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DLBers Published In Latest Issue Of New Jersey Effluents Magazine

The latest issue of the New Jersey Water Environment Association's quarterly publication "New Jersey Effluents" includes an article on arc flash safety written by DLBers.

We are very proud of this article which includes a look at the dangers of arc flash, the current regulations for worker safety, proper labeling and the best means of protection.

Check out the DLB contributed article here: Electrical Safety - First Steps To Implement Arc Flash Protection

For more information on the New Jersey Water Environment Association, check out their website: http://njwea.org/

Don Beaty Participated In A DCD Panel On The Future Of Server Technology

Don Beaty, founder and president of DLB Associates, recently participated in a Data Center Dynamics (DCD) panel of the "Future of Server Technology." The panel focused on the possibilities of future technology and the industry's accelerated pace of change.

The drive towards more energy efficient equipment has altered the data center environment, Beaty said, with a focus on not only using less cooling, but managing it more precisely. That means data centers are operating at warmer temperatures, and using aisle containment and chassis design to optimize airflow to components that generate heat.

“With this wider temperature range, all bets are off,” said Beaty. “We need to think in terms of the possibility of an entirely different form factor.”

Also participating in the panel were Google Senior Director of Data Centers, Joe Kava, head of the BCS Data Centre Specialist Group, Zahl Limbuwala, Chief Technical Officer of Schneider Electric, Jim Simonelli and Stephen Worn of Data Center Dynamics.

Check out the full Data Center Knowledge article here:

What Will the Servers of the Future Look Like?: http://bit.ly/HprqT6

Google Discusses PUE Data For Its Fleet of DLB Designed Data Centers

In a recent blog post, Google Senior Director of Data Center Operations, Joe Kava reported that the company’s trailing 12-month average PUE for 2011 was 1.14, an improvement from 1.16 in 2010.

In commenting on how Google calculates the PUE data, Joe Kava said: “Our numbers are based on actual production data taken from hundreds of meters installed throughout our data centers, not design specs or best-case scenarios. One way to think of it is comparing a car manufacturer’s mileage estimates for a new model car to the car’s real-life miles per gallon. We’re measuring real-world mileage so we can improve real-world efficiency.”

Check out more details on the low PUEs of the DLB designed Google data centers:

Google: Our PUE is Lower, and It’s Scrupulous: http://bit.ly/Har3fO

The latest Google Blog post about its data centers can be found here:

Measuring to improve: comprehensive, real-world data center efficiency numbers: http://bit.ly/H6TMEp

Google Talks About DLB’s Chiller-Less Design For Their Data Center In Belgium

In a recent blog post, Google Senior Director of Data Center Operations, Joe Kava, comments on Google's chiller-less data center located in Belgium.

With a published annualized PUE of 1.11, the DLB designed Google facility is one of the most efficient in the world. Without the need for chillers the data center efficiently cools the servers inside, but outside air temperatures have a direct effect on the temperature inside of the data center.

“We’ve been operating in Belgium since 2008 with no chillers,” said Joe Kava. “We’ve had very few excursion hours, and they don’t last long, so we let the site run right through them. We ask our employees to go in and do office work. It’s too warm for people, but the machines do just fine.”

For more information about the Belgium Data Center, check out:

Too Hot for Humans, But Google Servers Keep Humming: http://bit.ly/GQRaf4

News About DLB’s First Of A Kind (FOAK) Data Center For Google In Atlanta

Atlanta Business Chronicle talks about the FOAK (First of a Kind) Google data center that DLB designed and managed the construction of. Details released showcase an environmentally friendly approach to water use.

In a follow-up to yesterday’s posting by Google on their sidestream and effluent treatment plants in Atlanta, Urvaksh Karkaria of the Atlanta Business Chronicle writes:

“But the Lithia Springs datacenter is unlike any other Google data center in the United States. It is the Internet behemoth's first datacenter, and the only facility in Georgia, to use recycled municipal water for 100 percent of its cooling needs.”

