F E A T U R E

Larger strides , smaller footprints

The modern data centre has undergone a transformation from its earlier iterations . Once a rare , smaller and more discreet entity , the data centre has evolved , spurred by the surge in online activities such as social media and the broader trend of digitalisation .

Over the past decade , the internet and other digital services have fuelled an unprecedented demand for data , with many likening it to the new oil . As a result , the data centre has emerged as one of the most valuable infrastructures today . This , however , comes with challenges .

The prominence of data centres has grown exponentially , both in quality and visibility ; this elevated status in the public eye grants heightened awareness regarding the environmental impact of data centres . Consequently , organisations involved in the construction and maintenance of data centres find themselves designing strategies to meet environmental targets as well as performance . While advancements in energy and water efficiency technologies have occurred , there remains a substantial distance to cover for organisations to make meaningful strides in reducing their carbon footprint .

Navigating regulation

The increased public awareness on sustainability has forced governments into action . Through a mixture of both national and international legislation , countries across the globe have set targets to reduce carbon emissions and limit the impact of climate change . and buildings in general have , has been a good thing . The implementation of legislation to drive improvements in energy efficiency and reduction in carbon emissions has spurred the industry to do better . For example , local planning policy targets such as BREEAM Excellent ( Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method ) and LEED ( Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ) Gold provides clear targets for data centre construction companies to adhere to during the design and development phases .

As well as this , national policies ensure organisations achieve different levels of environmental legislation dependent on location . These national differences are key for larger , global organisations to be aware of during the planning phase as they will heavily impact the

technologies and benchmark levels that must be developed . In the UK , the GLA ’ s ( Great London Authority ) London Plan policy highlights that all major new developments including data centres must achieve a 35 % reduction in their building emissions rate ( BER ) relative to a target emissions rate ( TER ) defined by Part L Building Regulations .

Having achieved that 35 % reduction , the total BER must still be offset via a financial contribution to the GLA ’ s Carbon Offsetting Fund , so there becomes an economical benefit to leading with sustainability .

For data centre developers , there is a noteworthy update in the latest SBEM ( Simplified Building Energy Model ) v6.1 technical guidance . It involves the inclusion of cooling energy linked to the IT process load in the calculation currently based upon a notional ‘ unregulated energy ’ load of 500W / m2 . While this allowance is likely to be much less than the actual energy

usage of the IT equipment , it still adds a substantial amount to the overall energy consumption considered in the compliance modelling . Even in a facility

Most notably , through the Paris Agreement , otherwise known as the Paris Climate Accords – signed in 2016 – international climate goals were set . The agreement focused on topics related to climate change and primarily on keeping global warming to no more than 1.5 ° C . To achieve this , reaching net zero carbon by 2050 will be critical . With data centres traditionally producing such high volumes of carbon emissions , the industry requires change .

To their credit , governments realising the environmental impact that data centres

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