Unlocking Revenue Through Energy Efficiency in Data Centers

As energy constraints increasingly become a critical bottleneck, optimizing energy usage is pivotal for enhancing revenue per square foot in data centers. Two significant factors influencing revenue are the Peak Demand allowed by utilities and the design Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE). Improving either factor—assuming adjustments can be made to other mechanical systems—enables more space to be allocated to revenue-generating IT loads.

In most U.S. regions, a data center's Peak Demand typically occurs on the hottest day of the year and is driven predominantly by the cooling load. By reducing the temperature and thereby the cooling load on these peak days, Peak+ technology liberates energy that can be redirected towards revenue-generating IT loads.

Consider the following example: a data center in Phoenix, AZ, with an allocated power capacity of 5 MW and a peak PUE design of 1.5. By integrating Peak+ technology, this facility could reduce its peak energy load by 0.7 MW.

Assuming this freed-up 0.7 MW is reallocated to IT loads, and with the average annual revenue per MW in Phoenix at $2.4 million, this adjustment could generate additional potential revenue of $1.6 million annually for the site. When combined with energy savings of $120,000 from improved efficiency, the total additional net income from installing Peak+ in a 5 MW data center amounts to approximately $1.72 million per year.

Such enhancements not only bolster the financial bottom line but also contribute to sustainability goals by reducing overall energy consumption and optimizing existing infrastructure.