Renewables

Taoiseach welcomes joint initiative as deal supports 250 new jobs

Echelon Data Centres and green energy developer SSE Renewables have announced a deal t to develop a joint 220kV substation at the Avoca River Business Park, Arklow, Ireland. The infrastructure will facilitate the development of Ireland’s first offshore wind farm, off the coast of Co. Wicklow with an export capacity of 520MW, and Echelon’s DUB20 100MW data centre. The initiative marks the first time that an offshore wind farm and a data centre have agreed to develop grid infrastructure together. The development is expected to require an investment of €50m to deliver. Upon completion, the proposed offshore wind farm and data centre will both connect to the Irish national grid via the shared substation. The deal is a step forward for the renewable energy and data centre sectors. Sharing grid infrastructure and locating data centres close to renewable sources of generation delivers on a key decarbonisation goal set out in Ireland’s Climate Action Plan to facilitate regional data centres, minimising grid reinforcements. It would also help to deliver a Climate Action Plan target of installing 1GW of offshore wind by 2025. The deal will support the delivery of 250 new jobs for Arklow. This includes up to 80 jobs during construction. Upon completion, the data centre will support 90 full-time roles. whilst a further 80 full-time jobs will be created to support the operation of the offshore wind farm. Welcoming the initiative Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD exclaims; “This announcement is a welcome boost for Arklow; it not only provides new job opportunities, it also places Arklow at the heart of the green tech sector.  This collaboration between renewable energy and tech will ensure that key targets are met. “I would like to pay tribute to Echelon and SSE Renewables – having identified an opportunity to share infrastructure to promote sustainability, they've worked collaboratively to ensure their vision became a reality.” Niall Molloy, CEO of Echelon Data Centres says; “We’re delighted to be working with SSE Renewables – contributing greatly to the country’s targets of delivering 1GW of offshore renewable energy by 2025. “It is also a model for the future, where data centre facilities are located close to the source of renewable energy, providing a constant demand for the power and working with renewable energy providers to facilitate the development of the necessary infrastructure.” Barry Kilcline, Director of Developments at SSE Renewables comments; “This is a major innovation for the integration of renewables and data centres into Ireland’s national grid. Through this landmark agreement with Echelon Data Centres we will develop new shared grid infrastructure at Arklow that will facilitate the development of the next phase of the 520MW Arklow Bank Wind Park.” SSE Renewables is actively developing Phase 2 of Arklow Bank Wind Park which will be located in a lease area situated six to 13km off Ireland’s Co. Wicklow coastline. The wind farm has the potential to reduce Ireland’s annual carbon emissions by 1%, offsetting half a million tonnes of CO2.

Delta’s UPS and DCIM Systems power Bytesnet’s new green data centre and data lab

Delta, a global provider of power and thermal management solutions, has announced its DPH 500kVA modular uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and InfraSuite Manager data centre information management (DCIM) system are now in operation at Bytesnet’s new d’Root data centre at Zernike Campus Groningen in the Netherlands. The company says its DPH 500kVA UPS delivers fully rated power (kVA=kW) and it requires only 50% of the space needed by similar systems from competitors. With Delta’s DCIM, Bytesnet can collect energy consumption data from power meters and environmental detectors in real time to monitor data centre operations remotely. Bytesnet is a regional colocation and network services provider with two main data centre locations in Rotterdam and Groningen. In addition to a 2,500 m2 data floor, the 6,500 m2 facility also houses a data lab where research and education take place. As a tier 3+ facility, reliability was an extremely important factor in choosing the power infrastructure. Protecting the environment through power efficiency At the heart of the d’Root data centre is a 6-megawatt power system. The three-phase modular DPH 500kVA Delta UPS that Bytesnet has chosen for its new data centre was one of the keys to minimising the facility’s environmental footprint. With its high-power density, Delta’s DPH 500kVA UPS requires only 50% of the space needed by competing solutions. This Delta UPS is also said to offer industry-leading AC-AC efficiency of 96.5%, resulting in considerably lower energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and costs for Bytesnet. A unique combination of UPS and DCIM Bytesnet selected Delta to supply not only its high-density and high-efficiency DPH 500kVA UPS system, but also its comprehensive InfraSuite Manager DCIM system. The company says its DCIM system gives Bytesnet full control over all aspects of operating d’Root. It also allows for additional optimisation and efficiency gains. How InfraSuite Manager DCIM is helping Bytesnet The comprehensive InfraSuite Manager DCIM system Delta supplied for the d’Root data centre is said to provide a number of significant benefits. With the DCIM in place, Bytesnet can collect energy consumption data from power meters and environmental detectors in real time to monitor data centre operation remotely. The colocation provider can also use the capacity module to analyse different aspects of the data centre such as power, load, and rack capacity. This information forms the basis for future decisions about expanding data centre assets. The DCIM can also visualise rack operating status in 2D or 3D views, which can help Bytesnet present the benefits of the data centre’s professional data centre management system to customers. A showcase for the data centre of tomorrow Demand for data centre capacity is increasing rapidly, and so is the cost of energy. Jack Chou, Sales Manager, BNL Mission Critical Infrastructure Solutions, Delta Electronics EMEA Region, says, “Bytesnet’s choice of Delta for such a high-profile project shows that the Delta solutions are perceived as leading, state-of-the-art technology by top experts in the field. Delta’s solutions are already designed today for a future in which colocation providers will need much more efficient and environmentally friendly power equipment. The d’Root facility offers a compelling example of how other colocation providers can also meet tomorrow’s challenges by innovating today.”