devices to get better efficiency. The gains are
large enough that power utilities in California are now doing
rebates, with the University of California at San Diego
partially funding their new data center with energy rebates.
This is an example of a product by American Power Conversion
(APC) that has equipment racks backed up to each other to create
an enclosed area that contains the hot air. This hot aisle is
then evacuated by the data center cooling units allowing for
efficiency increases worthy of rebates from the power companies.
This example can be used to retrofit an existing data center
that has a bit of spare room. However, th