Cooling and heat recovery systems for IT facilities
Integrated vision
Eco-sustainable cold generation and heat recovery in critical Information Technology facilities.
Mitigating the direct and indirect environmental impact of air conditioning processes is our mission. This is why our precision systems for Data Centers feature the latest cooling technologies: that means refrigerants with low CO2 emissions and systems designed for the specific working conditions at the air conditioner installation site.
Today, the focus is on IT infrastructure sustainability, especially from an energy standpoint. At HiRef, we ask ourselves where and how we can reduce the environmental impact of cooling.
As a guideline we use the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) ratio: this reflects how efficiently a data center uses energy and is mainly attributable to the energy used to cool the server equipment (38%), to power the IT equipment (52%) and, to a much smaller extent, the energy consumed by the facility itself (UPS, lighting, security, etc...) (Source: ASHRAE).
Our air conditioning systems combine performance and energy efficiency with solutions that recover and control the heat dispersed into the atmosphere by the systems themselves. All according to an ‘integrated vision’ that converts large energy-intensive facilities, such as Data Centers, into a source of energy that can be redistributed to neighbouring areas.
Data Center air conditioning technology
We design Data Centers with the technology that best suits your needs
Continuous research and development, together with co-designed and CFD-analysed air conditioning systems, means we guarantee eco-sustainable Data Center development by ensuring the IT technology stays efficient and productive.
Not just for new facilities. Technological advances in cooling means we can also retrofit and revamp existing systems. Existing data centers were typically designed with floor-level cold air distribution and no heat containment system.
Replacing old systems with innovative technology offers valuable opportunities for Data Center renewal and growth.
Free Cooling
Today, the main technology used to boost Data Center energy efficiency is direct or indirect Free Cooling: this allows the external environment to be used advantageously, thus reducing the need for mechanical cooling.
In Direct Free Cooling, external air is introduced into the room directly: the system is a simple one, but involves the possibility of contaminating the internal air by drawing in substances found outside and thus putting proper operation of the data center operation at risk.
In Indirect Free Cooling, adding an air/air or air/water heat exchanger in the cooling system between the inner and outer environments provides considerable advantages.
A lower data center PUE, a lower Carbon Usage Effectiveness (CUE) rating, and more efficient heat recovery, consequently reducing OpEx.
All the HiRef cooling technologies
Direct expansion or chilled water. Adiabatic cooling, free-cooling, dual cooling. Air or water condensation These are the main technologies we adopt on perimeter-mounted air conditioners and rack coolers, together with natural-refrigerant (R744) and air- or water-condensed chillers and heat pumps.
Polymorph hydronic modules - a more advanced version of water-condensed chillers - are also used.
Discover the extensive product range, designed to ensure optimal thermo-hygrometric conditions and provide the flexibility to adapt to specific working conditions according to the type of facility (micro data center, Edge or Cloud) and its setting.
HiNode is an air conditioning supervision and management system developed by HiRef.
Advanced control and management
Meshes with all HiRef and third-party machines, optimizing their operation: it ensures the performance forecast at the analysis stage, predicts failures and calculates performance decline over time to ensure prompt action and, therefore, continuity of service for the user.
The HiNode system can be sized according to the number of devices to be controlled. Both software and functions can be customised.
Prefabricated Data Center
The modular turnkey solution
The prefabricated Data Center is a flexible, modular structure, designed to grow with your business. The investment is scalable and, compared to a traditional Data Center, construction is completed much more quickly to ensure a rapid time to market.
There’s also more scope when it comes to selecting an installation site, as the facility can be adapted to existing building layouts. It also provides opportunities for the redevelopment of neglected buildings.
HiRef provides prefabricated data centers:
- in indoor kit form according to a box-in-box logic
- in containers
- in shelters.
- FANWALL HBCVPerimeter-mounted units
- Chilled Water
- HINODEPlant management
- Chilled Water
- Air/Water
- Water/Water
- Air/Air
CO2 pumped
- TRF CWPerimeter-mounted units
- Chilled Water
- TRF CFPerimeter-mounted units
- Chilled Water
- TRF CSPerimeter-mounted units
- Chilled Water
- JREF CW RPerimeter-mounted units
- Chilled Water
- NRG WPerimeter-mounted units
- Air/Water
- CDAHeat pumps Chillers
- Air/Water
- XVAChillers
- Water/Water
- TVAChillers
- Air/Water
- DataBoxIT infrastructures
- Chilled Water
- Air/Water
- Water/Water
- Air/Air
CO2 pumped
- DataBaticEvaporative air conditioner air-to-air
- Air/Air
- TALHeat pumps Chillers
- Air/Water