Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ECO-Qube (Artificial-Intelligence-Augmented Cooling System for Small Data Centres)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-04-01 al 2024-09-30
Information and communication technologies are experiencing a paradigm shift called "edge computing". Emerging digital trends – from artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) to the Internet of Things (IoT) – are making data centres more latency and security sensitive while forcing data centres to be located closer to end users. However, current technologies for hyper scale data centres are not efficient for edge computing systems. Consequently, edge data centres are challenged to keep up with new energy efficiency measures.
Quantitative performance and efficiency measurements and risk mitigation strategies are the weakest points for edge computing systems. In other words, most of the edge computing end users do not know how they can enhance the performance and efficiency while reducing the energy consumption and carbon footprint of their data centre. Moreover, most of the existing hardware and software technologies work independently and reducing the overall efficiency of the systems.
Artificial-Intelligence-Augmented Cooling System for Small Data Centres “ECO-Qube”; is a holistic management system which aims to enhance energy efficiency and cooling performance by orchestrating both hardware and software components in edge computing applications.
ECO-Qube is a data driven approach which utilizes valuable unused data from active data centre components. Created big data is being used by an artificial intelligence augmented system which detects cooling and energy requirements instantaneously.
ECO-Qube differentiates from conventional cooling systems which keep operating temperatures within a strict interval and do not evaluate measurable cooling performance. Unmeasured cooling performance leads underperformed airflow, thermal disequilibrium, and high energy consumption. On the contrary, ECO-Qube offers a zonal heat management system which benefits from Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to adapt cooling system for the best airflow and cooling performance with minimum energy consumption. Moreover, ECO-Qube realizes smart workload orchestration to keep the CPUs at their most energy efficient state and maintain the thermal equilibrium to reduce overheating risk.
Sustainability is another priority for ECO-Qube’s smart energy management system (EMS), which is designed to track the energy demand and operate the energy supply in cooperation with building/district’s EMS. This synergy maximizes the energy supplied from renewable energy sources and minimizes the energy supplied from sources with big carbon footprint.
Quantitative performance and efficiency measurements and risk mitigation strategies are the weakest points for edge computing systems. In other words, most of the edge computing end users do not know how they can enhance the performance and efficiency while reducing the energy consumption and carbon footprint of their data centre. Moreover, most of the existing hardware and software technologies work independently and reducing the overall efficiency of the systems.
Artificial-Intelligence-Augmented Cooling System for Small Data Centres “ECO-Qube”; is a holistic management system which aims to enhance energy efficiency and cooling performance by orchestrating both hardware and software components in edge computing applications.
ECO-Qube is a data driven approach which utilizes valuable unused data from active data centre components. Created big data is being used by an artificial intelligence augmented system which detects cooling and energy requirements instantaneously.
ECO-Qube differentiates from conventional cooling systems which keep operating temperatures within a strict interval and do not evaluate measurable cooling performance. Unmeasured cooling performance leads underperformed airflow, thermal disequilibrium, and high energy consumption. On the contrary, ECO-Qube offers a zonal heat management system which benefits from Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to adapt cooling system for the best airflow and cooling performance with minimum energy consumption. Moreover, ECO-Qube realizes smart workload orchestration to keep the CPUs at their most energy efficient state and maintain the thermal equilibrium to reduce overheating risk.
Sustainability is another priority for ECO-Qube’s smart energy management system (EMS), which is designed to track the energy demand and operate the energy supply in cooperation with building/district’s EMS. This synergy maximizes the energy supplied from renewable energy sources and minimizes the energy supplied from sources with big carbon footprint.
The ECO-Qube project has tackled the pressing challenges of the rapidly expanding EU data centre sector, which is projected to consume 3.2% of Europe’s total energy by 2030. With the rising adoption of AI, digitalization, and edge computing, data centres face increasing energy demands, higher operational costs, hardware inefficiencies, and environmental impacts due to inefficient thermal management. ECO-Qube provides innovative, sustainable solutions to these challenges, employing a holistic, data-driven approach to workload orchestration and cooling optimization.
By leveraging real-time IT and thermal data, ECO-Qube enhances both IT and cooling efficiencies. Its intelligent workload management assigns tasks based on thermal conditions while dynamically controlling cooling systems, achieving substantial reductions in energy consumption, cooling costs, and carbon emissions. These advancements position ECO-Qube at the forefront of the next generation of data centres, which will integrate holistic management models and foster stronger connections to surrounding energy grids to maximize efficiency. ECO-Qube’s energy-aware workload management ensures sustainable, scalable operations that address the demands of a rapidly growing market.
The project’s solutions are particularly relevant given the size and growth of the European data centre market, currently valued at over €45 billion and expected to exceed €100 billion in the coming decade. ECO-Qube’s holistic approach significantly reduces cooling energy consumption and operational costs while cutting carbon emissions, offering a competitive advantage in meeting sustainability goals. These technologies not only address environmental challenges but also deliver substantial economic benefits, making them essential in a market increasingly focused on efficiency and resilience.
