Smart Data Center Lighting

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Smart Data Center Lighting –

The importance of vertical illumination in Data Center application.

Many times when a lighting design is called for a data center, we come across a common specification to meet the illumination level on a horizontal plane. However, this may not be true for such an application and the critical focus should instead be on the vertical plane. This is because the network or service engineers will need the front of the racks to be brightly and evenly lit for them to carry out the diagnostic tasks efficiently.

We have the split lens optical solution to put the light where it is meant to be. Coupled with integrated sensors and software controls, the solution can be further expanded to provide data collection, energy monitoring and optimization, scheduling and fault analysis with ease from a centralised or even a remote handheld device. With these value-added solutions, you profit from energy-efficient illumination, significant decreases in power usage and a secured and stable ecosystem.

Data Center Lighting – Installing LED lighting in a data center improves energy and cost-efficiency. Utilizing sensors and integrating IOT technologies with LED dimming capabilities further reduces energy and cost through “follow-me” lighting, while additionally introducing asset tracking and reducing overall maintenance costs.

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Standard industry practice recommends 3 level lighting protocol

Level 1: data center unoccupied– there must be adequate brightness for full functionality of security cameras.
Level 2: first entry into the data center– lighting should illuminate passageways for the comfortable navigation of the person in the area
Level 3: occupied space– there must be sufficient vertical illumination for maintenance workers to see the intricate details within the racks. Lighting should be positioned in the middle of the aisles between the racks

The most efficient way to provide light in a data center where it is needed.

Our lighting solutions build future-ready data centers, integrating IoT to improve energy & cost efficiency, security, and eliminate human error. We look forward to becoming your choice partner in implementing a smart data center.

Smart data center lighting solution

“Follow me” lighting provides light where and when it is needed;

In facilities with this type of policy, lights are turned on manually across a large swath of space when a technician enters the racks to get to a particular small section of the site, such as an aisle. Lights often remain on long after the technician has departed because they were never turned off, sometimes simply because the technician doesn’t know whether anyone else is present or not. This scenario creates a perfect opportunity to introduce innovative lighting control techniques.

Facing mounting pressure to improve power usage effectiveness (PUE) and drive uptimes higher, data center operators need to look beyond the IT equipment to the entire facility to lower costs and create high-performing workplaces. Creating an efficient lighting system is a quick and easy way to capture energy savings.

• In a lights on data center, it enables significant dimming and energy savings while providing enough light for security cameras to operate.

• In a lights out data center, it deploys motion-tracked lighting on a “follow-me” basis down individual aisles using only the minimum energy necessary to light the area around occupants. Automated policies ensure lights out behavior in the facility

PERFECT VISIBILITY OF THE ENTIRE RACK

Ensuring adequate vertical illumination from top to bottom of the rack

Ensuring adequate vertical illumination from top to bottom of the rack

Luminaire selection for a data center begins with identifying the needs of a data center. It should be dimmable to achieve the three-level lighting protocol. At Level 3, lighting for maintenance work provides good visibility of the entire rack. Ensuring the correct lighting distribution requires a double asymmetric beam angle (see fig.1) to ensure adequate vertical illumination from top to bottom of the rack

We possess a range of high-performing lighting solutions that meet the stringent requirements of a data centre, and satisfy the beam distribution requirements for good visibility of the equipment. In addition to assisting the selection process and fine-tuning the lighting distribution according to the space, we assist in the supervision, testing, and commissioning of the entire lighting system.

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Benefits of Smart Data Centre Lighting Solutions

Deploying smart LEDs lays the foundation to transform the lighting network for other Internet of Things (IOT) applications. A follow-me lighting approach utilising sensors illuminates when movement is detected. When there is no activity in the data centre, lighting is dimmed down to 10% of its regular brightness (Level 1) to ensure proper monitoring via security cameras of the grounds remotely. Combining LEDs with the follow-me approach is a remarkable strategy to begin the shift towards an energy-efficient data centre and reduce cost & energy consumption exponentially.

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Scalability

We offer plug-and-play lighting solutions, meaning that the installation is quick, easy, and requires less manpower to set up the system. Ease of installation also ensures less human error in the installation process, and light fittings can easily be added and taken away due to the modular system.

Reduce Maintenance

Connected lighting systems with IoT further reduce maintenance costs and become less dependent on physical presence, beginning a shift towards a more remotely operated data centre. Should anything happen to a fixture, an alert sent to a building or operations manager identifies exactly which light in the unit is facing problems. As a result, there is less time required by maintenance staff for regular check-ins. All of the information on the lighting system can be found on a remote device, be it a laptop or mobile handphone.

Security

In data center, though they may not have personnel in the data center at all times, their facilities are accessible at all times. Even when people are not present, as a security precaution, they provide lighting to support video surveillance. To achieve the best video resolution possible, data center operators leave the lights on. This is where dimming can have big impact. While cameras work better with better light, the amount of light required is much less than full power.

Our smart lighting solutions integrated with sensors for three-level lighting protocol establish the basic infrastructure for data centre connectivity. From here, there are limitless possibilities to implement a remotely controlled data centre including live asset tracking & security functions.

Energy Efficiency

LEDs offer a longer lifespan than its fluorescent counterpart. Although LEDs may have a higher upfront cost, it utilises 40% less energy than a fluorescent light of the same measurements. Over time, the energy savings combined with less frequent replacement and maintenance ensures that the cost of the LED is more competitive than the fluorescent.

HVAC costs make up 40%-60% of a data centre’s total energy consumption. Contributing to the overall heat generation in the space are fluorescent tubes, which give off more heat than a LED fixture. Switching to LED fixtures lower heat generation, resulting in overall energy and cost savings.

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Tags: data center, lighting, smart lighting