Founded in 2002, Brightstar’s core strengths lay in its technical excellence and world class customer service. Initially offering a suite of IT solutions they quickly became a fully fledged Internet Service Provider in 2006. Focusing is on resilient high speed circuits and a suite of data centre solutions globally.
The data centre is at the heart of their business, whether it’s on-premise, off-premise, in the cloud or a hybrid architecture. They have a range of data centre options to suit every business requirement from resilience, control, data sovereignty and cost control.
Customer service is underpinned through proven processes and procedures and they regularly use client feedback to ensure performance remains at its best.
The challenge
Following rapid expansion, Brightstar undertook an extensive review of its data centre cooling infrastructure as the significant cost of maintaining constant controlled temperatures within this highly sensitive environment was an ongoing challenge that they were determined to solve.
Brightstar put out to tender the refurbishment works for their flagship data centre at their Weston Road site in Crewe to provide a system which is compliant to the application conditions. Up until then, the data centres had been cooled by DX Refrigeration CRACS (Computer Room Air Conditioning Systems). Due to the high cost of running the CRACS consideration was given to new technologies to provide both data centres on site with low energy cooling systems to cater for the future business challenges.
With the traditional legacy system using refrigerants that contravene new regulations and with the equipment coming to ‘end of life’ the cost of maintaining and repairing the CRACS was now untenable.
The directors of the business wanted to further future proof the provision for cooling by delivering on their commitments to reduce their carbon footprint. A factor that was increasingly important to their customers and a core commercial consideration that needed to be addressed directly.
It was also stipulated that there be a requirement for N+1 redundancy in the evaporative cooling system solution specifying a minimum 90 kW cooling load requirement at all times. This was important to counter the commercial consideration that a 5 minute downtime in the data centre integrity had a potential £6million cost to Brightstar’s clients and as such was business critical that they find a robust and reliable cooling system for critical environment conditions.
“Evaporative cooling was an attractive consideration but it was difficult to find technical expertise and credible proof of concept specifically for our data centre cooling challenges. That was until we found Cosaf.”
- Spencer JOHNSON - Infrastructure Manager, (EMEA), Brightstar
The solution
Cosaf was recommended to Spencer Johnson by a contact as the leading end-to-end solution provider in the UK. Given that Evaporative Cooling was a new technology in the provision of data centre cooling it was important to find a partner who could design, specify and install a solution while at the same time agnostically recommend the right product that was fit for purpose.
Cosaf designed and specified an ITEC system housed in a simple, clean, ultra-modernised plastic casing specially developed to withstand all weather conditions. Its state-of-the-art components include an innovative water distribution system, which delivers continuous, balanced water coverage to all the pads. The world-patented system ensures maximum cooling efficiency and minimal maintenance problems. An innovative design, the ITEC includes an aerodynamic fan, which provides a constant, even flow of air over the pads to provide a welcome cool breeze with minimal noise and the lowest energy consumption.
The units were located on the roof of the data centre and galvanised supply air ductwork delivered conditioned air directly into the server room via ceiling diffusers. Warm return air is then removed from the space via a range of galvanised ductwork run within the ceiling void and either discharged to atmosphere during the warmer months or returned to the supply air to temper and maintain a minimum supply air temperature. A system of attemperation dampers divert the air back into the space or to atmosphere depending on temperature conditions.
Further demonstrating Cosaf’s depth of expertise a fully automated control system was installed. This bespoke control system continuously sources live meteorological data to monitor all parameters in order to optimise efficiency and maximise ROI.
A dedicated control panel was provided to each building c/w door interlocked isolator, necessary transformers, fire alarm relay, fan speed controllers, water management controls and relays. Field control devices were added to all necessary space temperature and humidity sensors, external sensors and damper actuators were also installed by Cosaf’s dedicated specialist ITEC team.
The benefit
“Having a design consultant, product specifier and specialist installation team all under one roof was a significant deciding factor that surpassed expectation at all levels. The project was managed with great attention and the results are off the scale”
- Spencer JOHNSON - Infrastructure Manager, (EMEA), Brightstar
Against a general perception that ITEC along with the critical integration of bespoke control systems was being misunderstood in the market Brightstar engaged Cosaf with over 30 years HVAC experience to deliver a highly credible alternative to the traditional cooling CRACS system. Cosaf have gone on to surpass all commercial and technical criteria and customer expectation in terms of performance, reliability and above all cost saving.
Below is a table showing the savings achieved by using ITEC solutions:
To find out more, download our ITEC brochure below.
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