“The Google datacenter uses less potable water than most Atlanta restaurants.”

Check out the full article here:

http://bit.ly/x16aIvs

Google Posts Article in Blog About Water Conservation for Douglas County Data Center

Google blog entry about one of the innovative ways that DLB helped them become more green:

http://bit.ly/yIXoes

Don Beaty Sneak Preview for The Green Grid Forum

The Green Grid asked Don Beaty to video a preview of his upcoming presentation at The Green Grid Forum 2012 in San Jose, CA on March 6th-7th.

Here is the resultant video: http://t.co/kHyqXt71

Neptune High School Students Visit DLB Headquarters

As a part of our DLB Experience Day, Neptune High School's JumpStart Engineering Academy visited our DLB Headquarters on February 2nd.

The students toured our office for an inside look of how we designed and optimized our working environment in a way that truly reflects our culture and the way we operate. From the spatial arrangement to the seamless integration of technology, the students experienced where a progressive, forward thinking and dynamic organization works…and sometimes plays.

After a morning of tours and presentations, the Neptune High School students reported (via their school newspaper) that they were happy “to see firsthand how they, too, can have an interesting, meaningful career within the broad, yet competitive field of today's engineering world.”

In the words of one student, Adam Mieloch, “DLB Associates is not just an engineering firm; they have a great sense of business, state of the art technology, and well-rounded employees. I can only hope to work for a firm like that one day."

For more information about DLB Experience Days, please visit:

http://www.dlbassociates.com/index.php/engage/students/expert-days

Don Beaty to instruct a FEMP Seminar for the U.S. Dept of Energy

Don Beaty will be instructing a “First Thursday” seminar for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). These online streaming seminars are held by FEMP to train Federal energy, environmental, and fleet professionals on the latest energy requirements, best practices, and technologies and typically reach over 2,000 viewers.

During the March 1st FEMP Seminar, Achieving Energy-Efficient Data Centers with New ASHRAE Thermal Guidelines, Don Beaty will be discussing energy and HVAC control strategies, with an emphasis on reliability and best practices related to the new ASHRAE 9.9 Data Center Class Guidelines.

The seminar will also discuss:

• The latest ASHRAE TC9.9 guidelines with regards to allowable and recommended temperature and humidity ranges
• The real impact on IT equipment failures from operating at higher temperatures (based on IT OEM actual data)
• The increased potential for data centers WITHOUT any mechanical refrigeration (i.e., no chillers, compressors, etc.)
• Resource materials from the major IT and data center industry thought leaders

The free training session can be streamed live on March 1st or on demand at a later date. For more information, please visit the seminar webpage at:

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/femp/training/course_detail_live.cfm/CourseDateId=427

Team DLB Participates in 2011 Tri-State Tough Mudder Race

At DLB, we believe in challenging ourselves and transforming traditional notions of engineering through an uncommonly adaptive, clean-slate methodology. Therefore it was no surprise when nine of our DLB staff members decided to challenge themselves physically in an unconventional way, the 2011 Tri-State Tough Mudder race.

Unlike a traditional obstacle course, the Tough Mudder event involved over 30 obstacles along a 12-mile course designed by British Special Forces. These events tested a person’s all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. To train for these events, our tough DLBers would meet up at the company gym to practice and motivate one another. When the time came, Team DLB banded together to run, climb and swim for over four hours, helping one another trudge through the mud, boosting each other over the Berlin Walls, and swimming through the near-freezing waters.

Aside from demonstrating the strength of their teamwork and determination, Team DLB also supported a great cause. Funds and contributions through the Tough Mudder event were donated to the Wounded Warrior Project, which supports thousands of American warriors returning from the battlefield by providing combat stress recovery programs, adaptive sports, benefits counseling, education and employment services. DLB was more than happy to receive scrapes and bruises (and one case of Achilles tendonitis) in honor of these brave Americans.

Through their accomplishments, our tough team of nine DLBers has already begun to inspire others to join next year’s race. Congratulations to Team DLB 2011, and good luck to Team DLB 2012!