How APC Netshelter Racks Help Improve Cooling Efficiency
In data centres with a lot of equipment, managing heat is a constant challenge. Servers are getting more powerful and, consequently, the rack space is filling up faster than ever.
Without proper cooling strategies, performance drops and hardware lifespan shortens. To make matters worse, this can lead to operating costs soaring. That’s where the APC Netshelter Rack range comes into play.
Offering practical airflow management features that are purpose-built to optimise thermal efficiency, they’re ideal for crowded data centres.
From smart use of airflow to structured cable containment, APC Netshelter racks are designed to support and enhance cooling strategies. In this blog, we explore how features like perforated doors, side panels and cable management make a big difference to airflow and heat dissipation.
Why Cooling Efficiency Matters in High-Density Setups
Before looking at the rack itself, it’s worth understanding the problem. In high-density deployments (think multiple blade servers or high-performance computing nodes) heat output can exceed 20 kW per rack.
Traditional cooling systems often fall short unless they come with precision airflow control. Unmanaged recirculation of hot air leads to hot spots, oscillating temperatures and higher energy bills due to overcompensation from the cooling system.
This is where rack-level airflow management becomes critical. By keeping hot and cold air separate, you reduce the pressure on your cooling system, improving both performance and efficiency.
Perforated Doors: Boosting Passive Airflow
APC Netshelter Racks are fitted with high-percentage perforated doors; up to 81% open area, allowing maximum airflow through the rack. This design supports front-to-back airflow patterns used by most modern servers, enabling cool air to enter from the front and hot air to exit through the rear.
Why it matters:
- Increases the volume of cool air reaching equipment.
- Minimises hot air buildup inside the enclosure.
- Enhances compatibility with hot and cold aisle containment strategies.
When paired with in-row cooling units or containment systems, these doors become a passive but powerful part of the cooling chain, allowing systems to operate more effectively at lower fan speeds or temperatures.
Solid Side Panels: Controlling Lateral Air Leakage
One often-overlooked source of inefficient cooling is lateral air movement. This is when cool air leaks sideways into adjacent racks, or hot air is drawn from the sides. APC Netshelter Racks use solid or minimally vented side panels to reduce this problem.
Benefits of integrating side panels include:
- Contain airflow within the rack for a consistent front-to-back pattern.
- Prevent hot air contamination from neighbouring enclosures.
- Improve the effectiveness of hot/cold aisle separation.
These panels also offer physical security benefits, but in thermal terms, they help enforce a directional airflow model that is essential for high-efficiency cooling.
Cable Management: Reducing Obstruction and Improving Flow
Poor cable management is one of the most common causes of airflow disruption in server racks. Excess cables can block vents, disrupt airflow paths, and cause turbulence that reduces cooling efficiency.
APC Netshelter Racks include a range of vertical and horizontal cable management tools, including:
- Side cable channels that keep cables outside the airflow path.
- Brush strip pass-throughs to preserve separation of air zones.
- Tool-less accessories for quick reconfiguration.
By keeping cables neat and clear of ventilation paths, the rack ensures that both cool intake and warm exhaust air can move unobstructed: a simple, low-cost way to improve thermal performance.
Sealing Gaps: Blanking Panels and Accessories
Empty U-space in racks can be a silent killer for efficient cooling. Without proper sealing, cool air bypasses active equipment, and hot air can recirculate within the rack. APC offers blanking panels that easily snap into unused spaces, helping maintain the best airflow path.
Other sealing accessories, like floor grommets and baying kits, further enhance this by closing off unintended air gaps between racks and beneath them.
Designed for Containment Systems
Many modern data centres are turning to aisle containment systems to separate hot and cold air streams. APC Netshelter Racks are designed with this process in mind and they integrate seamlessly with:
- Hot aisle containment (HAC)
- Cold aisle containment (CAC)
- In-row cooling solutions
Whether you’re deploying air-cooled or liquid-cooled strategies, these racks form the backbone of effective airflow management.
Monitoring and Adaptability
APC Netshelter Racks are compatible with Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ IT monitoring platform, allowing data centre managers to track thermal conditions, identify hot spots, and make informed cooling adjustments.
When cooling inefficiency is a threat to performance and budget, the APC Netshelter Rack proves its worth. Through smart airflow design, such as perforated doors, solid side panels, structured cable paths, and tight sealing, it forms a critical part of a cost-effective cooling strategy.
For data centres in the UK scaling their IT infrastructure, Source UPS provides expert advice, installation, and ongoing support for APC Netshelter deployments.
Whether you’re refreshing your server room or building a new data centre, integrating these racks is a step toward more stable, energy-efficient operations.
For more details on our APC racks, don’t hesitate to contact us today.
Source UPS recently carried out replacement of the UPS and down flow cooling in our data centre. The entire project was delivered with out any downtime at all and the installation team were very professional and considerate to the fact that our business was still operating whilst all works we being carried out. The team at Source have been a pleasure to work with.
