14 November 2020
David Watkins, solutions director for Virtus Data Centres
You don’t have to work in technology to know that the internet is powering the way we live and work. Wired and wireless digital connectivity is a fundamental component of healthcare systems, remote working and learning, e-commerce, and public service delivery – particularly crucial during the COVID pandemic. You also don’t have work in the industry to know that the infrastructure that makes all of this work has often been considered a significant blight on the environment.
Today, there are more than eight million data centres globally, which not only dispose of many metric tons of hardware every year, but which also account for around one, to one and a half per cent of global power consumption, a proportion which is comparable with the level of carbon emissions of the airline sector. Experts agree that, if the technology industry doesn’t take action to reduce these numbers, it’s likely that the energy consumption of data centres could contribute more than ten per cent of the world’s electricity supply in the next ten years.
Greening the industry is clearly a huge industry priority. However, while the topic of data centre efficiency should certainly be debated and discussed, it must also be recognised that providers have already made great strides away from the legacy data centres of years past, and today data centres aren’t the “bad guys” in the green discussion. Within construction in particular, data centres are becoming increasingly environmentally sympathetic, with some providers able to boast impressive green credentials.
A holistic strategy
There are plenty of examples of committed data centre providers delivering a “cradle to grave” green strategy, where environmental ambitions are built into every step of construction and maintenance.
When it comes to building the facilities, BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) standards look at the green credentials of commercial buildings, verifying their performance and comparing them against sustainability benchmarks. BREEAM measures sustainable value in a series of categories, ranging from energy to ecology. Each of these categories addresses the most influential factors, including low impact design and carbon emissions reduction; design durability and resilience; adaption to climate change; and ecological value and biodiversity protection. As well as the commitment to meeting BREEAM specifications, many providers also employ a modular build methodology to deploy capacity as and when required. This drives up utilisation, and maximises efficiency (both from an operational and cost perspective).
Looking at plant management, there are now many technologies and methodologies which can be deployed to drive efficiency. Examples of this include: highly efficient UPS (uninterruptable power supply), where unused capacity can “hibernate” to reduce electrical losses; CRAC (Computer Room Air Conditioning) units that are typically equipped with variable speed fans that will regulate in line with demand to reduce energy consumption; pumps with variable speed drives, that again regulate in line with demand to reduce consumption; and chillers that can provide a “free cooling” functionality, where within certain temperature ranges cooling can be provided at a much lower cost. This is achieved by allowing chilled water to by-pass an existing chiller and run through the free cooling system, which uses less power and the lower ambient air temperature to cool the water. Ground and air source heat pumps are also being deployed, along with local energy generation all making use of clean, naturally available resources.
Addressing the cost factor
For many in the technology industries, “green” has historically meant “expensive”. However, this perception is simply no longer true. As green technologies develop and become more prevalent, demand is driving down price, making it much more affordable to be environmentally aware. Reports show that infrastructure efficiency has improved by 16 per since 2014, demonstrating that where steps are taken to improve issues like heating and cooling, cost savings can be made.
The same is true when it comes to energy. In recent years the cost of hydrogen fuel cells has plummeted, to the point where they are an economically viable alternative for standby generation. The cost of renewable power is becoming increasingly cheaper than any new electricity capacity based on fossil fuels . On average, new solar photovoltaic (PV) and onshore wind power costs less than keeping many existing coal plants in operation, and power purchase and auction results show this trend accelerating – reinforcing the case to phase-out coal entirely.
In addition, green measures are supported by a number of governments around the world offering tax incentives to invest in environmentally conscious technology, in order to support carbon reduction targets at a national level.
The return for those who get it right
Being a responsible operator with a demonstrated commitment to sustainability is not just the right thing to do, it is increasingly what customers are demanding, and can actually deliver commercial benefits.
And for data centre providers it’s in the use of renewable energy which demonstrates that being environmentally conscious helps to deliver better customer service.
Most obviously, periods of electricity price surge or downtime associated with traditional energy sources can challenge providers to maintain service at the level that their users expect – whereas renewables are already demonstrating increased reliability. Furthermore, fixed pricing in renewable energy can help manage budget volatility – again important in meeting customer demand.
The clearest return on investment for companies who partner with green data centre providers is in cost savings and efficiencies, but there are wider issues at stake too. Helping to ensure that the internet, data use and smart technologies aren’t negatively impacting on the environment is a crucial tenet of fuelling a more sustainable world for the long-term. A connected planet, where remote working and e-commerce are the norm and public services are delivered online, is likely to help reduce pollution significantly.
