Green IT

Vantage Data Centers to continue deploying renewable generator fuel

Vantage Data Centers has announced the continued deployment of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), a renewable fuel to replace conventional diesel fuel in generators. The company will roll out HVO in several of its markets in North America and EMEA.  HVO is 100% biodegradable and non-toxic, offering a more sustainable fuel option while delivering the same level of functionality as traditional diesel. Repurposing waste oils like vegetable oil to create sustainable fuels significantly reduces the embodied carbon due to the cleaner sourcing and creation process. Leveraging HVO offers an actionable opportunity for Vantage and other data centre operators to take a positive step toward reducing carbon emissions.  Initially deployed as a pilot at Vantage’s Cardiff, Wales campus in 2022, the company’s deployment of HVO as an alternative to diesel fuel yielded progress toward its carbon goals without the need for new or updated infrastructure. Given the success of the pilot, it officially implemented HVO at its newest facility, CWL13, on the Cardiff campus and is currently working to deploy the renewable fuel throughout the rest of the campus. In addition, it will deploy HVO in one of its North American flagship markets, Santa Clara, California, by the end of the year. The broad launch of hydrotreated vegetable oil comes as the company progresses toward its sustainability goals. The use of renewable diesel fuels significantly reduces the embodied carbon of the fuel consumed in diesel generators, which helps to reduce Scope 3 emissions associated with the company’s supply chain. According to fuel suppliers, the use of HVO reduces the lifecycle carbon emissions by 65 - 90% compared to conventional diesel.  In 2022, Vantage partnered with the Data Center Coalition (DCC) and its members to lead a technical working group focused on driving market support for HVO as availability and costs vary by geography. Based in the Northern Virginia area, where HVO prices are approximately 95% higher than diesel fuel, DCC seeks to influence the supply chain and stakeholders to unlock increased availability.

Is on-premise hydrogen production for greenhouse gas abatement a viable option?

By Joe Sheehan, Technical Director, i3 Solutions Group With green hydrogen widely touted as the most desirable option for achieving climate change goals, the debate is heating up in the data centre sector, where proponents of hydrogen believe it could well be an ideal primary power source for putting the sector on a path to net zero. But if hydrogen is the answer, there are important issues to address, not the least of which the necessary changes to the utility power and gas infrastructure. Additionally, we urgently need to gather data on the greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement benefits that might accrue from data centres using hydrogen. For a data centre, the real GHG abatement value of hydrogen lies in decarbonising the electricity supply - swapping out the utility grid for primary power and using green hydrogen to fuel engines or fuel cells for continuous use. This would take the data centre’s electrical consumption and replace it with a genuine source of renewable energy, since hydrogen causes no carbon emissions in use and green hydrogen is generated using only power from renewable sources. But achieving such a goal brings its own challenges. While many countries have developed a strategy for hydrogen, the hydrogen economy itself – in the form of production, transport and storage - is just not here yet. Practically no location yet supplies infrastructure or any piped hydrogen. It is certainly not yet possible to bring in vessels containing compressed hydrogen at a sufficient volume and rate to provide for full and continuous operation of a modern data centre. One obvious solution to this challenge could be for data centres and other energy intensive users to become both hydrogen producers and storage facilities. However, there isn’t currently a viable on-site source of clean energy that would produce green hydrogen by electrolysis of water. Where could such an energy supply come from? One possible answer is for data centres to tap into a renewable power grid and utilise such a grid’s surplus energy for the production of green hydrogen. When the wind is blowing or the sun is shining and/or demand is low, taking electricity from Renewable Energy Resources (RERs) means the carbon emissions associated with each kilowatt hour of energy supply are low. And in the opposite circumstances – when the wind is not blowing, the sun is not shining, and electrical demand is high – data centres could operate using its own reserves of locally stored green hydrogen rather than the utility grid topping up capacity using fossil-fuelled power plants to fulfil demand. Use of hydrogen stored on-site for peak shaving at times of high demand and low renewable supply levels out demand on the grid. This is a form of carbon trade-off, since drawing less power from the grid reduces the use of fossil fuels, achieving a net gain in emissions reduction. But is the round-trip efficiency, using this strategy good enough to achieve a meaningful advantage? Modelling the carbon benefits The big question is whether on-site hydrogen production is economically and spatially viable and offers affordable benefits in terms of greenhouse gas abatement. Using carbon intensity data which is publicly available from grid networks in the UK and Ireland, i3 built a mathematical model of the process and measured what GHG abatement benefits it might bring about. It factored in the storage and technology that would be necessary, with the model using a nominal 10MW data centre in different locations. The model showed the returns are quite modest in terms of carbon emission reductions in places like Scotland, where there are a lot of renewables on offer. It is possible to reduce by about 10% a data centre’s energy or carbon emissions - approximately 500 tonnes of carbon per year. Interestingly, the percentage reduction in the southeast of the UK was smaller, but that worked out to be the same carbon reduction in absolute terms because there is higher grid carbon intensity in the region. In other words, the carbon costs are higher, so a smaller percentage reduction is an equivalent saving. These modest returns need to be weighted against the cost of applying the hydrogen technology to data centres at sufficient scale. The i3 model provides useful insight about the need to coordinate with grid-level facilities. It has also aided understanding of how battery energy storage, and in future, hydrogen, could be used in conjunction with the grid for a range of technologies, including various forms of energy storage and electricity demand reduction in data centres. The tool developed can be applied to data centre designs for many types of energy storage systems and reveal what potential benefits they bring about in terms of carbon reduction. The amount of activity in the hydrogen market, from production to transport to storage is accelerating. The biggest cost is green hydrogen production, for which excess renewable energy is required. However, it is projected that these costs will come down. Some point to conditions where because grids are integrating increasing amounts of power generated using renewable energy sources this will lead to excess capacity at times of low user demand, making more clean energy available for electrolysis. In addition, the huge growth in the scale of electrolyser production will aid the speed at which the economics of green hydrogen production will swing in favour of the consumer. As green hydrogen becomes more available, the economies of scale will start to improve, making hydrogen a more viable fuel source for electricity for powering data centres. Production value Like many countries, the UK is a long way from a national hydrogen gas transport network (pipes), and therefore local production in data centres and other energy intensive industries should be considered. Designing and developing data centres with hydrogen in mind needs to happen. We can future-proof data centres for the growth of hydrogen production and supply, for example, by specifying the use of reciprocating engines or fuel cells which can be run using hydrogen as well as other fuels in data centre designs. Click here for more latest news.

