EDITOR ’ S QUESTION

KAMEL AL-TAWIL , MANAGING DIRECTOR , MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA , EQUINIX

ustainability is now a

According to the latest Equinix Global Tech Trends Survey , 82 % of tech decision-makers in the UAE indicate that sustainability is now one of their organisation ’ s most important drivers and 83 % say they ’ ll only work with IT partners who can meet key carbon reduction targets .

As we strive to become one of the world ’ s most sustainable digital infrastructure providers , Equinix ’ s colocation and interconnection services already enable companies to operate more sustainably and with greater agility in the face of market uncertainties – by implementing the below four principles :

• Low-carbon energy helps scale data volumes without increasing emissions While increasing energy efficiency in our data centres is a top priority , we recognise that energy use is inevitable . Equinix data centres are designed to high operational and energy efficiency standards , enabling customers to reduce their carbon footprint and meet their sustainability targets . We were the first in the data centre industry to commit to being 100 % climate neutral by 2030 and also have a goal to use 100 % renewable energy across all our data centres .

• Designing for circularity redefines the potential of data centres Waste heat is an unfortunate but necessary by-product of data centre operations . Equinix is working to turn that heat into a secondary product that can be resold or shared with those who need it . We ’ ve successfully deployed waste heat redistribution projects in several sites across our global footprint . We ’ re also working to implement innovative ways to put more water back into the community than our data centres use . We are focused on reducing water use through water recovery and greywater recycling systems and through more efficient designs such as onsite fuel cells – helping us avoid use of 118 billion gallons and saving 37 billion gallons of water per year , respectively .

• Greater efficiency with software optimisation and automation One of the key requirements of reducing energy waste in data centres is knowing exactly where waste occurs . At Equinix , we ’ re deploying software-optimised data centre systems to enable power optimisation strategies such as through our partnership with VPS and Natron Energy , where we ’ re pairing software-defined power with cabinetmounted battery energy storage .

With AI algorithms , automated data centres can take in key data points , use them to accurately predict sustainability metrics under specific scenarios and optimise operations accordingly . These algorithms automate the balancing of demand for power and scheduling workloads based on when renewable energy is available .

• High-efficiency cooling helps limit energy waste Equinix is maximising cooling efficiency through optimised airflow management . Rather than allowing hot air and cool air to flow throughout our facilities at random , we use physical barriers to restrict cool air to supply aisles and hot air to exhaust aisles . By ensuring optimal distribution of cool air , we ’ ve been able to keep our power usage effectiveness ( PUE ) low , even in warmer climates like here in the Middle East , where cooling IT equipment can be especially difficult and energy intensive . www . intelligentdatacentres . com

31