THROUGH DIGITALISATION AND ELECTRIFICATION , WE CAN NOW CREATE HIGHLY EFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE ENVIRONMENTS TO STORE , PROCESS AND TRANSMIT DATA THAT WILL HELP ACCELERATE THE EVOLUTION OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR . it will provide a key opportunity for collaboration , particularly with smaller scale suppliers who struggle with the start-up costs and limited space in metropolitan areas .
THE EDGE
THROUGH DIGITALISATION AND ELECTRIFICATION , WE CAN NOW CREATE HIGHLY EFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE ENVIRONMENTS TO STORE , PROCESS AND TRANSMIT DATA THAT WILL HELP ACCELERATE THE EVOLUTION OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR . it will provide a key opportunity for collaboration , particularly with smaller scale suppliers who struggle with the start-up costs and limited space in metropolitan areas .
Furthermore , while supporting the surrounding ecosystem , an operator fostering such opportunities for collaboration can also ensure that any excess energy created by the data centre is used sustainably to benefit both local businesses and the consumer .
Making the concept a reality
Equinix has already taken the leap and has become the first global operator to develop a fully functioning vertical farm at its PA10 Paris data centre , creating a 4,600 sqft . greenhouse which is surrounded by 61,000 sqft . of garden space .
The vertical farm is kept at an ideal growing temperature , using heat exchangers linked to the data centre ' s chilled water-cooling system with sensors that monitor internal and external temperatures and humidity levels . With such available technology , farmers will be able to make real-time changes to their growing conditions to achieve higher yields at lower energy . This could be a
David Abrahams , Key Client Manager , Cloud and Service Partners , Schneider Electric UK and Ireland
game-changer considering the greater strain on the global food supply chain and the general cost of energy .
With increased demands for efficiency and sustainability , both data centre and agricultural sectors are under the greatest scrutiny . The idea of data centre and farming worlds collaborating to create a circular economy to help future-proof both industries is not only exciting but unveils a world of new decarbonisation opportunities .
Through digitalisation and electrification , we can now create highly efficient and sustainable infrastructure environments to store , process and transmit data that will help accelerate the evolution of the agricultural sector . Personally , I believe strategies such as this can create a digital blueprint for sustainable food production and support us now and in the future . �
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