Medical Center Improves Power Efficiency, Reduces Printing

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May 22, 2019

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Information Technology has implemented many initiatives in support of improving power efficiency at its Ackerman Data Center, as well as reducing overall printing across the organization. In 2015, the team upgraded Data Center wiring for power to 3 phase power – a more efficient standard for power. The following year, the organization launched a multi-year project to convert older hardware technologies to newer, more power-efficient technologies.

In 2017, the team installed advanced air flow floor panels and temperature sensors to deliver cool air directly to equipment. This resulted in an increase in the average temperature in the data center by six degrees, which caused air conditioners to run less frequently and last longer, lowering costs and reducing the organization’s carbon footprint. Accomplishments for 2018 included the installation of a data center hot and cold air isolation solution in 35 percent of the data center. This resulted in further efficiencies related to AC run time, power costs and carbon footprint.

Since 2015, these efforts combined have reduced power usage by 41 percent, reduced carbon footprint by 40 percent and have saved approximately $342,000. Building on this success, the team will soon begin to implement hot and cold aisle air isolation throughout the data center. The medical center will continue to share the results of the organization’s success nationally and internationally, and continue to make the data center more sustainable through technology advances and thoughtful practices. 

IT has reported that, organization-wide, the medical center has reduced its overall printing. Since FY2017, the organization has reduced the overall number of imprints by approximately 2.5 percent (more than 2.7 million imprints).