Cooling Solution for National Bandwidth Upgrade Reduces Costs
Case Study
Background
This leading telecom operator was upgrading core backbone network bandwidth with very energy dense equipment that stretched existing cooling capabilities. It wanted to implement hot and cold aisle containment to control air flow for more efficient heat management across 30/40/110 metro node sites and improve sustainability to meet corporate environmental targets.
The challenge
Every project site was different, most having been built in the 1960s but not originally as data centres. Therefore, each site required a bespoke solution to get round challenges such as varying ceiling heights, columns located in different places and floors that weren’t suspended. Â
Rainford needed to implement hot and cold aisle containment to achieve the desired cooling efficiencies, while keeping existing rack format and security standards and integrate with existing overhead cable management systems that had been developed over many years. Â
Our approach
Following a series of site visits to understand the variety of mechanical challenges across the estate design concepts for flexible configurability were developed in 3D and iteratively refined with the customer’s project team and various specialist in-house standard owners.
Over six months our engineers worked closely with the in-house team revising solutions, involving electrical specifications, weight considerations and security to set the blueprint for a flexible solution that could be rolled out. Â
 A full-scale prototype was built for inspection and testing of the various features and any further fine tuning.
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Our solution
Hot and cold aisle solutions with flexibility for installation into even the most awkward site that interfaces perfectly with legacy infrastructure were delivered. We easily overcame project complexities to satisfy the client’s own rigorous standards as well as health and safety issues such as working above two metre heights while managing power and fibre optic cables.  Â
Outcome
To date, ten sites have been upgraded and over 800 racks configured in 50 hot and cold aisle contained pods. The customer continues to deploy the new equipment upgrade while controlling energy utilisation for cost effectiveness as well as to meet its corporate sustainability objectives.