Hyperscale data centres key to driving APJ’s energy transition

As corporations and governments pursue the challenge of achieving a low-carbon future in Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ), AirTrunk has released its ‘Powering a Clean Energy Future’ report that identifies hyperscale data centres as key drivers in APJ’s energy transition to 24/7 clean energy (CE). The report highlights how a hyperscale data centre’s size, electricity demand profile, innovation capabilities and proven experience in procuring renewable energy puts them in a prime position for partnership to accelerate the transition. Through energy system modelling, the report also determines the most effective technology pathways and costs to reaching 24/7 (CE), providing holistic analysis of what is required. AirTrunk's Head of Energy and Climate, Joscha Schmitz, says, “24/7 clean energy is crucial to achieving climate targets by fully decarbonising power grids. As the major hyperscale data centre provider in APJ, we released this report with the intention to build momentum towards achieving 24/7 clean energy in the region.” “24/7 clean energy is more advanced in the European and North American markets due to resource availability and market maturity. The report outlines opportunities to successfully deliver clean energy technology in APJ, which is the fastest growing region, but the one experiencing the most difficulty in managing the energy transition,” says Joscha. The report recognises the need for more industry collaboration and highlights the six steps key industry players and governments must do to fully realise the potential of 24/7 CE in APJ, including: Increase and strengthen grid interconnection between markets Accelerate ‘green molecules’ and other new firming and storage technologies Diversify renewables portfolio with local firming solutions Leverage on-site infrastructure to support local grids and power markets Shift non-latency-sensitive loads to lower cost markets Start the discussion to achieve 24/7 clean energy in a cost-optimal way AirTrunk's Chief Technology Officer, Damien Spillane, says, “Major corporations and governments in APJ have made significant emissions reductions commitments, however in the current climate, it remains challenging to achieve these. That’s why we are calling on energy providers, sustainability groups, corporations and governments to work together, and with us, to facilitate a clean energy future for all.” “We take our responsibility as a key enabler of the transition seriously and will continue to focus our efforts on decarbonisation as we progress toward net zero emissions by 2030,” says Damien. The ‘Powering a Clean Energy Future’ report can be downloaded here. Click here for more latest news.

