Why Environmental Monitoring Can’t Wait Until Construction Wraps Up
Failing to monitor environmental conditions during build-out can create problems downstream, particularly for data centers. Environmental monitoring built for construction sites uncovers humidity swings, temperature drift, and leaks before you install equipment and the issue becomes more costly to fix.
In construction, it’s common to leave environmental monitoring to the building operator post-construction. But data center environmental monitoring should be fully operational before the facility opens. That rogue leak you didn’t find during construction can fry the servers on the very first day.
Environmental Factors to Track During a Data Center Build
Understanding how IAQ monitoring supports construction and renovation projects will help you decide what to measure during build-out. Data centers commonly use the following environmental sensors:
Temperature: Servers and other equipment generate a lot of heat. If you can’t cool this area of the building, machines and components fail.
Humidity: Computer equipment is sensitive to water. Monitoring humidity levels prevents condensation from short-circuiting this equipment. It also prevents mold growth and corrosion. If the air is too dry, static buildup and discharge can shock and destroy microchips.
Airflow and Differential Pressure: Measuring airflow and differential pressure while building a data center ensures efficient cooling after you install equipment.
Water Leak Detection: Sensors help you find and fix leaks before water gets into the server room and damages equipment.
Monitoring air quality during construction also helps you measure particulate levels after painting and construction, so you don’t move any equipment into the facility until there’s nothing floating around that could damage servers.
Where to Place Sensors for Reliable Coverage
Placement is essential for reliable environmental monitoring in a data center.
Imagine if your doctor installed a pacemaker in the wrong place. You aren’t fixing the initial heart rhythm issue, and you could end up with more damage. In a data center, you want sensors at rack intake points and floor level to detect leaks.
You also need adequate coverage across hot and cold zones. Place airflow and pressure sensors within hot and cold aisles to make sure airflow is contained. Place temperature and humidity sensors at server intake paths to maintain the proper environment.
Connectivity, Protocols, and Fitting Into Existing Systems
Choose data center environmental monitoring sensors that work with existing data center infrastructure management (DCIM) or other software for centralized visibility. Environmental monitoring solutions that integrate with the existing DCIM platform feed data into a single platform instead of forcing your building manager to look at multiple platforms. Look at the full range of sensor types a building monitoring platform supports before installing it in your data center.
You can choose between wired and wireless systems, which offer different benefits in an active construction environment. Wireless systems don’t require you to route cable, conduits, and other infrastructure. But physical barriers such as concrete, metal studs, and heavy machinery can disrupt wireless signals. Wired systems aren’t impacted by these obstacles.
What to Look For in a Monitoring Partner
The right partner can help you create the data center temperature and humidity sensor infrastructure you need during construction and make sure it operates correctly once the building is operational.
You want a solution with accurate sensors that are easy to calibrate and a system that scales from construction monitoring to long-term operations. Consider a solution that lets you monitor asset conditions across a building portfolio, including your data centers.
Attune’s environmental monitoring solution is versatile, enabling you to monitor conditions during and after construction. You can customize thresholds for different project requirements, meaning your humidity sensors in the server room can be set to trigger HVAC automations at different temperatures than those in the lobby. Our solution is easy to set up and takedown, and it integrates with DCIM and other building management systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Top 5 Data Center Environmental Monitoring Systems?
Data center environmental monitoring systems use sensors to track temperature, humidity, airflow, pressure differential, and water leaks. The top vendors understand ASRAE data center standards and how to configure the system to best monitor environmental conditions.
What are Tier 1, 2, 3, and 4 Data Centers?
Data centers are categorized by their specific infrastructure. Tier 1 data centers have no redundancy, which means you have to schedule downtime for maintenance. Tier 2 data centers have partial redundancies, but you still have to schedule downtime to maintain them.
Tier 3 data centers have enough redundancy built in to maintain the system while it is operating concurrently. Tier 4 data centers are fully redundant and average about 27 minutes of downtime per year.
What are the Different Types of Environmental Sensors?
Different types of environmental sensors collect and report data from indoor and outdoor environments. Common sensors for indoor environments include temperature and humidity, indoor air quality, light and UV sensors, water leak and flood sensors, and sound level sensors.
Get Environmental Monitoring in Place Before the First Rack Goes In
Monitoring data center environmental quality during construction enables you to find potential operational hazards before installing your first rack. Sensors help you detect temperature and humidity fluctuations and airflow hazards that can damage costly equipment.
A good data center environmental monitoring system can adapt to handle post-construction monitoring needs. Attune’s unified monitoring platform connects with your DCIM to provide centralized visibility into the critical systems keeping your data center up and running.
Contact us today to find out how you can stay on top of data center environmental quality through build-out and beyond.
