OFC vs CCA: Key Choices for Energy Efficiency in Data Centers

Professional advise from 15+years cable and wire factory :
When comparing Oxygen-Free Copper (OFC) and Copper-Clad Aluminum (CCA) cables, it's essential to understand their differences in performance, durability, and cost to make an informed decision based on your specific needs.

 OFC vs CCA: Energy Efficiency Comparison
- **OFC (Oxygen-Free Copper) Cables:** High conductivity, low resistance, reduced power loss, suitable for high-energy-consuming data centers.  
- **CCA (Copper-Clad Aluminum) Cables:** Lower cost but higher resistance, leading to greater power loss, suitable for low-power scenarios.  

OFC vs CCA: Applications in Data Center Energy Efficiency
1. **Selecting Low-Energy-Consumption Equipment:** OFC cables support efficient power supply, reducing energy conversion losses, ideal for high-density servers.  
2. **Optimizing Power Supply Solutions:** OFC cables provide stable power transmission, reducing UPS redundancy requirements, and improving energy efficiency.  
3. **Optimizing Air Conditioning Cooling:** OFC cables reduce heat generation, lowering air conditioning load, and indirectly saving energy.  

 Six General Principles for Data Center Energy Efficiency
1. **Selecting Low-Energy-Consumption Equipment:** Prioritize high-efficiency servers and storage devices to reduce power and cooling demands.  
2. **Optimizing Power Supply Solutions:** Implement tiered power supply based on equipment importance to avoid excessive redundancy.  
3. **Optimizing Air Conditioning Cooling:** Utilize natural cooling sources (e.g., cold air in northern winters) and efficient cooling modes.  
4. **Reasonable Layout and Airflow Organization:** Optimize equipment layout to reduce fan power consumption and improve cooling efficiency.  
5. **Special Treatment for Special Equipment:** Use customized cooling solutions for high-density heat-generating equipment to avoid overcooling the entire data center.  
6. **Preventing Energy Leakage:** Enhance data center insulation and sealing to minimize external heat sources.  

OFC vs CCA: Choices in Energy Efficiency Retrofits
- **New Data Centers:** Prioritize OFC cables to ensure efficient power supply and low energy consumption.  
- **Retrofitting Old Data Centers:** Gradually replace CCA cables with OFC cables based on actual conditions to improve energy efficiency.  

**Conclusion:**  
The choice between OFC and CCA cables directly impacts the energy efficiency of data centers. OFC cables, with their high conductivity and low loss characteristics, are ideal for high-energy-consuming data centers, while CCA cables are suitable for low-power scenarios. By combining the six energy-saving principles and selecting the right cables and equipment, data centers can significantly reduce energy consumption and achieve energy-saving and emission-reduction goals.