Data centres’ net zero plans blown off track by the energy crisis

According to research published by Schneider Electric, 81% of business leaders at UK and Irish data centres say the energy crisis will impact their organisation’s ability to meet its emissions reduction plans. Of that figure, around half of organisations say they are delaying planned investment in sustainability and net zero plans (49%). Four in ten of the same organisations (40%) say they now have more immediate business challenges to meet, while 43% claim that emission reduction targets are no longer an issue for their stakeholders. More than one in five (22%) of these firms claim that taking practical action to meet targets is difficult. Decarbonisation helps businesses reduce energy use and lower energy costs at a time when energy prices remain volatile.  Crucially, the survey of more than 1,500 large organisations reveals that business leaders still recognise the importance of working to emissions reduction targets, as nearly one third (32%) of data centre business leaders believe that climate change and net zero ambitions will become more of a priority over the next three years. Only a small minority (11%) believe that national net zero commitments will be diluted in that time. “Business leaders tell us that the energy crisis should be seen alongside the many other challenges they have faced over the last twelve months, including economic pressures, cyber security and skills shortages. Yet our research suggests that some of the UK and Ireland’s data centres are ‘kicking the carbon emissions can down the road’, as a result of the energy crisis,” says Mark Yeeles, Vice President, Secure Power Division, Schneider Electric UK and Ireland. “As fears grow about progress against global commitments made under the Paris Agreement, and the UK’s Climate Change Committee warns of a lack of progress on emissions cuts, the UK and Ireland need data centres to play their part and stick to their net zero and emissions reduction targets,” says Mark Yeeles. The survey also reveals that 32% of data centre managers believe that energy prices will fall over the next three years, while more than seven out of ten (71%) think their organisation will still be addressing the energy crisis in 12 months’ time. Presenting the survey findings, Mark Yeeles urged data centres to re-engage with their emissions reduction ambitions, “It’s not all doom and gloom, as our research shows, business leaders still believe in their climate change ambitions – they simply need to push the subject back up the corporate agenda. “The technology required to help businesses decarbonise is already available – and the return on investment for these solutions has never been more attractive, with payback periods measured in months rather than years. Organisations still have time to meet their net zero commitments by understanding and addressing energy use, investing in renewable energy and energy saving technology, and embedding sustainability and carbon reduction targets in their business plans. “What’s more, those that invest in green skills and green jobs will reap the rewards of a diverse workforce for decades to come. At Schneider Electric, we’ve seen this for ourselves through our apprenticeship and graduate programmes.” Click here for more latest news.

IONOS announces climate strategy 2030

IONOS has announced its climate strategy 2030. While IONOS has long been committed to environmental sustainability, the new strategy includes a long-term plan for the future of its data centres as well as its office targets. Further reducing data centre emissions By 2030, IONOS aims to reduce data centre carbon emissions by 55% from 2019 levels, actively working to reduce Scope 1 emissions from diesel by switching to biofuel-powered generators where possible. The company is also continuing its commitment to sourcing 100% renewable electricity. This is the most significant contributor to IONOS‘ minimised Scope 2 carbon emissions, under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHP). In addition, it plans to have renewable energy generation, such as solar photovoltaic panels, on-site at 50% of its own data centres. While the company currently uses trusted carbon offsets (Scope 1 & 2), its primary goal is to reduce reliance on these through proactive carbon reduction measures. Measuring and reducing the value chain IONOS will also look beyond its direct operations. The company commits to measuring and reducing carbon emissions from its value chain (Scope 3). It will establish a carbon footprint in 2024 and explore actions in areas that are most likely to be high impact, such as server lifecycle and data centre construction. As a first step, IONOS will engage 90% of its key tech-ops suppliers by spend, to set supplier climate targets. While data centres account for the majority of IONOS’ impact, the company will target 100% renewable electricity in its global offices, adding up to 100% renewable electricity use overall. Additionally, it will target 100% electric vehicles in its company car fleet. Achim Weiss, CEO of IONOS, says, “We are proud of our environmental sustainability achievements so far. Our new 2030 climate strategy will build upon our previous initiatives and target 100% renewable energy across all operations, as well as further reduce our carbon footprint and push our suppliers to follow suit. The next step towards this strategy is evaluating the use of waste heat from our data centres.” Worcester data centre as a blueprint In October 2022, IONOS opened its most sustainable data centre to date in Worcester, UK. This will serve as a blueprint for how the group will build and design data centres in the future. Some of the sustainability design features incorporated include: 10% of total energy from on-site solar power Backup generators powered by biofuel, reducing carbon emissions by 90% Carbon neutral (offset) steel used in construction On-site bee & bug hotels to improve local insect biodiversity   Best in class energy efficiency  Progress to date In addition to the new initiatives, it has implemented many past and current environmental sustainability initiatives. These include: Since 2021, Strato offices have been powered by renewable electricity. Since 2022, the new IONOS US Philadelphia office has been powered by renewable electricity. In 2021, 50% of electricity in offices was renewable, rising to 66% in 2022. This already represents 99.5% renewable electricity in total across all operations data centres and offices. It has been purchasing 100% renewable electricity for many years. This is and will remain the biggest factor in reducing direct carbon emissions from the data centres. Despite growing more than 50% (revenue) as a business since 2018, IONOS has reduced its absolute energy consumption by 9.6% since 2018, thanks to dedicated energy management teams and a certified ISO 50001 management system. IONOS has recycled and refurbished more than 510 tonnes of servers and IT equipment since 2018. In addition to its latest UK data centre, it has two further solar installations planned for 2023. Developing a liquid cooling system to support reusing heat energy from new data centres for extended district heating networks. Investigating options for reusing waste heat to heat office buildings and conduct a feasibility study. Click here for more latest news.

