Blanking Panel

<p>Blanking panels — also called filler panels or dummy panels — are 1U, 2U or custom-height panels installed in empty rack U-spaces. Without them, hot exhaust air from rear of rack is drawn through the gap to the front, raising inlet temperatures and reducing cooling efficiency.</p><p>Studies by the Uptime Institute and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have found that fully blanking unused rack spaces can reduce cooling energy by 10–15% in a typical enterprise data hall. In contained aisles, blanking panels are essential to maintain the integrity of the containment — even a single missing 1U blanket can allow significant hot-air bypass. Blanking panels are one of the lowest-cost, highest-return efficiency interventions available in an existing facility.</p>