Japanese Insurer Cuts 40% of Air Conditioning Power at Data Center

Nippon Life Insurance Co., a major Japanese insurer, announced on December 28, 2011, that its energy conservation efforts have resulted in an about 40 percent reduction in air conditioning-related power consumption at its data center in Osaka Prefecture.

From October 2009 to January 2010, the company, with the help of IBM Japan, assessed and displayed data center conditions, including the temperature distribution and air conditioner performance; then the insurer optimized the layout of air conditioners and adjusted the air flow volume. This resulted in a reduction of 1.72 million kilowatt-hours in electricity consumption annually.

As the next initiative in 2011, the insurance company adopted IBM Japan's airflow management solutions. By using various measures, such as covering server racks and installing blank panels to seal openings between IT devices, the company separated cool air to servers and warm air exhausted from them. As a result, the company successfully increased the operational efficiency of the air conditioners, leading to an energy use reduction of about 1.3 million kilowatt-hours per year.

In total, these initiatives have reduced electricity consumption by about 40 percent, or about 3 million kilowatt-hours annually, which is enough to satisfy the annual needs of about 880 households. This is equivalent to a reduction of about 1,010 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

Posted: 2012/04/11 06:00:15 AM