FROM THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PERSPECTIVE , A FEW SPACE PLANNING IMPLICATIONS ARE TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN INCORPORATING WASTE HEAT RECOVERY SYSTEMS INTO DATA CENTRE DESIGN . set to provide low carbon heat to 10,000 homes and a hospital : the first in its kind in the UK , setting a blueprint for similar projects in the future .
E D I T O R ' S Q U E S T I O N
ALEX SOTO , ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR & HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY , STUDIONWA
It is encouraging to see data centres integrated into community infrastructure , and their synergy put to work to help decarbonise domestic
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FROM THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PERSPECTIVE , A FEW SPACE PLANNING IMPLICATIONS ARE TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN INCORPORATING WASTE HEAT RECOVERY SYSTEMS INTO DATA CENTRE DESIGN . set to provide low carbon heat to 10,000 homes and a hospital : the first in its kind in the UK , setting a blueprint for similar projects in the future .
From the architectural design perspective , a few space planning implications are to be considered when incorporating waste heat recovery systems into data centre design . Plant rooms for pumps and piping need to be provided , without compromising prime space allocated for IT equipment that could affect IT capacity , when integrated within the building footprint in compact sites .
These rooms need to be easily accessible for maintenance and compliant with building regulations and fire safety . Tap off points are often required at the permitter of the site to maintain site security . Early engagement with M & E engineers is essential to ensure the design delivers an efficient layout and optimal adjacencies to cooling systems to capture the excess heat at its source . heating in urban settings . A welcomed example is the recent rollout of a waste heat recovery scheme in west London , at Old Oak and Park Royal – OPDC ’ s new development area . Excess heat from a cluster of data centres will be captured and distributed to a network
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