Blanking Panel

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.

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.