AirTrunk releases report on powering a clean energy future  

As corporations and governments pursue the challenge of achieving a low-carbon future in Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ), AirTrunk has released its ‘Powering a Clean Energy Future’ report that identifies hyperscale data centres as key drivers in APJ’s energy transition to 24/7 clean energy (CE). The report highlights how a hyperscale data centre’s size, electricity demand profile, innovation capabilities and proven experience in procuring renewable energy puts them in a prime position for partnership to accelerate the transition. Through energy system modelling, the report also determines the most effective technology pathways and costs to reaching 24/7 (CE), providing holistic analysis of what is required. AirTrunk, Head of Energy and Climate, Joscha Schmitz, says, “24/7 clean energy is crucial to achieving climate targets by fully decarbonising power grids. As the major hyperscale data centre provider in APJ, we released this report with the intention to build momentum towards achieving 24/7 clean energy in the region. “24/7 clean energy is more advanced in the European and North American markets due to resource availability and market maturity. The report outlines opportunities to successfully deliver clean energy technology in APJ, which is the fastest growing region, but the one experiencing the most difficulty in managing the energy transition,” says Joscha. The report also recognises the need for more industry collaboration and highlights the six steps key industry players and governments must do to fully realise the potential of 24/7 CE in APJ, including: Increase and strengthen grid interconnection between markets Accelerate ‘green molecules’ and other new firming and storage technologies Diversify renewables portfolio with local firming solutions Leverage on-site infrastructure to support local grids and power markets Shift non-latency-sensitive loads to lower cost markets Start the discussion to achieve 24/7 clean energy in a cost-optimal way AirTrunk, Chief Technology Officer, Damien Spillane, says, “Major corporations and governments in APJ have made significant emissions reductions commitments, however in the current climate, it remains challenging to achieve these. That’s why we are calling on energy providers, sustainability groups, corporations and governments to work together, and with us, to facilitate a clean energy future for all. “We take our responsibility as a key enabler of the transition seriously and will continue to focus our efforts on decarbonisation as we progress toward net zero emissions by 2030,” says Damien.

Schneider Electric podcast demystifies digital infrastructure

Schneider Electric has launched the DDI Podcast – a brand new podcast platform which aims to challenge and demystify the misconceptions surrounding the digital infrastructure sector, and share key insights from the people and the businesses transforming life as we know it through tech. Hosted by Mark Yeeles, VP Secure Power Division, Schneider Electric UK and Ireland, the DDI Podcast aims to drive a greater understanding of the leading role that digital infrastructure plays in the digital economy and bridge the gap between businesses and consumers. Moreover, by increasing awareness of how technologies support our everyday lives and by telling the stories of the people working within the sector, the company aims to accelerate opportunities to engage those pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), address the talent shortage and help encourage a more diverse workforce.  The first episode features guest Tom Gorman, Senior Operations Director, EMEA, Digital Realty, and explores Ireland as a tech hub, the local energy and sustainability challenges, and the role of data centres in the digital economy. Across the series, guests will also be covering key topics including the global impact of artificial intelligence (AI), data centres, networks and the cloud, the energy crisis, renewables, and sustainability, the skills shortage and early talent. “I’m proud to introduce a new podcast platform as we begin to demystify some of the key questions at the heart of a sector which impacts so many globally,” says Mark Yeeles, Vice President, Secure Power Division, Schneider Electric, UK and Ireland. “Through the DDI Podcast and our guests, I hope we can not only inform and educate our listeners, but help them understand the role of this critical industry and showcase the achievements of organisations who are leading the charge in sustainability and ultimately, the mission to reach net zero.” “Data centres are leading the charge in terms of innovation and embracing new technologies,” says Tom. “One of the biggest challenges we face is educating people and raising awareness of the industry and how it underpins so much of our everyday lives. I was delighted to be the inaugural guest on the DDI podcast talking to Mark about the sector – discussing some of the key topics, which I hope will encourage others to want to learn more.” The DDI Podcast is available to download and stream from all major podcast platforms.

