Medical Facilities

Protecting Mission-Critical Healthcare Technology Without the Complexity of Traditional Cooling

How Retina Consultants of Southern Colorado Solved Server Room Overheating with EdgeCool

Retina Consultants of Southern Colorado relies on networking and IT infrastructure to support daily clinical operations, advanced retinal diagnostics, and surgical procedures.

But inside a compact 6′ × 8′ server room, the heat generated by critical IT equipment was exceeding what the building’s HVAC system could effectively manage.

When the building HVAC system reduced operation during evenings, weekends, and other periods, temperatures inside the server room began to rise. Staff were forced to leave the server room door open and use fans to help cool the equipment.

While this brought temperatures down to approximately 80°F, it introduced new concerns around equipment reliability and physical security and raised the possibility of disruptions to scheduled surgeries.

The practice needed a permanent cooling solution that could be installed quickly, protect critical infrastructure, and avoid major modifications to the facility

Challenge

A Small Room Supporting Critical Infrastructure

Although the server room was relatively compact, it housed both a network cabinet and a partially populated two-post rack containing critical infrastructure. The heat generated by this equipment consistently exceeded what the surrounding building HVAC system could effectively manage.

Infrastructure Constraints

The room’s IT equipment created a concentrated heat load that the building HVAC system wasn’t designed to address.

Security Risks

Leaving the server room door open to maintain acceptable temperatures exposed critical infrastructure to unauthorized access and created additional operational concerns for facility and IT personnel.

Healthcare Facility Considerations

Any cooling upgrade needed to minimize disruption to daily operations while providing long-term reliability. Extended construction timelines, permit requirements, and invasive building modifications were undesirable in an active healthcare environment.

Limited Time for Implementation

The practice needed a solution that could be deployed quickly rather than waiting months for engineering reviews, permits, and contractor scheduling.