The joint project from Eaton and HP will develop a fully enclosed IT rack system that provides its own internal power and cooling. High voltage and chilled water will act as the primary inputs to the system and it will also accept alternative energy power sources, such as wind and solar power.
The companies claimed that a major benefit of this system is a 38% reduction in energy use to support a 100kW IT load, which equals a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 400 tons annually.
Thomas Gross, vice chairman and chief operating officer of electrical sector at Eaton, said: ”Eaton is at the forefront of the development of solutions that make our information technology infrastructure more reliable, more sustainable and cost effective. As a global leader in power management, we are well-positioned to work with government and the private sector to maximize the long-term benefits of initiatives like this.”
Doug Oathout, vice president of converged infrastructure at HP, said: “HP and Eaton are working to introduce new technologies that will help businesses reduce power consumption by as much as 40%, lower costs and extend the life of data centers, decreasing the need for new facilities.
”With this grant, Eaton and HP’s combined expertise will enable us to create an innovative technology solution that increases energy efficiency and meets government mandates to reduce carbon emissions while diminishing the need to build new power plants to support data centers.”
On January 6, 2010, Energy Secretary Steven Chu revealed the US Department of Energy initiative, which includes $47m for projects across the country to support the development of new technologies that improve energy efficiency in the IT and communication technology sectors.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the Stimulus Program, will fund the research for development and demonstration projects in three subject areas: equipment and software, power supply chain and cooling.