The role hydrogen fuel cells play in data centre design

Euan Cutting, Electrical Engineer, Black & White Engineering As data centre operators continually look for ways to decarbonise their business operations, hydrogen has become a highly anticipated solution for storing and releasing low or zero carbon energy. When considering options for onsite electrical generators, there are very few practical options which can fit in a data centre campus and produce no carbon emissions. When excluding renewables from our options, it leaves us with gas generators and fuel cells. Of the two remaining options, fuel cells have higher efficiency. The cost-effectiveness depends on how they are used, whether it is for backup or continuous power. In terms of cost, hydrogen at present is prohibitively expensive, not to mention the infrastructure required to store it, and the significant storage difficulties due to its low density. While the cost of hydrogen is predicted to reduce over the next decade, making it more accessible, the issues around large-scale storage may prevent usage on many data centre sites. In the future, there will be locations with gas pipelines which could provide hydrogen, but this may not be an economical option when compared to consuming electricity from the utility grid. As hydrogen can react with oxygen to release energy with no carbon emissions, it is no surprise that current predictions demonstrate that by 2030, the hydrogen economy could be worth $500bn. Hydrogen fuel cells combine hydrogen and oxygen to generate low or zero carbon electricity which can be used to power a data centre. The majority of fuel cells currently in use in data centres are solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), providing constant power. SOFCs can generate power through the conversion of fuels such as natural gas and biogas, into hydrogen, which is then reacted in the fuel cell to generate power. While using natural gas still results in carbon emissions, SOFCs are able to generate power with higher efficiency than combustion engines. SOFCs can also be fuelled directly with hydrogen, although this is not the norm due to hydrogen’s cost and availability. While it is capable of providing constant power, hydrogen fuel cells are also being considered for providing backup power to data centres. This is greatly appealing to data centre operators as a more environment-friendly replacement for traditional diesel generators. This change would see the use of fast-start fuel cells, such as proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, which could take the place of diesel generators. SOFCs and PEM fuel cells differ from one another in their construction, materials, and operation. In a high-level view, the primary differences are the electrolyte materials and operating temperatures. SOFCs operate at high temperatures, requiring longer start-up times and as a result, only being suitable for continuous power supply. PEMs, by contrast, operate at lower temperatures and are capable of fast-start or continuous operation, but are a more expensive option. How exactly fuel cells will be used in future data centres is still up for debate, with operators considering both backup and constant power options. There are significant trade-offs with each option; using fuel cells for backup power requires large quantities of hydrogen to be stored onsite, which is costly, space consuming, and high-risk, particularly when compared to current onsite diesel storage. Constant power usage, on the other hand, would see the fuel cells connected to a future hydrogen gas pipeline. The major disadvantage with this option is operating costs – as current data centre operators state that they intend to use zero carbon ‘green hydrogen’, using renewable electricity to split water via electrolysis. This is almost guaranteed to be more expensive than just using utility electricity directly, due to electrolyser efficiencies and losses in hydrogen distribution and storage. Sustainability – a key driver in the use of hydrogen fuel cells The key benefit and primary motivation for installing hydrogen fuel cells within a data centre is to reduce carbon emissions. As stated, some fuel cells, such as SOFCs, can use natural gas - while it is less damaging to the environment than diesel, it still results in significant carbon emissions. This may be attractive for data centre operators due to the cost of natural gas for industrial consumers versus the cost of utility electricity. Given the high efficiency of fuel cells, this allows data centre operators to produce lower cost electricity onsite, with the downside of carbon emissions when using natural gas and added energy system complexity.  Fuel cells powered directly with hydrogen rather than natural gas have the opportunity to be sustainable, provided that the hydrogen does not originate from fossil fuels. Depending on its source, hydrogen has commonly referred to ‘colour’ classifications to help differentiate how it has been produced and therefore, how sustainable it is. Hydrogen produced directly from natural gas is referred to as ‘grey,’ while hydrogen produced from natural gas with a carbon capture, utilisation, and storage system (CCUS) is referred to as ‘blue’. ‘Green’ hydrogen, produced via electrolysis with renewable energy, is often hailed as the gold standard. Additionally, there is ‘pink’ hydrogen - it is also produced via electrolysis like ‘green’ hydrogen, however, it uses nuclear energy rather than renewable energy. The goal to meet net zero carbon targets, combined with the ongoing energy crisis, has also created a renewed interest in nuclear power which can provide vast quantities of low carbon electricity. In addition to the low carbon electricity source which can be used for electrolysis, there are proposals to utilise waste heat from high temperature nuclear reactors, significantly reducing the energy required for electrolysis. This potentially results in more efficient and economical hydrogen production. However, companies are increasingly facing pressure from investors to comply with ESG standards, which is another reason why hydrogen fuel cells are appealing to data centre operators. This pressure is already pushing companies, including data centre operators, to explore alternative technologies such as fuel cells, which may attract more investment and improve public image. The practicalities of hydrogen fuel cell usage in data centres Implementing hydrogen fuel cells in place of diesel generators results in a significant change to the overall energy system of a data centre. As data centre designers, it is our responsibility to design the electrical and mechanical infrastructure to provide constant power and cooling to the servers. From an electrical perspective, fuel cells and diesel generators have fundamentally different properties. To begin with, diesel generators produce alternating current (AC), whereas fuel cells produce direct current (DC). Additionally, they have varying properties when powering up and assuming high loads. This may provide novel options for DC systems within a data centre, although depending on the size of the data centre and the distances that electricity may have to travel, this could become inefficient. From a mechanical perspective, designing a hydrogen storage system is significantly more complex than a diesel storage system. Hydrogen has more storage options available, however, it presents higher risks than diesel, such as greater flammability and explosivity, higher pressures, potential for low temperature, or chemical storage methods, which are all hazardous. This, therefore, requires the mechanical design for such a system to comply with rigorous safety standards. Consequently, local planning restrictions may prevent a data centre from storing hydrogen onsite - a particular issue for data centres in Europe, which are often located in urban and industrial environments. In typical European data centre locations, land comes at a premium and many data centres are located in relatively urban environments. One suggestion is for greater integration of energy systems, which would see data centres located adjacent to energy industries or having data centres integrated with hydrogen generating plants and fuel cells. This solution sidesteps planning problems by locating data centres alongside low carbon energy industries. A major issue with this, aside from the available land, is blurring the lines between the data centre operators, utility providers, and energy companies. While this gives data centre operators direct access to low carbon energy, there will have to be a clear demarcation between data centre operators and utility operators, as the data centre operators’ primary business is data rather than energy. In addition to the above design considerations, cost is another hurdle for hydrogen uptake. While it is hard to predict exactly how costs will vary over the coming decade, especially with recent cost fluctuations due to the energy crisis, there are a range of investments and subsidies being launched. These aim to produce cost-competitive hydrogen at scale. This could take the form of subsidies such as contracts for difference (CfDs), which can help increase investment in low carbon technology. In the last decade, CfDs have played a major role in bringing down the cost of renewables for developers. This has been a success story in the UK, with the grid gaining large quantities of renewable energy. Design-first greener, cleaner data centres There are countries in which the local utility grid generates power from highly polluting fossil fuels such as coal. In this scenario, the carbon emissions per kWh of electricity from these grids are higher than the emissions from a fuel cell utilising natural gas. This allows a data centre to utilise SOFCs with a natural gas supply, which reduces or eliminates the data centres’ demand on the local utility grid, while also reducing the carbon footprint of the data centre, when compared to a scenario in which the data centre used electricity from a carbon intensive grid. There is also the potential to utilise waste heat in a vapour absorption machine (VAM) chiller, to provide cooling and power for further carbon mitigation. Black & White Engineering has designed data centres that use SOFCs in this capacity, which can provide the dual benefit of reducing carbon emissions and costs, while additionally mitigating demands on local utility grids. However, a caveat to the sustainability benefits of this kind of onsite power generation is, as a country begins to decarbonise its utility grid, the emissions reduction which the data centre operator previously had will be diminished, until eventually they may generate more carbon emissions per kWh than the electricity available on the utility grid. While this is highly dependent on the country in question, a good example of this would be the combined heat and power (CHP) plants in the UK. A decade ago, these plants provided ‘low carbon’ electricity in comparison to the grid at the time, but now in many cases, emit more carbon than local grids. Countries which already have decarbonised grids, France, Sweden, and Scotland, for example, will not benefit from a continuous system which uses natural gas to begin with. An ideal scenario for a data centre operator utilising this system would be for a zero carbon hydrogen pipeline to become available, as the local utility grid becomes decarbonised. However, this also requires the hydrogen supply to be cost-competitive with utility electricity. As more fast-start PEM fuel cells enter the market, there will be greater flexibility on how fuel cells can be used. PEM fuel cells would allow for dynamic changes in power generation, potentially allowing backup power options or the ability to provide services for the utility grid. Again, this would necessitate significant onsite hydrogen storage or a ‘green’ hydrogen pipeline.     In the coming years, if ‘green’ hydrogen that is made from renewable energy, can be made as cost-competitive and as available as current fossil fuels, it will offer a sustainable alternative to diesel for data centre operators. While hydrogen technologies offer a promising solution, they are complex technologies which must be carefully implemented to ensure real carbon mitigation, practicality, and cost-effectiveness. Click here for more thought leadership.

Magnetic north: Scotland’s renewable future as a data centre hub

Kerr Johnstone, Director, i3 Solutions Group With green credentials that include the UK’s lowest carbon energy intensity, increasing access to RERs, low-cost land and political backing, are the pieces in place for Scotland to fulfil its data centre sector potential? Scotland has been talked about as a location for big and hyperscale data centres for almost two decades. The geography, climate, access to renewables, and improving subsea connectivity, tick many of the development criteria boxes for data centres. All reinforce the huge potential for the country to attract multiple large scale data centre developments. Scotland is green. A major positive is its increasing access to renewable power generation resources. Its renewable energy capacity reached 13.6GW in September 2022, a rise of 11.7% in the previous year due in most part to more onshore and offshore wind coming on stream. The electricity used in the south of Scotland – which includes the central belt – has been the greenest (measured as gCO2e/kWh) anywhere in Great Britain since the turn of the decade. This is according to independent research commissioned by Scotland’s leading data centre and multi-cloud services provider, DataVita. The data showed that the south of Scotland had the lowest average gCO2e/kWh rate of any region within the United Kingdom, at just over 47g/h since January 2020.DataVita says, in particular periods, an IT workload hosted in Scotland could be 11 times less carbon intense than the worst performing location in the UK and three times less intense than a workload running in London. On land, under the sea Scotland’s land cost and site quality are attracting interest.  In May 2023, Scottish Futures Trust/Host in Scotland, Crown Estate Scotland and Scottish Enterprise issued an updated Site Selection Report. In March 2021, Host in Scotland, partnering with Scottish Enterprise (SE) and Crown Estate Scotland (CES), commissioned a report which drew up a shortlist of sites that are ready for green data centre development projects. From a long list of 80 suitable sites, it named 36 prime locations from the borders to Inverness based on criteria including available power, renewables access, land scale and connectivity. The updated 2023 Site Selection report allowed previous sites selected to be checked for their availability and updates on their development status to be included. Since 2021, new sites for potential data centre development have been sought by contacting local authorities, various government agencies and property agents. This has resulted in an increase of five new shortlisted sites, representing the best sites for data centre development across the country. Some of these sites are suitable for urban colocation use whilst other sites are considered more suitable for rural hyperscale development.Scotland’s mountainous geography is also a plus. In March 2023, energy giant SSE said, it would invest £100 million in a pumped hydro energy storage facility in the Scottish Highlands. And going all the way back to 2009, when the Crown Estate licensed its part of the seabed in Pentland firth, to tidal power developer, MeyGen plc, stories of the potential for 800MW data centres running on clean power surfaced regularly. Swiss power giant, ABB provides the grid connection for MeyGen in a deal announced in 2014. Diverse fibre connectivity to Scotland is improving. Tampnet Carrier is a Nordic based high-speed network operator responsible for over 30% of the traffic between Norway, the UK and Europe. The company has two routes from Scotland to London. One from its PoP in Edinburgh connects directly to London offering diversity for data transfers. Another route from Edinburgh utilises Tampnet’s subsea network in the North Sea connecting with the burgeoning data centre market in the Nordics. FARICE-1 is a submarine communications cable connecting Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Scotland. The cable has been in use since January 2004. Within the country, the Scottish Government says, £1bn has been invested in programmes such as Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB), Reaching 100% (R100) and Scottish 4G Infill (S4GI). These, alongside extensive commercial investment, have greatly extended the reach and capacity of fibre networks across the country. Time to scale Scotland’s ability to attract hyperscale data centre developments would appear to reside in its renewable power generation capacity and energy storage potential. As the i3 Solutions Group GHG abatement initiative shows, evaluation of clean on-site power generation; Power storage such as battery (chemical), kinetic, pumped hydro, and gravity; Microgrids (islanded and integrated operation); and new revenue potential of being a grid power supplier, are fundamental considerations for large scale developments. The location’s initial attractiveness will be viewed through access to thousands of MWs of renewable energy power generation plus its low carbon intensity grid. However, while power remains the dominant factor, other advantageous considerations around planning, location, design and operation cannot be ignored. The planning environment for data centre development expects integration with local economies, Scotland’s broader economy and adherence to sustainability goals. This could work in favour of developers.For example, in 2021, the Scottish Government passed The Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021 to accelerate the deployment of district heating in population centres. This could make metro data centre developments attractive. Use cases for data centre heat reuse in rural locations include Scotland’s historically large and rapidly growing agriculture and aqua culture sectors. Scotland’s skills base is built on a historical engineering prowess in areas such as transport, oil and gas, which are transitioning to leadership in hydrogen and sustainable fuel and energy alternatives. On the mechanical engineering design front, the country’s low ambient temperatures and soft water resources provide options for adiabatic cooling and enhanced free cooling opportunities to improve efficiency through low PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness).Scotland is also sparsely populated. Covering an area of 78,782km2, its population density is listed at 67.2 people per km2. Compare this with England, where the population density is over 430 per km2 . That means for site selection there is high quality land available, which in turn creates opportunities for modern buildings with highly efficient electrical and mechanical infrastructure design. Digital infrastructure requires long term sustainability. All large-scale data centre developments are seeking a clean energy future but many will also require the combination of benefits that Scotland has in abundance. Click here for more thought leadership.

Centiel launches new sustainable UPS

Centiel UK has launched its new uninterruptible power supply (UPS) StratusPower to provide complete peace of mind in relation to power availability, while helping data centres to achieve net zero targets. StratusPower shares all the benefits of its award-winning three phase, true modular UPS CumulusPower, including ‘9 nines’ (99.9999999%) availability to effectively eliminate system downtime; class leading 97.1% online efficiency to minimise running costs; true ‘hot swap’ modules to eliminate human error in operation. But now, it also includes long life components to improve sustainability. David Bond, Chairman, Centiel UK, confirms, “Data centres burn massive amounts of energy and use huge volumes of water to cool equipment, and so it is essential that we work towards developing more sustainable solutions. Historically, Centiel’s innovation has led to the creation of one of the most efficient and available UPS solutions on the market in CumulusPower. For the past four years, we have been working to ensure our latest UPS is now as sustainable as possible too.  “Like all our UPS, StratusPower is manufactured at our factory in Switzerland. However, uniquely, it includes even higher quality components, so instead of replacing filter capacitors and cooling fans every four years, they now need replacing every 15 years, or just once during their entire 30 year design life. As a data centre has a design life of typically 25 to 30 years, StratusPower will last as long as the data centre. Furthermore, at end of life, StratusPower can also be almost 100% recycled.” StratusPower now covers a power range from 50 to 1,500kW in one cabinet and can be paralleled for 3,750kW of uninterrupted, clean power, which is perfect for data centres. Like its whole range of UPS solutions, UPS cabinets are designed with scalability and flexibility in mind, and future load changes are easily accommodated by adding or removing UPS modules as required. A data centre will never outgrow a well specified StratusPower UPS and it can be constantly rightsized to ensure that it always operates at the optimal point in its efficiency curve. David confirms, “Centiel’s team have long been at the forefront of solving technology challenges. As a society and in the board room, we now need to look seriously at sustainability and how it can be genuinely achieved within data centres.  “StratusPoweris a significant move towards this goal as it not only minimises total cost of ownership but also helps achieve sustainability goals with a full commitment to zero waste and net zero policies. The system is highly efficient, scalable and reliable, providing complete peace of mind when it comes to power availability and uptime. Our experienced team are always available to advise on the most appropriate options for organisations looking to improve their approach to sustainability and reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining the highest level of availability for critical power protection.” Click here for latest data centre news.