Energy efficiency boost for NHS Trust data centre

Author: Simon Rowley

Secure I.T. Environments (SITE), one of the UK’s leading design and build companies for modular, containerised and micro data centres, has announced the completion of mechanical and electrical upgrades to improve energy efficiency at the primary data centre of St Mary’s Hospital, Isle of Wight NHS Trust. The trust serves an offshore population of more than 140,000.

The data centre was originally designed and installed by SITE in 2008, but the trust wanted to take advantage of new energy efficient and sustainable technologies, whilst also redesigning the data centre to accommodate 14 racks, with a maximum data centre load of 80kW. The upgrade recommendations specified and implemented by SITE will allow the trust to reach its data centre target cooling PUE of 1.15 or lower, and is projected to achieve its return on investment in less than 1.8 years.

Works on the data centre included:

• Design new rack layout to support future load requirements
• Implement cold aisle containment to new and existing racks
• Supply and install four DMA030D GEA Multi-DENCO energy efficient DX ai conditioning units with external condensers
• Replace UPS with a new energy efficient Riello MPW PWC 300 Multipower UPS solution capable of 40 minutes autonomy at 80kW load
• Upgrade fire suppression layout for new rack arrangement, and replace existing fire suppression with environmentally-friendly Novec system
• Undertake electrical and raised flooring works to support new data centre configuration
• Responsibly dispose of removed equipment
  

Jake Gully, Digital Operations Technical Architect at Isle of Wight NHS Trust, comments, “This has been a very successful project delivered on time and in budget, that will enable us to achieve our energy efficiency goals and sets the stage for our future technology aspirations. SITE cares about the quality of its work, and it has been a real team effort from design to completion.”

Chris Wellfair, Projects Director at Secure I.T. Environments, adds, “As the original designers of the data centre at St Mary’s Hospital, this project has been a clear reminder, if one were needed, that the pace of development in data centre technology to improve energy efficiency shows no signs of slowing. We look forward to continuing to support the fantastic IT team at St Mary’s Hospital with the ongoing maintenance of the upgraded data centre.”

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