F E A T U R E

with an efficient cooling system , this will result in a greater Building Emission Rate ( BER ), meaning increased carbon offsetting costs for the developer .

What is the rest of the world doing ?

With the landscape of the sustainable data centres evolving , it is not just London and the UK reshaping industry practices . Regions such as the Nordics are innovating by requiring data centres to contribute waste heat to local district heating infrastructure . While this may not directly reduce emissions , it signifies a key step toward decarbonising communities that have relied upon fossil fuels for their heating infrastructure .

The European Union ( EU ) is also spearheading change through a mix of regulatory and voluntary schemes . There is a particular focus on energy efficiency as shown by the EU Eco-Design Regulations which are targeting servers and data storage products . The changes have created a push towards green infrastructure so that the countries hit their carbon neutrality targets by 2050 .

Globally , trends are emerging from Ireland and the Netherlands which have imposed temporary prohibitions on new data centre developments to relieve pressure on over-stretched power grids , forcing developers to explore solutions like off-site renewables or on-site generation . As well as this , in the APAC region , countries like Singapore and China are placing a greater emphasis on Power Usage Effectiveness ( PUE ).

These global changes at the governmental level indicate that the data

Malcolm Howe , Technical Partner , Critical Systems , Cundall

centre industry needs to adapt – and quickly . Whilst the move to achieving net zero carbon is a journey , meeting the increasing demand for capacity alongside these goals will be a challenge . We cannot wait until the eleventh hour . The time to start is now . �

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