EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
RICHARD SPENCER , MANAGING PARTNER , DUNWOODY LLP
ny new data centre design must focus
A on its impact on the environment and the community it serves and source and deliver IT power at densities now demanded .
Data centre leaders are concerned with the impact these facilities have on the environment and incorporating solutions
ANY NEW DATA CENTRE DESIGN MUST FOCUS ON ITS IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE COMMUNITY IT SERVES AND SOURCE AND DELIVER IT POWER AT DENSITIES NOW DEMANDED . and design which support the long-term goals of achieving net zero emissions in operation as well as in construction , along with satisfying the higher performance requirements resulting from increased power density .
Data centres must deliver a resilient , energy efficient , secure data processing environment , but they must also connect to the people they serve – they cannot operate in isolation behind large secure boundaries . As they become bigger , their profile increases along with their impact on society and the drive to a zero-carbon emitting facility intensifies . The challenge is to find the solution and systems to achieve the net zero goal .
Within the boundaries of a data centre their obvious emissions and carbon consumers can be addressed by developing Scope 1 activities and Scope 2 , principally by procuring a green carbon-free electrical supply .
Some are achieving their Scope 2 targets by relocating to countries with a large carbon-free electrical source e . g . the Nordics with their infrastructure of hydroelectric power stations .
Some by self-generation of carbon-free power or more commonly purchasing a carbon-free service .
However , there still remains other emissions but this can be reduced or eliminated . Resilient power supplies have historically relied upon diesel as the fuel source for standby generators , hydrogen with hydrogen-driven fuel cells or electrical storage via a phase change product will replace diesel generators – remember batteries are a phase change product .
Surplus heat – rejected heat to the atmosphere cannot be right if homes are cold and energy costs increase , resulting in fuel poverty for many . This surplus heat can be shared with the community using a fifth-generation ambient heat network .
With the requirements for higher power densities , the challenge is to obtain the authorised capacity and then address the consequences of increased power consumption and heat generated within the data halls .
The use of a water-cooled infrastructure in lieu of air could be a solution and this may align with the zero carbon goals .
What is clear is that there will be a greater focus on data centres and their activities and there will be more transparency in their performance .
The industry will increase the use of metrics to measure these elements – be it Energy Reuse Factor ( ERF ) or Renewable Energy Factor ( REF ) which already exists as part of the EU Standard . These metrics will be published and discussed in the same way . ◊
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