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Fujitsu and Fuji Electric Systems Develop Technologies for Designing Eco-Friendly Datacenters

September 29,2009
Fujitsu Limited Fuji Electric Systems Co., Ltd.

- Carbon emissions from IT facilities reduced by 40% -
Figure 1: Energy-saving datacenter operations management system

Tokyo, September 29, 2009 – Fujitsu (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Michiyoshi Mazuka) and Fuji Electric Systems (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Mitsunori Shirakura) today announced that they have jointly developed technologies for designing eco-friendly datacenters.

The technologies include a datacenter operation management system with energy consumption visualization technology, as well as a spot air conditioning system which prevents hot spots from emerging inside the datacenter (patents pending). These technologies promise to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% (*1) for IT facilities, including buildings, machine rooms, power supplies and air conditioners, which collectively account for over half of datacenter energy consumption.

The two companies plan to employ these technologies as the basis for an eco-friendly datacenter solutions business. Fujitsu Limited is currently applying these technologies at the new wing of its Tatebayashi System Center facility, in Tatebayashi, Gunma Prefecture, due to open in November 2009.

The technologies will be exhibited at the Fujitsu booth at CEATEC Japan 2009 from October 6–10 at Makuhari Messe.

About the Technologies

1. Energy-saving datacenter operations management system (Figure 1)

Fujitsu and Fuji Electric Systems have developed technology to visualize energy consumption, from extra high voltage power supplies to server racks, as well as the temperature and air conditioning conditions of a datacenter. Based on this data, the system can enhance datacenter energy efficiency and air conditioning control. This system comprises several key technologies, which are explained below.

(1) Environment-monitoring sensor network
The system incorporates an environment-monitoring sensor network featuring compact, energy-efficient temperature and airflow sensors, developed by Fujitsu Laboratories Limited (*2), in combination with Fujitsu’s proprietary wired ad-hoc networking technology (*3). This makes possible a self-configuring network that requires no special design or configuration, which keeps both deployment and operating costs low while allowing for large-scale, fine-grained environmental sensing with tens of thousands of sensors.
(2) Intelligent power distribution panel
Using newly developed branch breakers with built-in current sensors and high-precision multipoint power-collection equipment, the power distribution panel can monitor in detail each server load. The panel installation areas have been reduced to meet the smaller space requirements of compact server racks.
(3) Power supply optimization and facilities design guidance for datacenter expansion
When expanding IT resources, the system will automatically calculate the most efficient method to run electric wiring from the power distribution panel and breakers, where to install equipment, how to balance three-phase power, and what the air-conditioning requirements will be. This enables optimized cable routing and layout, helping make full use of power distribution panel, uninterruptable power supply systems, and air-conditioning equipment capacity for more efficient facility utilization.
(4) Rack-mounted step down transformer boxes
The management system utilizes a newly developed compact rack-mounted (2U) step down transformer (capacity: 2 kVA, input: 200 V, output: 100 V) for more efficient cabling designs.

2. Spot air conditioning system (Figure 2)

Figure 2: Spot air conditioning system

The spot air conditioning system was developed as a way to eliminate hot spots within a datacenter. The air conditioning system, which uses the headroom above each server rack, employs Fuji Electric Systems technology used in refrigerated showcases for compact, efficient cooling. The system monitors the utilization of IT hardware and operates at an optimal balance of spot and systemic air conditioning to reduce the cooling system's energy demands by roughly 25% over previous systems(*4).

3. Solar cells mounted to vertical noise baffles

Solar cells have been mounted on vertical noise baffles, something that was difficult to accomplish in the past. This takes advantage of lightweight film substrate solar cells from Fuji Electric Systems, and when used in combination with newly developed high-efficiency power conditioners, significant power savings can be achieved.

In addition to these jointly developed technologies, the new wing of the Tatebayashi System Center will benefit from a facility cooling design that uses outside air, common-area heating utilizing exhaust heat, and thermal flow simulations, all to conserve energy.

The two companies are each offering eco-friendly datacenter design solutions. Fujitsu is offering its Green Infrastructure Solution (*5), and Fuji Electric Systems is offering Green IDC (*6). Both companies expect that these technologies will be able to rapidly reduce the power consumption, electrical costs, and environmental footprints of the IT facilities at datacenters, and contribute to a reduced environmental footprint for society as a whole.

Glossary and Notes

1. Reducing CO2 emissions of IT facilities by roughly 40%
Comparison based on Fujitsu's own existing datacenter with comparable computing power as of 2007.
2. Fujitsu Laboratories Limited
Headquarters: Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. President: Kazuo Murano.
3. Wired ad-hoc networking technology
Communications devices automatically establish a network, using packet relay to deliver data to its destination. Applications are being researched for wireless networks. Fujitsu's proprietary ad-hoc technology was successfully applied in wired sensor networks.
4. The cooling system's energy demands by roughly 25% over previous systems
Compared with an air conditioning system with spout below the floor set in a 1000m2 server room.
5. Green Infrastructure Solutions
Building on the energy-saving expertise accumulated by the Fujitsu Group from the more than 50 datacenters it operates throughout Japan, Fujitsu's top-tier facilities construction team can evaluate, design, build and provide operational support for customer facilities.
6. Green IDC
With its specialization in power electronics that freely control and convert electricity, Fuji Electric Systems offers high-efficiency UPS units that prevent servers from going down due to electrical outages, along with energy-saving equipment and high-efficiency air conditioners.

All other company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice.