EPI Releases New Metric "CRUR" Addressing Computer Room Inefficiencies Boosting Sustainability for Data Centers

Singapore, Singapore, March 29, 2022 --(PR.com)-- EPI has released a new metric addressing one of the largest issues in the data centers which is the IT environment and computer room.

PUE has been used, and regularly abused, by data centers to optimize the facilities side of the data center. Although not perfect, it did help the industry to (slowly) improve the facility side of the data center.

“Although we as EPI fully support PUE, it has always been our stand that the real issue to address in data centers is the computer room and the IT environment,” said Edward van Leent, Chairman and CEO of EPI Group of Companies.

“Firstly, every 1kW on the computer room floor will result in a 1.x or even 2.x multiple at the entrance of the data center building. Secondly, is the heavily oversizing and underutilization of data centers. This is and has always been the biggest issue. For years the industry has been following the principle of ‘better design 100kW too much than 1kW too little,” van Leent continued. “It has led to an enormous wastage, not only contributing to negative environmental impact but also erosion of the ROI calculations. Often, investment assumptions of 70-80% filling capacity are not unusual. The fact is that most data centers don’t reach that level. However, nobody at the board level tends to ask what happened to the 70-80% prediction as the money has been spent already, or maybe we should say ‘wasted,’ and the focus is on the next project on the horizon.”

EPI has therefore developed the CRUR metric which stands for “Computer Room Utilization Ratio.” This metric can address two areas for optimization. First is the ICT environment, and second is the computer room and the direct supporting facilities. This metric will provide data center operators/owners with a quick but crucial insight on where they are in their goals for computer room optimization. This metric can be used to create further optimization plans. It can also serve as a lesson learned metric for future data center projects to reduce waste and erosion of ROI, thus leading to better profit margins whilst at the same time addressing sustainability requirements in today’s market.

The CRUR metric is clearly explained in a document which can be downloaded for free from the EPI website. Data centers can also be audited and certified for CRUR.

“This new metric can serve as an excellent complimentary metric to PUE to finally address the real issue for data centers and make the world a better place,” said Edward van Leent.