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At the Munich Euroindustriepark experts from T-Systems and Intel are doing everything to cut power consumption in data centers and thus CO2 emissions sustainably.

A height-adjustable ceiling, a smoke machine to visualize air flows – T-Systems and Intel have had lots of ideas to investigate the energy-efficient interaction of various elements in the data center. The roughly 70 square meter test lab and the equally sized systems room are in T-Systems' largest data center at the Munich Euroindustriepark. Intel is providing around 180 servers for the project, with the systems section of Deutsche Telekom providing the necessary infrastructure for their operation. The partners are planning to publish the results of the first series of experiments online later this year. They are the basis for improving new and future data centers in terms of their environmental impact.

The test lab is the first and only lab worldwide dedicated to the issue of energy efficiency in data centers: Only by looking at all components as a whole does it become clear how they influence each other. While lower levels of cooling may save costs, the fans in the servers turn more quickly as a result of the higher room temperature, increasing energy consumption significantly. Conventional analyses generally look at elements such as servers, air coolers, room volumes and ceiling heights in isolation and quickly reach their limits in terms of energy-efficient implementation.