Data centre boom demands predictive maintenance shift

Author: Simon Rowley

As the data centre sector undergoes rapid expansion, operators are being urged to adopt condition-based monitoring and predictive maintenance strategies in facilities.

The callout comes from Arfon Engineering, after a BBC report suggested that the number of data centres in the UK is set to increase by almost 20%.

With the majority due to be built in the next five years, 66% of operators are also planning to retrofit at least a quarter of their existing estate within the same timeframe.

Designated as critical national infrastructure, data centres are central to the UK’s economic future. To ensure 99.999% uptime and optimal energy efficiency, Arfon has encouraged the shift from reactive to predictive maintenance by adopting condition-based monitoring (CBM).

Using real-time data from sensors and monitoring systems to assess equipment health, CBM forecasts potential failures well in advance. This enables informed and proactive maintenance decisions before the point of costly downtime, eliminating unnecessary interventions and extending asset life in the process.

Alice Oakes, Service and Support Manager at Arfon, says, “As data centres become more complex and energy-intensive, the transition to predictive maintenance has never been more important. Outages can cost thousands per minute, and the consequences often stretch from financial to reputational damage.

“Predictive maintenance is more cost-effective and environmentally responsible than traditional reactive or preventative approaches. This presents decision-makers with the chance to produce less waste from prematurely replaced components, benefit from greater energy efficiency of assets, and significantly extend the lifespan of mission-critical assets, such as cooling systems and power supplies.”

Reducing the frequency of unnecessary part replacements contributes to lower carbon emissions and reduced energy consumption, both of which are key goals for a sector under scrutiny for its environmental impact.

With tens of billions set to be invested in UK data centres over the coming years, CBM also plays an important role in preventing significant financial losses caused by unplanned outages. Earlier this year, more than half (54%) of respondents to Uptime Intelligence’s annual survey reported their most recent significant outage to have cost more than $100,000.

Alice continues, “By integrating predictive maintenance strategies into both new build and retrofit facilities, operators can create smarter data centres that adapt to real-time conditions. We encourage businesses to view it as a strategic investment from the outset in maintaining uptime and resilience.”