EDITOR ’ S QUESTION

This response has been supplied by The DCA

here will be three main factors that accelerate data centre transformation in Europe . The first is legislation .

The current Taxonomy Climate Delated Act ( TCDA ) requires investors in data centres to commission and independently audit every three years to either the EU Code of Conduct for Data Centres ( Energy Efficiency ), Assessment Framework for Data Centres in the Context of Activity 8.1 in the Taxonomy Climate Delegated Act or CLC / TR EN50600-99-1 criteria . The Corporate Sustainable Reporting Directive ( CSRD ) requires data centre operators and customers to report GHG emissions and energy use . This will have a big impact as very few data centre operators are able to provide this data for themselves or their customers . The final piece of legislation is the impending revision to the Energy Efficiency Directive , which will require operators to provide total energy consumption , the amount derived from renewable energy , water and any waste heat reuse to either a central EU-wide repository , or in-country repositories , although the scope of this proposed legislation is under discussion and may be pared down .

The second is energy costs . The cost of energy affects all businesses and consumers , and this could lead to inflationary pressures and a desire to find alternate sources of energy . This will lead to transformation in the data centre power train and could accelerate the use of on-site renewables , microgrids and renewable energy powered Edge data centres equipped with Battery Energy Storage Systems or BESS .

The final factor will be people power . We ’ ve already seen negative media reports and demonstrations by Extinction Rebellion and others in various countries specifically targeted at data centres . Comments on planning applications from people who don ’ t want their views affected by ‘ featureless , humming energy-guzzling concrete boxes scattered across the their back yard ’, seem oblivious to the fact that they use the services that these provide to watch TV , do their banking , post on social media , organise protests and even comment on the planning application .

One thing is for sure , it ’ s going to get interesting . We need to join with the entire world to meet our net zero and carbon reduction goals . We cannot tinker around the edges of this with free cooling , the use of diesel substitutes , or accreditations to building schemes such as BREEAM or LEED etc . We need to carry out a fundamental and radical review of all things data centre . Continuing as we always have is not going to cut it . �

John Booth provides advice as a consultant to the EUCOC

JOHN BOOTH , MD CARBON 3IT & CHAIR DCA ENERGY EFFICIENCY SIG

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