Envirozen

Intelligent Environmental Monitoring and Control System for Server Room Cooling

Overview

Envirozen is an intelligent environmental monitoring and control system designed to optimize server room cooling while minimizing energy consumption. The system automatically switches between different cooling modes based on real-time temperature readings from multiple sensors, prioritizing ambient air cooling when possible to reduce reliance on expensive air conditioning.

Key Features

• Automatic Cooling Mode Selection: Intelligently switches between passive, free cooling, turbo, and AC modes
• Multi-Sensor Monitoring: Monitors ambient, cold aisle, hot aisle, and under-floor temperatures
• Energy Optimization: Prioritizes ambient air cooling to reduce energy costs
• Emergency Protection: Automatic emergency mode for critical temperature conditions
• Web Interface: Real-time monitoring and manual control via web dashboard
• Historical Data: Integration with Prometheus and Grafana for long-term analysis
• Fail-Safe Design: Designed to default to safe cooling mode in case of system failure

Project History

Started: October 2022
Motivation: Rising electricity costs and environmental concerns
Evolution: Originally Arduino-based, evolved to Python on Raspberry Pi for enhanced capabilities
Author: Nic Kilby

System Components

Hardware Requirements

Component	Quantity	Purpose
Raspberry Pi 4	1	Central controller
Enviro Indoor (Pico W)	4+	Environmental sensors for each monitoring zone
Weatherproof Enclosures	As needed	Outdoor sensor protection
1.5kW Fans	2	Air circulation
TUNE-S-600x600-M1 Damper	1	Mechanical damper with M1 actuator

System Architecture

The system creates positive pressure by introducing external ambient air when temperature conditions are favorable, expelling warmer air through specialized vents while minimizing AC usage.

Quick Start

📋 Prerequisites

• Raspberry Pi 4 with Ubuntu 22.04 Server
• Python 3.8+
• Network connectivity for all components

🚀 Installation

For detailed installation instructions, see docs/INSTALLATION.md

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/your-org/envirozen.git
cd envirozen

# Install dependencies
cd envirozen/controller
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Configure system
cp config.py.example config.py
nano config.py  # Update with your settings

# Start services
sudo systemctl enable envirozen
sudo systemctl start envirozen

🌐 Access Points

Service	URL	Purpose
Main Dashboard	http://your-pi:5000	Control interface and real-time status
Grafana	http://your-pi:3000	Historical data and analytics
Prometheus	http://your-pi:9090	Metrics storage (optional access)
Sensor Metrics	http://sensor-ip/metrics	Individual sensor data

🔧 Configuration

Sensor Setup

Update each Pico W sensor with your network credentials:

# In envirozen/sensors/main.py
ssid = 'YOUR_WIFI_NETWORK'
password = 'YOUR_WIFI_PASSWORD'  
location = 'SENSOR_LOCATION'  # 'ambient', 'cold', 'hot', 'floor'

Temperature Thresholds

Customize in config.py:

METRIC_THRESHOLDS = {
    'temperature_ambient': 25,      # Max ambient for free cooling
    'temperature_cold': 20,         # Target cold aisle temp
    'temperature_hot': 31,          # Max hot aisle before AC
    'temperature_emergency': 36,    # Emergency threshold
}

How It Works

Cooling Modes

Mode	Trigger	Fans	Damper	AC	Purpose
Passive	Cold < 10°C	OFF	Open	OFF	Natural circulation
Free Cooling	Cold 10-20°C	Fan 1 ON	Open	OFF	Basic air circulation
Turbo	Cold 20-25°C	Both ON	Open	OFF	Maximum air circulation
AC Mode	Hot > 31°C or Cold > 25°C	OFF	Closed	ON	Mechanical cooling
Emergency	Hot > 36°C	Both ON	Open	ON	Maximum cooling

System Operation

1. Continuous Monitoring: Sensors collect temperature, humidity, and pressure data every few seconds
2. Data Storage: Prometheus stores all metrics for historical analysis
3. Intelligent Control: Main controller evaluates conditions every 10 seconds
4. Automatic Switching: System selects optimal cooling mode based on current conditions
5. Manual Override: Web interface allows manual control when needed
6. Emergency Response: Automatic emergency cooling when critical thresholds exceeded

Documentation

• 📖 Installation Guide - Step-by-step setup instructions
• 🏗️ System Architecture - Detailed system design and components
• 🔌 API Documentation - Interface specifications and endpoints
• 🛠️ Troubleshooting Guide - Common issues and solutions

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our Contributing Guidelines for details on:

• Code style and standards
• Testing requirements
• Pull request process
• Issue reporting

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

• 🐛 Bug Reports: GitHub Issues
• 💡 Feature Requests: GitHub Discussions
• 📧 Email: support@yourorg.com

Acknowledgments

• Original concept and development by Nic Kilby
• Inspired by rising energy costs and environmental concerns
• Thanks to the Raspberry Pi and MicroPython communities

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⚡ Energy Efficient • 🌡️ Temperature Controlled • 🔧 Open Source