The installation of a 16 cabinet Cray XE6 in 2010 at PDC was expected to increase the total power consumption from around 800 kW to 1300 kW, an increase of 500 kW. The intention was to refund some of the power cost and become more environmentally friendly by re-using the energy from the Cray to heat nearby buildings. The custom made system, which makes it possible to heat nearby buildings at the campus without using heat-pumps, is described in detail. The principle of the system is that hot air from the Cray is sent through industrial heat exchangers placed above the Cray racks. This makes it possible to heat the water to more than 30 °C. The problems encountered and the experiences gained are described as well as projection for the savings. A method of describing a mix of different cooling requirements shows the way for future improvements and addition of future systems.
QC 20130429