July 9, 2008 - European datacenter operator TeleCityGroup has signed on to test a new IT efficiency technology - a three-dimensional "weather map" that tracks air streams and heat releases within datacenter facilities.

The system, called EnoTemp, uses sound waves to detect tiny changes in air speed, delivering extremely fast and precise measurements of air temperature and humidity. The system then presents the results in a 3D profile of space, comparable to live weather maps on the news.

The new technology will allow IT technicians to be able to prevent equipment shutting down due to overheating, according to Van Schaik Innovation Handling, the product's maker.

TelecityGroup says such precise measurements will enable the company to arrange the best possible cooling operations and advise its clients on the most energy-efficient setup of their equipment. The company expects the system to generate "substantial" energy savings.

"In our particular sector, precise measuring equipment has not been available [until now]," says Jeroen Schlosser, operations director at TelecityGroup. "We expect that we and our customers will benefit considerably from this device."

Originally introduced to measure hot pockets in greenhouses, the EnoTemp system is also being rolled out in facilities outside the IT industry, such laboratories and breweries, according to Van Schaik Innovation Handling.