Data Center Aisle Containment has emerged as an effective strategy for increasing an existing data center’s capacity to support higher density rack loads. The issue for many customers is determining how to implement aisle containment in their data center and what product, strategy, and project plan are right for them. Vendors of aisle containment systems can offer advice, but customers are concerned that this is limited to the product set that the vendor can provide.
Evaluating Aisle Containment Solutions
A persistent discussion in the data center industry is arguing the benefits of hot aisle containment systems (HACS) versus cold aisle containment systems (CACS). The reality is that both containment strategies are effective. Customers need to first understand the characteristics of their existing facility and then use that profile to determine the right aisle containment strategy for their environment.
By implementing aisle containment, we can increase the return air temperature to data center CRAC units, thus increasing the usable cooling capacity in the data center space. Before evaluating aisle containment, it is important for data center operators to measure their existing return temperature conditions; it will provide a perspective on the operation of their current cooling system and provide a critical benchmark to improve upon through an aisle containment implementation
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