13.04.2011
Heat Management - Keeping Cool
Kevin Ager of DAS Business Furniture takes a look at how to cool the people and technology that work in the planet’s most high powered working environments..
Why is a dealer room such a challenging environment for the facilities manager?
Well, there are the general challenges that face all managers – how to reflect corporate values, help people work to the best of their ability and look after their wellbeing, keep up with changing technology, minimise downtime, meet the demands of the changing legislative environment and keep costs down. But then it also has its own unique characteristics, not least how to control an environment in which there is an occupancy density of 7 sq. m. per person and with each workstation generating around 1500 Watts of energy per hour, the equivalent of a fan heater. Add in the pressured nature of the work round the clock working and you can see there is nowhere else quite like it.
How do building systems cope?
Clearly the thermal output of hardware can easily exceed the capabilities of the building’s cooling and air-conditioning systems, or even produce localised hotspots that are uncomfortable to work in and potentially harmful to people and equipment. So the short answer is, they may need some help. Traditional air-conditioning and ventilation systems have an essential role to play, but they may not be enough so solutions are now available that work in conjunction with the building’s infrastructure to maintain an efficient, effective and productive working environment and to ensure that equipment does not overheat.
Why don’t you just move the technology away from the people?
In theory, that is the ideal solution and is frequently possible. For some organisations, it may be possible to house PCs and other equipment in a specialised cold room, but that is seldom an economic solution in financial centres such as London, given the costs of using additional space to create an air-conditioned remote environment and that equipment can be housed within a workstation footprint at no extra cost in terms of floorspace.
What are the wider environmental issues associated with such energy intensive workplaces?
Just like everybody else, financial institutions want to provide workplaces that are as efficient as possible in order to meet their own environmental targets as well as keeping costs to an absolute minimum. These objectives frequently go hand-in-hand and, in meeting them, they can deal with the main issues associated with managing heat and air quality in high performance working environments.
How much energy do the building systems in these workplaces consume?
In a typical office, air conditioning can account for up to 30 per cent of annual electricity consumption with as big an impact on an organisation’s finances as on the environment. This need to cool the workplace doesn’t sit well with the current drive for less emissions and low energy usage in the workplace, especially in light of the growing emphasis on new legislation. It has been calculated that HVAC systems account for up to 40 per cent of all non-transport energy use in theUK, which is why there is continuing pressure for managers and installers to incorporate sustainable, energy-conserving measures wherever possible.
What is the impact of these environments on the people who work in them?
In recent years, the UK has seen a shift in HVAC system energy-consumption patterns from a winter peak to a summer peak, indicating that people are more worried about being too hot than too cold. The risks to workers in conditions that are too hot include dehydration, fatigue, increased heart beat, dizziness, fainting; and cramps due to loss of water and salt. Hot, dry air can also increase the risk of eye and throat infections, and breathing problems such as asthma and rhinitis. Psychologically it can result in stress, fatigue, tiredness and lack of concentration.
And how does the technology cope?
Sometimes, not too well. When a computer becomes too hot, it may shorten its lifespan or even destroy the hardware, leading to irreparable damage and potential data loss. A hot computer also runs slower. So this can be a business critical issue in a fast moving dealer room environment, making this a major concern for financial institutions. Downtime can be catastrophic for many firms so it is vitally important it is kept to an absolute minimum or eliminated altogether.
So what are the solutions?
These are complex and interrelated issues, which is why the whole question of how to cool dealer desks has often been seen as a potentially intransigent problem for the people who design and manage dealer rooms.
As well as well designed and managed architecture and building systems, one solution that aims to resolve this complexity is a product that works in conjunction with the building, the people who work in it and the technology they use.
The workstation itself is specified with systems that can optimise the working environment by providing technology cooling at the desk. With the most advanced systems, such as that from my own firm, these can be fitted either at the time of initial installation or, in some cases, retrofitted to appropriate desks without significantly extending the workplace footprint or having any major implications for other building systems.
These work by drawing ambient air from around the workstation through the computers which transfer the unwanted heat to the air which is then drawn into a fan coil, over a water heat exchanger before being recirculated at slightly below room temperature.
This newly cooled air is then passed over the rear of the desks to further help with cooling and circulation. It does this without any draughts, further enhancing occupant comfort. Existing desks can be upgraded to include the air handling system by simply replacing the central section between two desks.
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Nomura London - The worlds largest water-cooled trading floor
