FACILITIES power & cooling
regulated 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure servers are kept in optimum conditions. Remote temperature sensors are installed around every custom data hall and linked to the CRAC system through infrared monitors. These sensors identify hot and cold spots, and where the temperature is naturally cooler, the CRAC system automatically reduces its focus on that particular area and concentrates on the sections that are warmer.
Free air cooling is also deployed and enabled by channelling external air into the data halls to help cool the IT server racks. When outside ambient temperatures are sufficiently cool the electrically powered chiller systems are switched off completely or reduced, therefore cutting energy consumption significantly.
Power Management NGD Europe’s private 180 MVA distribution network is sourced directly from the metering breakers in a primary substation for the super grid which is located within a mile of the site. This maintains complete control of the entire power supply. The whole system is supported by intelligent power distribution units with monitoring done down to the circuit level that ensures IT devices as well as building management systems are performing at the optimum levels so as not to consume more power than necessary.
Almost unlimited power from 100 per cent renewable energy sources can be supplied to each rack in the data centre with N+N Uninterruptible Power Supply [UPS] resilience. From the outset of the project it was decided to take the renewables route and a long term supply agreement is in currently place with SmartestEnergy, the UK’s largest purchaser of electricity from the independent generation sector.
The advanced management system also provides a way for NGD to monitor the data centre without breaching confidentiality agreements. Once customers have signed contracts for the halls, no-one is allowed access. Schneider Electric installed its SCADA system, through which a central server provides a virtual window into the data centre processes, via a number of plasma screens. Authorised controllers can check on any data at any time, even down to each individual circuit within the building, ensuring all processes are running smoothly and any issues are quickly identified and dealt with. NGD Europe also benefits from a remote monitoring web gate system. This allows users to connect to the data centre using the internet and an IP address. This effectively means the data centre can be monitored and controlled not only locally, but from anywhere in the world, offering 24/7 control and visibility.
As with any large electrical installation, LV and MV equipment was required. A packaged substation was installed at the site, to provide power to the data centre. These were built with integrated power distribution units (PDU). The Schneider Electric PDU has the capability to remotely monitor every electrical circuit in the network, so if a fault ever occurs it can be picked up immediately and counter- measures can be implemented. Galaxy UPS devices from APC by Schneider Electric were specified and installed to act as an interim measure if there is ever an interruption to the supply of power at the source. These devices offer eight minutes of continuous power if the mains supply fails. In the event of a failure, the system automatically switches on a series of diesel generators within seconds to continue powering the data centre.
To ensure peace of mind, NGD has signed a five year ‘Prevent’ contract with Schneider Electric, offering a range of features such as a non- intrusive maintenance service, allowing switchgear to
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be checked while it is still operating, and around the clock access to spare parts. Assets are proactively maintained through random spot-checks, and any issues can be identified and fixed, quickly and effectively.
Background
Having opened its doors in early 2010 for initial anchor tenants, BT and Logica, NGD Europe will eventually house multiple tenants over the next five years, offering scalable, custom built data halls with the power resources to match.
Comparable in size to London Heathrow Terminal 5, the purpose- built multi-tier NGD Europe facility will ultimately accommodate 19,000 racks powering over three quarters of a million servers, supporting customers’ high density compute requirements including Cloud, Big Data, HPC, and Grid- computing. The first in Europe and probably worldwide to commit to drawing all power from 100 per cent renewable energy sources, the Climate Change Levy exempt, ISO 14001 and BREEAM certified facility has an ongoing commitment to maximising energy efficiency and maintaining industry-leading environmental credentials.
Ongoing Development
During 2011, further custom built data halls were completed for various new tenants, including one for a major US technology services provider. All customer halls benefit from NGD Europe’s ongoing commitment to optimising energy efficiency in order to reduce costs, carbon emissions and PUE ratings which are currently as low as 1.2.
As the largest and one of the few tier 3+ facilities in Europe, NGD Europe provides major global customers a highly scalable and resilient data centre environment. It can draw on 180 MVA of power which is many times greater than any other data centre in Europe and would be enough to supply a city the size of Bristol. At the same time, NGD strives to balance this requirement with sustained and continuously improving energy efficiencies. These include maintaining its commitment to 100 per cent renewable energy sources as part of its CRC initiative; a unique direct connection to the national grid via onsite substation to ensure maximum efficiencies and resilience all the way through to IT server racks; harnessing South Wales’ cooler climate with the use of direct free-air cooling for reducing the power consumption of chillers; deployment of motion detectors and energy efficient lamps throughout the facility to ensure lighting is only utilised as and when absolutely necessary. Other non-carbon sustainability initiatives are also continually evaluated including biomass, wind, solar panels and fuel cells for potential implementation in the future.
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