DEEP DIVE
WE ‘DEEP DIVE’ WITH PAUL HARRISON, SENIOR
CONSULTANT ENGINEER, FUTURE FACILITIES,
WHO TELLS US ABOUT LIFE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE OFFICE.
What would you describe as your
most memorable achievement in
the data centre industry?
Two achievements stand out, and I’m
unable to choose the most memorable.
I was awarded Data Centre Dynamics
Young Mission Critical Engineer of the
Year 2016 and awarded the Datacloud
Young Engineer of the Year 2019.
I had the opportunity to present
some of my best work when
applying for both these awards.
This included data centre
optimisation projects and research
and development work to improve
our 6SigmaDC simulation
software suite.
I showed how one client was able
to reduce their cooling system
power by 48% and my R&D work
helped to improve the accuracy
of IT airflow modelling.
I felt very proud to have my
work recognised by big industry
names. I’m also pleased to still
be considered young.
What first made you
think of a career in
technology/data
centres?
I fell into the data centre
industry, to be honest.
Science and maths were
always my strongest
subjects, which naturally
led me to study
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mechanical engineering. I started to
specialise in computational fluid dynamics
(CFD) while at the University of Sheffield
because I enjoyed the technical challenge. aviation industry, so
there’s a responsibility
for our industry to
improve efficiency.
After graduating I was looking for jobs
that included CFD, which is how I found
Future Facilities. I didn’t really know
what a data centre was before my first
interview and I’ve now spent eight years
analysing them in detail. My experience is that there
is a significant amount of
energy wasted through poor
design, implementation and
facility management – we
must do better.
What style of management
philosophy do you employ with
your current position? How do you deal with
stress and unwind
outside the office?
Everyone is different, so management
style changes depending on the person.
Generally, I try and give people direction
with their work rather than giving them
the answer. I also try to be approachable
and make time for people to ask
questions if they need help. Exercise helps me unwind
and deal with stress. I like to
attempt physical challenges
like triathlons, marathons
and big hikes – my biggest
challenge was completing an
Ironman last year.
I think it’s better to let people work
things out for themselves (if time
permits!). People have their own
experiences, way of working and way
of thinking, so prescribing how to work
could limit innovation. Also, no one likes
to be micromanaged. I organise the weekly five-a-side
football at our company and I try
to go for a run/go to the gym every
lunch time. Healthy body, healthy
mind and all that.
What do you think is the current
hot talking point within the data
centre space?
If we look at UK politics, the biggest issue
(ignoring the B word) is climate change.
Reducing PUE, energy consumption
and water usage aren’t new ideas, but
it’s vital that we act now. Data centres’
carbon emissions are equivalent to the
You’re also quite likely to see me
down the pub or at a gig with friends.
What do you currently
identify as the major areas of
investment in your industry?
Hyperscale data centres. I’ve seen large
growth across the world with these as
the demand for compute resource has
rapidly increased. Whilst this growth
is great, it also comes with downfalls.
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