People just seem to have more fun at outdoor weddings, outdoor graduation ceremonies, and outdoor parties. And though summertime is the ideal party time, it’s also the season that can be the most uncomfortable. But that doesn’t mean that you have to move the party indoors. Renting a portable air conditioner can be the ideal the solution.

A portable air conditioner paired with a clear-walled outdoor canopy tent is a popular option for outdoor parties and weddings—especially in areas where humidity and bugs are a problem. A portable air conditioner provides the best of both worlds; the beauty and spacious feeling of the outdoors and the crisp cool air we’ve grown to depend on for comfort.

Most people don’t realize that they can rent a portable air conditioner for the day. Instead of a portable air conditioner, they may purchase fans or go without cooling. However, a portable air conditioner is much quieter, cooler, and cleaner than a fan. And renting a portable air conditioner is so inexpensive that it would be a shame to go without. Your guests will thank you!

An outdoor tent cooled by a portable air conditioner isn’t just a good idea to beat the heat. It’s also great protection against unforeseen weather like rain or wind. Though crossing your fingers may work some of the time, you’ll always win with a canopy for plan B. Consider setting up a canopy for the buffet and for some of the guest seating while also having areas outside the tent where people can sit and mingle. This way guests can choose their comfort level and you have a place for everyone should the elements turn against you.

Keeping food inside the pavilion is also a smart way to guard against insects looking for a free meal. They’ll try every avenue to get at the action, so make sure to cover the intake vents of the portable air conditioner to prevent them from attempting to enter that way. To keep bees and other insects away from guests that are mingling and eating outside the pavilion, place trash cans far away from where people will congregate and try placing bowls of sugar water beyond the trash cans.

When choosing a tent canopy, make sure to rent one that has pre-made holes for portable air conditioner vent tubes. This way the portable air conditioner can sit outside of the tent and force air in through the vents. This not only reduces noise inside of the tent, but also frees up space.

It seems like there are always a few things that are overlooked when planning a party, but with a portable air conditioner, the comfort level of your guests won’t be one of those things. With a portable air conditioner, your guests will have a great time and you’ll look like a party planning pro!

Server rooms are energy hogs. The concentration of equipment combined with the need to supplement server room air conditioning with spot coolers means that server rooms are often the leading energy expense in many companies. However, there are ways to reduce those costs and slash your company budget.

Use Energy Efficient Equipment

IT professionals often get so fixated on performance and capacity that they lose track of energy efficiency. Power consumption often varies widely between competing brands that offer the same capabilities. Reduced power consumption means lower electricity bills and it has an added benefit. Less electricity used means less heat generated and less strain on server room air conditioning.

Many server rooms have more equipment than they need. Multiple servers can be virtualized onto a single computer with substantial reduction in energy consumption. Disk drives can be consolidated in a similar fashion by arranging them in a Storage Area Network. Do more with less equipment and your energy costs will drop considerably.

If You Aren’t Using It, Turn It Off

Many IT administrators are shocked at the idea of shutting the server down over the weekend. Business servers are left running all the time. Why? Because that’s the way we’ve always done it.

In some cases it is necessary to do so. Processor-intensive jobs may be queued to run over the weekend where they won’t interfere with daily workflow. Workers and managers may need to be able to access email or company files from home on the weekends.

However most businesses never use their computer systems outside of normal business hours, so why keep them running? Review work plans and determine if people really do need weekend access or not. If employees need access to email, keep the email server running but shut down other servers. Even if the computers need to stay on, shut off monitors, lights, printers and other equipment.

Recycle The Air

Server room air conditioning is often simply vented outside as waste. While this makes sense in the summer it isn’t such a good idea in the winter. Why dump hot air outside when the furnace is running?

During the cold months, vent server room air conditioning into the rest of the office. It will keep the office warm and reduce heating expenses. This may require some modifications to the venting systems to allow internal venting during some months and external during other months, but the cost of the work will be recouped in the lowered heating expenses.

A comprehensive plan of energy efficiency can reduce an organization’s utility costs by a huge margin. Cheap energy has made businesses inefficient and reducing costs doesn’t have to mean inconveniences or reduction in workflow. Look around the office with a critical eye and you’ll find many other ways to save energy and save money.