Sunday, April 12, 2009

IBM Green Data Center to Save Victoria University Thousands in Power Costs

IBM today announced that Victoria University has selected IBM to design and build the university's first green data center.

As a result of the green technology employed, Victoria University will be able to manage its increasing need for data management for the next decade, while expecting savings of up to $300,000 in power costs over the same period. In addition, the IBM solution will allow the University to achieve a 'single logical data center' across two physical sites underpinned by cost-effective design.

Stephen Weller, Victoria University's Pro Vice Chancellor - Students, said, "The University has 11 campuses and sites from the CBD across Melbourne's west, providing education to more than 45,000 students. The data center is critical to supplying educational services to all our students, as well as supporting the University's administrative functions. With the rapid growth in data, we needed to make sure that we stay ahead of the game, and so acquired a design and solution that would cater for our data center needs for the next 10 years -- including increased power, cooling, space, and floor load capacity."

The project involves IBM implementing a modular design approach to enable the University to minimize start-up energy demands from the existing site electrical supply. IBM will also employ an in-row cooling solution which offers targeted cooling at the heat load source, combined with free cooling chiller plant technology to leverage the favorable Melbourne climate. Smaller uninterruptible power supply (UPS) module sizes will be used to maximize the amount of usable power and UPS efficiency. This will all result in both substantial energy savings and the elimination of hot spots to provide an optimum equipment operating environment.

Energy efficiency is also important to the University. The solution is cost-effective to own and operate, with up to 45 percent less power consumption than a conventional design, potentially saving more than 300,000 kilowatts per year of energy.

"The IBM solution includes a high level of reliability, as the power and cooling systems have been designed for high availability and scalability with little or no downtime. Furthermore, the solution will help the University avoid more than 230 metric tons of CO2 carbon emissions per year," said Malcolm Mackay, IBM Australia Executive, Site and Facilities Services. "This agreement demonstrates the University's technical and environmental leadership."

The agreement was signed in March 2009.

About Victoria University

Victoria University (VU) is a multi-sector institution (Higher Education and TAFE) with excellence in teaching, training, research and scholarship. It offers short courses, as well as qualifications in vocational education (TAFE) and higher education. VU's learning pathways enable students to move from a certificate course through to an advanced diploma, degree, or postgraduate qualification by coursework or research. The university has more than 45,000 students enrolled at local campuses and international sites. It operates primarily at campuses in the western suburbs of Melbourne (Australia), within the Melbourne city center and locations provided by educational partners in Asia and Europe. As the primary university in Melbourne's western region, Victoria University delivers courses, research and engagement activities that are locally relevant and globally significant.

No comments: