Description
Frankfurt: the city with the highest density of data centers in Europe. In 2008, the German branch of Citigroup launched a particularly energy-efficient model, the Frankfurt Data Center (FDC).
Page 1/6
Case Study
Zug, April 16, 2015
Cool and green:
Citigroup’s Frankfurt Data Center
In Frankfurt, Siemens helps optimize Citigroup’s data center. When it comes to
building automation, security technology and power supply, the Siemens divisions
Building Technologies and Energy Management deliver numerous customer
benefits through seamless cooperation that goes beyond divisional boundaries.
Frankfurt: the city with the highest density of data centers in Europe. In 2008, the
German branch of Citigroup launched a particularly energy-efficient model, the
Frankfurt Data Center (FDC). Thanks in part to solutions from the Siemens Building
Technologies Division, the building was awarded Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification just one year after it opened,
making the FDC one of the most energy-efficient data centers in the world.
Citigroup, the data center operator, and Siemens have continually enhanced,
modified and optimized the deployed technology to meet the highest standards of
availability, reliability, protection and energy-efficiency.
Growing along with the FDC
Availability and reliability are the top priorities in a data center like the FDC. This
requires an uninterruptible and redundant power supply, intelligent safety and
security technology and reliable building automation that cools and conditions the air
based on demand, thus keeping the servers from overheating. This is precisely why
Citigroup has relied on the expertise and integrative solutions from Siemens for
many years. “The request for proposal emphasized the importance of functionality
and high availability,” explains Dirk Hatzmann, Senior Vice President of Technology
Infrastructure at Citigroup. “But it was also important that our technical partners be
prepared to grow along with the data center and its evolving requirements and
respond flexibly to our needs.”
Siemens AG
Communications and Government Affairs
Head: Stephan Heimbach
Wittelsbacherplatz 2
80333 Munich
Germany
Siemens AG Case Study
Page 2/6
Redundancy, i.e. duplicate processes and data backups, high system availability
and security as well as energy-efficiency are key elements for Citigroup when it
comes to the operation of the FDC. “As IT director, reliability is especially important.
It starts with seemingly trivial things such as clear and correct server rack wiring,
which supports operational transparency and saves time during maintenance, and
goes all the way to the major things, such as uninterruptible power supply,” says
Hatzmann.
Redundancy in practice
Redundancy exists throughout the FDC. Processed data is stored in duplicate within
the FDC and mirrored to other Citigroup data centers. In the building itself, a dual
power feed from energy supplier Mainova, duplicate downstream medium- and low-
voltage switchboards with duplicate switches and busbars from Siemens as well as
dual cooling technology ensure maximum redundancy. If a power failure were to
occur, two independent uninterruptible power supply units and the emergency power
supply would take over, ensuring continued power for at least 72 hours. This means
that the FDC meets the Tier IV standard awarded by the Uptime Institute for
maximum redundancy and 99.995 percent availability.
To guarantee the safety and security of the building and the processed data, all the
installed Siemens security and safety systems were aligned with Citigroup’s global
safety and security requirements. In addition to the technical requirements for fire
safety and security technology, the regulations also include emergency concepts
and provide for regular evacuation and safety drills with the fire department.
The Desigo building automation system from Siemens plays a central role in
maintaining high energy-efficiency and the standards of the LEED certification. “Our
motivation was to continuously save energy,” underscores Norbert Heberer of
Cofely Deutschland GmbH, the data center’s operator. “Building automation allows
us to individually control and continuously monitor the heating, ventilation and
cooling technology that is so vital to us.”
Siemens AG Case Study
Page 3/6
Ongoing technological enhancements
Since the Frankfurt Data Center went into operation, the installed technology has
been continually enhanced. During ongoing operations, potential areas for
optimization came to light that could be further exploited, such as in power supply
and building and security technology.
The data center is designed for thirty years of operation. The deployed solutions are
not rigid but continue to grow along with the data center’s utilization. The planned
power capacity of the FDC was 5 megawatts. In its current configuration, the
Frankfurt Data Center uses 5,000 m
2
of its 10,000 m
2
for server operation.
When operations began, the data center used 900 kilowatts of electricity. With
additional utilization and occupancy, the electricity requirement now far exceeds 1
megawatt. “One challenge was to continually adjust the power supply and cooling
capacity to the demand, from the planned 5 megawatts of total capacity to the actual
starting load of 900 kilowatts and then to the current level of about 1.5 megawatts,”
explains Heberer who supports the data center with ten employees over three shifts.
“When operations started, we had a less efficient ratio of consumed energy to server
energy demand, giving us a power usage effectiveness, PUE, of 2.8.”
Lowering the PUE value
To adjust the power supply and cooling capacity, technicians analyzed the complete
electrical supply. They then worked with Siemens to optimize the cooling control.
“Now all the dependencies of free cooling, pumps and chillers operate together as a
bundle and can be controlled as demand dictates,” explains Heberer. To adjust
energy efficiency based on demand and lower the PUE value, lighting was tied to
access control so the lights would turn on only when the server rooms are occupied.
In addition, air conditioning in the server rooms was set to the optimal operating
point so now less cooling capacity is needed. Air pressure in the cold aisle was also
lowered by 10 pascals. “During this project, we benefited from the experience and
the commitment of the Siemens technicians. They were prepared to forge new paths
and supported us quickly and competently, even with special solutions,” praises
Heberer. As a result of this collaboration and the actions taken, the current PUE of
the FDC is 1.5. Over the next several months, Citigroup and its partners want to
push it even lower.
Siemens AG Case Study
Page 4/6
In functional bids where individual disciplines are often considered separately, a
certain amount of time is usually needed for adjustments, optimization and operating
experience until the individual systems are harmonized and become an overall
solution. All the FDC stakeholders now benefit from custom solutions that were
developed collectively. “Everyone involved in this project learned a great deal”,sums
up Hatzmann. “Technology, solutions and processes now go hand in hand, and we
are very satisfied. Above all, the dedicated technicians from Siemens made
essential contributions to the project’s success.”
Siemens technology at the FDC in brief
A general contractor issued a request for proposals for the individual disciplines.
Solutions from Siemens were selected for building automation, security technology
and power supply. This includes the following: a Desigo building automation system
with two Desigo Insight management stations; 1,600 fire detectors with the
associated Sinteso fire control panels; early fire detection via smoke extraction
systems; fence sensors and sensor cameras for the 1,300-meter perimeter fence; a
danger management system (GMA Manager) where the signals from the security
and fire safety systems converge; 150 Sistorage video cameras with an alarm
system for the interior and exterior; an intrusion detection system with 168 door
sensors; 150 Sivacon low-voltage switchboards; 104 NXAIR medium-voltage
switchboards and 96 Sentron transfer control devices. Approximately 2.3 kilometers
of busbars and 22 kilometers of medium-voltage cable were laid for the power
supply.
Interview: “Energy efficiency is a top priority”
Three questions for Dirk Hatzmann, Senior Vice President of Technology
Infrastructure at Citibank NA’s Frankfurt branch
What are the current trends for data centers?
In addition to the trend toward hardware and software virtualization, which has
significantly altered the architecture of the IT landscape as well as server
Siemens AG Case Study
Page 5/6
requirements, increasing the efficiency of data centers is a top priority in the
industry.
What are the most important measures to increase energy efficiency in a data
center?
The IT infrastructure of a data center does require a great deal of energy, but things
like intelligent lighting and cooling control can lower energy consumption
appreciably. Other measures include cold aisle containment, which allows the cold
air cooling the servers through the raised floor to be directed in a more targeted
manner, thus reducing the air volume. In addition, the warm exhaust air from the
server rooms, which has a temperature of approximately 30°C, can be utilized for
local heating through the use of heat pumps.
What are you doing at Citigroup to improve cooling performance?
At Citigroup we’ve had great success with free cooling, i.e. relying on cool outside
air, and we use our building automation system to adjust the cooling performance to
meet our actual demand. In addition, we have lowered the pressure of the cool air
which exits from the raised floor and cools our server racks by 10 pascals. This has
allowed us to reduce our PUE, that is, the ratio between the total energy used in the
data center and the energy needed by the computers.
This case study and press pictures are available athttp://www.siemens.com/download?PR00372
For further information on the Building Technologies Division, please see
www.siemens.com/buildingtechnologies
Contact for journalists
Catharina Bujnoch
Phone: +41 41 724-5677; E-mail: [email protected]
Siemens AG Case Study
Page 6/6
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence,
innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200
countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers
of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading
supplier of combined cycle turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a
pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is
also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance
imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2014, which ended on
September 30, 2014, Siemens generated revenue from continuing operations of €71.9 billion and net income of
€5.5 billion. At the end of September 2014, the company had around 343,000 employees worldwide on a continuing
basis. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.
doc_604901895.pdf
Frankfurt: the city with the highest density of data centers in Europe. In 2008, the German branch of Citigroup launched a particularly energy-efficient model, the Frankfurt Data Center (FDC).
Page 1/6
Case Study
Zug, April 16, 2015
Cool and green:
Citigroup’s Frankfurt Data Center
In Frankfurt, Siemens helps optimize Citigroup’s data center. When it comes to
building automation, security technology and power supply, the Siemens divisions
Building Technologies and Energy Management deliver numerous customer
benefits through seamless cooperation that goes beyond divisional boundaries.
Frankfurt: the city with the highest density of data centers in Europe. In 2008, the
German branch of Citigroup launched a particularly energy-efficient model, the
Frankfurt Data Center (FDC). Thanks in part to solutions from the Siemens Building
Technologies Division, the building was awarded Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification just one year after it opened,
making the FDC one of the most energy-efficient data centers in the world.
Citigroup, the data center operator, and Siemens have continually enhanced,
modified and optimized the deployed technology to meet the highest standards of
availability, reliability, protection and energy-efficiency.
Growing along with the FDC
Availability and reliability are the top priorities in a data center like the FDC. This
requires an uninterruptible and redundant power supply, intelligent safety and
security technology and reliable building automation that cools and conditions the air
based on demand, thus keeping the servers from overheating. This is precisely why
Citigroup has relied on the expertise and integrative solutions from Siemens for
many years. “The request for proposal emphasized the importance of functionality
and high availability,” explains Dirk Hatzmann, Senior Vice President of Technology
Infrastructure at Citigroup. “But it was also important that our technical partners be
prepared to grow along with the data center and its evolving requirements and
respond flexibly to our needs.”
Siemens AG
Communications and Government Affairs
Head: Stephan Heimbach
Wittelsbacherplatz 2
80333 Munich
Germany
Siemens AG Case Study
Page 2/6
Redundancy, i.e. duplicate processes and data backups, high system availability
and security as well as energy-efficiency are key elements for Citigroup when it
comes to the operation of the FDC. “As IT director, reliability is especially important.
It starts with seemingly trivial things such as clear and correct server rack wiring,
which supports operational transparency and saves time during maintenance, and
goes all the way to the major things, such as uninterruptible power supply,” says
Hatzmann.
Redundancy in practice
Redundancy exists throughout the FDC. Processed data is stored in duplicate within
the FDC and mirrored to other Citigroup data centers. In the building itself, a dual
power feed from energy supplier Mainova, duplicate downstream medium- and low-
voltage switchboards with duplicate switches and busbars from Siemens as well as
dual cooling technology ensure maximum redundancy. If a power failure were to
occur, two independent uninterruptible power supply units and the emergency power
supply would take over, ensuring continued power for at least 72 hours. This means
that the FDC meets the Tier IV standard awarded by the Uptime Institute for
maximum redundancy and 99.995 percent availability.
To guarantee the safety and security of the building and the processed data, all the
installed Siemens security and safety systems were aligned with Citigroup’s global
safety and security requirements. In addition to the technical requirements for fire
safety and security technology, the regulations also include emergency concepts
and provide for regular evacuation and safety drills with the fire department.
The Desigo building automation system from Siemens plays a central role in
maintaining high energy-efficiency and the standards of the LEED certification. “Our
motivation was to continuously save energy,” underscores Norbert Heberer of
Cofely Deutschland GmbH, the data center’s operator. “Building automation allows
us to individually control and continuously monitor the heating, ventilation and
cooling technology that is so vital to us.”
Siemens AG Case Study
Page 3/6
Ongoing technological enhancements
Since the Frankfurt Data Center went into operation, the installed technology has
been continually enhanced. During ongoing operations, potential areas for
optimization came to light that could be further exploited, such as in power supply
and building and security technology.
The data center is designed for thirty years of operation. The deployed solutions are
not rigid but continue to grow along with the data center’s utilization. The planned
power capacity of the FDC was 5 megawatts. In its current configuration, the
Frankfurt Data Center uses 5,000 m
2
of its 10,000 m
2
for server operation.
When operations began, the data center used 900 kilowatts of electricity. With
additional utilization and occupancy, the electricity requirement now far exceeds 1
megawatt. “One challenge was to continually adjust the power supply and cooling
capacity to the demand, from the planned 5 megawatts of total capacity to the actual
starting load of 900 kilowatts and then to the current level of about 1.5 megawatts,”
explains Heberer who supports the data center with ten employees over three shifts.
“When operations started, we had a less efficient ratio of consumed energy to server
energy demand, giving us a power usage effectiveness, PUE, of 2.8.”
Lowering the PUE value
To adjust the power supply and cooling capacity, technicians analyzed the complete
electrical supply. They then worked with Siemens to optimize the cooling control.
“Now all the dependencies of free cooling, pumps and chillers operate together as a
bundle and can be controlled as demand dictates,” explains Heberer. To adjust
energy efficiency based on demand and lower the PUE value, lighting was tied to
access control so the lights would turn on only when the server rooms are occupied.
In addition, air conditioning in the server rooms was set to the optimal operating
point so now less cooling capacity is needed. Air pressure in the cold aisle was also
lowered by 10 pascals. “During this project, we benefited from the experience and
the commitment of the Siemens technicians. They were prepared to forge new paths
and supported us quickly and competently, even with special solutions,” praises
Heberer. As a result of this collaboration and the actions taken, the current PUE of
the FDC is 1.5. Over the next several months, Citigroup and its partners want to
push it even lower.
Siemens AG Case Study
Page 4/6
In functional bids where individual disciplines are often considered separately, a
certain amount of time is usually needed for adjustments, optimization and operating
experience until the individual systems are harmonized and become an overall
solution. All the FDC stakeholders now benefit from custom solutions that were
developed collectively. “Everyone involved in this project learned a great deal”,sums
up Hatzmann. “Technology, solutions and processes now go hand in hand, and we
are very satisfied. Above all, the dedicated technicians from Siemens made
essential contributions to the project’s success.”
Siemens technology at the FDC in brief
A general contractor issued a request for proposals for the individual disciplines.
Solutions from Siemens were selected for building automation, security technology
and power supply. This includes the following: a Desigo building automation system
with two Desigo Insight management stations; 1,600 fire detectors with the
associated Sinteso fire control panels; early fire detection via smoke extraction
systems; fence sensors and sensor cameras for the 1,300-meter perimeter fence; a
danger management system (GMA Manager) where the signals from the security
and fire safety systems converge; 150 Sistorage video cameras with an alarm
system for the interior and exterior; an intrusion detection system with 168 door
sensors; 150 Sivacon low-voltage switchboards; 104 NXAIR medium-voltage
switchboards and 96 Sentron transfer control devices. Approximately 2.3 kilometers
of busbars and 22 kilometers of medium-voltage cable were laid for the power
supply.
Interview: “Energy efficiency is a top priority”
Three questions for Dirk Hatzmann, Senior Vice President of Technology
Infrastructure at Citibank NA’s Frankfurt branch
What are the current trends for data centers?
In addition to the trend toward hardware and software virtualization, which has
significantly altered the architecture of the IT landscape as well as server
Siemens AG Case Study
Page 5/6
requirements, increasing the efficiency of data centers is a top priority in the
industry.
What are the most important measures to increase energy efficiency in a data
center?
The IT infrastructure of a data center does require a great deal of energy, but things
like intelligent lighting and cooling control can lower energy consumption
appreciably. Other measures include cold aisle containment, which allows the cold
air cooling the servers through the raised floor to be directed in a more targeted
manner, thus reducing the air volume. In addition, the warm exhaust air from the
server rooms, which has a temperature of approximately 30°C, can be utilized for
local heating through the use of heat pumps.
What are you doing at Citigroup to improve cooling performance?
At Citigroup we’ve had great success with free cooling, i.e. relying on cool outside
air, and we use our building automation system to adjust the cooling performance to
meet our actual demand. In addition, we have lowered the pressure of the cool air
which exits from the raised floor and cools our server racks by 10 pascals. This has
allowed us to reduce our PUE, that is, the ratio between the total energy used in the
data center and the energy needed by the computers.
This case study and press pictures are available athttp://www.siemens.com/download?PR00372
For further information on the Building Technologies Division, please see
www.siemens.com/buildingtechnologies
Contact for journalists
Catharina Bujnoch
Phone: +41 41 724-5677; E-mail: [email protected]
Siemens AG Case Study
Page 6/6
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence,
innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200
countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers
of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading
supplier of combined cycle turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a
pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is
also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance
imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2014, which ended on
September 30, 2014, Siemens generated revenue from continuing operations of €71.9 billion and net income of
€5.5 billion. At the end of September 2014, the company had around 343,000 employees worldwide on a continuing
basis. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.
doc_604901895.pdf