Data Center Handbook, 2nd Edition

11ASHRAE STANDARDS AND PRACTICES FOR DATA CENTERS

Robert E. McFarlane^1,2,3,4

¹ Shen Milsom & Wilke LLC, New York, New York, United States of America

² Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York, United States of America

³ ASHRAE TC 9.9, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America

⁴ ASHRAE SSPC 90.4 Standard Committee, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America

11.1 INTRODUCTION: ASHRAE AND TECHNICAL COMMITTEE TC 9.9

Many reputable organizations and institutions publish a variety of codes, standards, guidelines, and best practice documents dedicated to improving the performance, reliability, energy efficiency, and economics of data centers. Prominent among these are publications from ASHRAE—The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air‐Conditioning Engineers. ASHRAE [1], despite the nationalistic name, is actually international and publishes the most comprehensive range of information available for the heating, ventilation, and air‐conditioning (HVAC) industry. Included are more than 125 ANSI standards; at least 25 guidelines; numerous white papers; the four‐volume ASHRAE Handbook, which is considered the “bible” of the HVAC industry; and the ASHRAE Journal.

The documents relating to data centers have originated primarily in ASHRAE Technical Committee TC 9.9 [2], whose formal name is Mission‐critical Facilities, Data Centers, Technology Spaces, and Electronic Equipment. TC 9.9 is the largest of the 96 ASHRAE TCs, with more than 250 active members. Its history dates back ...