The project demonstrated its impact through significant improvements across three pilot sites. Simulations comparing pre- and post-implementation performance showed consistent energy savings of 6-7% annually, with notable reductions in cooling energy usage of up to 34-35%. Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) improved by 8.99-9.79%, reflecting optimized energy utilization, while CO2 emissions decreased by 15% with the smart energy management system and by 6-7% operational efficiency gains, aligning with environmental sustainability goals. Operational expenditures also decreased by 6-7%, reflecting the economic efficiency of the design.
Beyond technical and economic advancements, ECO-Qube has significantly contributed to academic research, offering open-access publications and publicly available datasets that enhance the understanding of sustainable data centre management. These resources have enriched the academic discourse and inspired further exploration in this critical field. ECO-Qube’s contributions extend far beyond its immediate application, shaping the future of data centre innovation, efficiency, and sustainability.
By leveraging real-time IT and thermal data, ECO-Qube enhances both IT and cooling efficiencies. Its intelligent workload management assigns tasks based on thermal conditions while dynamically controlling cooling systems, achieving substantial reductions in energy consumption, cooling costs, and carbon emissions. These advancements position ECO-Qube at the forefront of the next generation of data centres, which will integrate holistic management models and foster stronger connections to surrounding energy grids to maximize efficiency. ECO-Qube’s energy-aware workload management ensures sustainable, scalable operations that address the demands of a rapidly growing market.
The project’s solutions are particularly relevant given the size and growth of the European data centre market, currently valued at over €45 billion and expected to exceed €100 billion in the coming decade. ECO-Qube’s holistic approach significantly reduces cooling energy consumption and operational costs while cutting carbon emissions, offering a competitive advantage in meeting sustainability goals. These technologies not only address environmental challenges but also deliver substantial economic benefits, making them essential in a market increasingly focused on efficiency and resilience.
The project demonstrated its impact through significant improvements across three pilot sites. Simulations comparing pre- and post-implementation performance showed consistent energy savings of 6-7% annually, with notable reductions in cooling energy usage of up to 34-35%. Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) improved by 8.99-9.79%, reflecting optimized energy utilization, while CO2 emissions decreased by 15% with the smart energy management system and by 6-7% operational efficiency gains, aligning with environmental sustainability goals. Operational expenditures also decreased by 6-7%, reflecting the economic efficiency of the design.
Beyond technical and economic advancements, ECO-Qube has significantly contributed to academic research, offering open-access publications and publicly available datasets that enhance the understanding of sustainable data centre management. These resources have enriched the academic discourse and inspired further exploration in this critical field. ECO-Qube’s contributions extend far beyond its immediate application, shaping the future of data centre innovation, efficiency, and sustainability.
The ECO-Qube project, initiated four years ago, remains a pioneering effort in developing a data-oriented holistic management system for edge data centres. Its innovative approach integrates intelligent workload orchestration and energy-efficient cooling optimization, addressing both IT and cooling systems in a unified framework. Unlike conventional data centre solutions, ECO-Qube focuses on real-time data integration from diverse components, enabling adaptive, AI-driven energy management. This positions the project at the forefront of sustainable data centre management, a critical need given the rapid expansion of edge computing and the growing energy footprint of digital infrastructure.
Since its inception, ECO-Qube has made significant progress beyond the state of the art. The project has demonstrated that a holistic management system can achieve substantial energy savings, reducing cooling energy usage by 34-35% and improving Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) by nearly 10%. These advancements underscore its potential to set new benchmarks for energy efficiency and sustainability in edge data centres. Additionally, its success has garnered attention from leading industry platforms such as the Open Compute Project, which has showcased ECO-Qube at its events, highlighting its relevance and market impact.
Wider societal implications include the potential for ECO-Qube to drive greener technologies and foster sustainable practices in the data centre industry. By publishing open-access data and sharing insights through academic and industry channels, the project has already influenced the broader discourse on data centre sustainability. Its solutions not only address immediate operational challenges but also pave the way for long-term advancements in energy-efficient digital infrastructure, benefiting industries, communities, and the environment alike.
Since its inception, ECO-Qube has made significant progress beyond the state of the art. The project has demonstrated that a holistic management system can achieve substantial energy savings, reducing cooling energy usage by 34-35% and improving Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) by nearly 10%. These advancements underscore its potential to set new benchmarks for energy efficiency and sustainability in edge data centres. Additionally, its success has garnered attention from leading industry platforms such as the Open Compute Project, which has showcased ECO-Qube at its events, highlighting its relevance and market impact.
Wider societal implications include the potential for ECO-Qube to drive greener technologies and foster sustainable practices in the data centre industry. By publishing open-access data and sharing insights through academic and industry channels, the project has already influenced the broader discourse on data centre sustainability. Its solutions not only address immediate operational challenges but also pave the way for long-term advancements in energy-efficient digital infrastructure, benefiting industries, communities, and the environment alike.