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Brendan Marren, head of distributed energy, Ireland, at Centrica Business Soluons, explains why data centres must embrace on site generaon technology if they are to sustain their growing need for energy while conforming to ghtening government emissions standards


Data storage is already one of the planet’s most energy-intensive industries and energy demand will only rise as the need for server space increases. Take Ireland, which has become a microcosm of the global data centre industry. There are currently 53 data centres in a country that has a population less than half the size of Greater London. These facilities consume around 1.4 terrawatt hours of electricity each year, the same as 300,000 homes, and demand is set to increase by more than 300 per cent over the next five years, according to our estimates. As a result, the country is now entering a phase where its centralised energy infrastructure will no longer be able to keep up with growing power demand. A concern for everyone, but particularly for data centres whose ability to deliver their service to customers directly hinges on having a consistent, reliable and sizeable supply of electricity.


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A rapidly growing data centre footprint is not unique to Ireland, however. With the UK posessing the largest third-party storage market in Europe, concerns over where these facilities get their energy from are just as relevant, even if the scale of the issue isn’t quite as pronounced yet as it is in Ireland.


Environmental pressure


The combination of environmental pressure and growing concern over energy availability puts data centres in an acutely difficult position. On the one hand, they must find a way of satisfying their insatiable need for energy. On the other, they are being mandated to drastically reduce emissions. The solution to both of these problems is for data centres to


ew industries are growing faster than data storage and, in 2017, it’s said that information surpassed oil as the world’s most


better, and more proactively, manage their own energy. This means producing more power directly or via power purchase agreements (PPA), on-site generation, and deploying technology that helps them to understand exactly how a facility is using the energy it consumes. On-site power generation will be nothing new to data centre energy managers. However, it is traditionally used as an auxiliary power source, as a backup in case the grid-provided supply is interrupted. But now is the time to start considering how it can play a more primary role, first supplementing energy from the grid, participating in grid stability programmes and eventually maybe replacing it.


Pricing models associated with traditional centralised electrical networks are currently being reviewed and in Ireland data centres now have their own section within the annual capacity statements.


Smarter energy


Producing energy on-site puts data centre energy managers in control of their supply, making them less reliant on the grid timeframe and capacity constraints and less vulnerable if that centralised supply falls below what they need or fails altogether


It also puts data centres in a position to tackle their other key challenge, by giving them the freedom to incorporate new, renewable technology when the time is right, provide heat to district heating networks, renewable gas, etc. In South Dublin for example a new district heating network is being build with an Amazon data centre provide the primary source of heat. To do this effectively, it’s important to have a more in-depth understanding of how energy is used throughout a facility – enter smart sensors. A data centre is highly sensitive to environmental fluctuations and even small changes in temperature can significantly affect the amount of energy it uses. Likewise, suboptimally


DATA CENTRES Knowledge needs power: Data’s growing demand for energy


performing equipment can increase energy costs, not to mention impact delivery speeds for customers or even lead to network downtime. Smart sensors can be a useful tool here. Easily attachable to anything that uses or produces energy, they provide real-time data on individual pieces of equipment’s power output and use, usually viewable through a virtual dashboard. This insight can be invaluable as an early warning sign of equipment failures and faults, and can help spot inefficiencies that, when fixed, reduce energy costs and emissions.


The data gleaned from the sensors is also a useful basis for a more forward-thinking energy strategy. Knowing the exact shape of a data centre’s energy requirements in minute detail can help to establish how renewable power sources such as solar panels, for example, can be integrated into the energy mix.


Gateway to green


While generating energy on-site doesn’t automatically make a data centre more environmentally friendly, it gives it the opportunity to be so. For those already using natural gas generators, there is the opportunity to explore green or renewable gas. But beyond that is renewable on-site energy generation.


The prospect of relying heavily on renewable energy has traditionally


been a cause of concern in the data centre community, where consistent power supply is a critical requirement. The main drawback of solar or wind power is that both are dependant on the right weather conditions to generate energy, making it difficult to rely on them when a steady supply of power is so key but combining renewable with on-site gas generation and storage can provide compelling


environmental and finance solutions. But, data centres need to demonstrate how they are becoming more environmentally sustainable and implementing these low-emission technologies will be expected, if not mandated before long.


Doing it for themselves


The growth of the data centre industry is unstoppable but necessary as the digital world expands. While data centres form a vital part of the modern ecosystem, they are also one of the biggest draws on its energy infrastructure. Taking control of the power supply through on-site generation is the best way for them to reduce the strain they put on the grid. It will also be vital to becoming more environmentally friendly by opening the door to cleaner, more efficient ways of generating the power they need.


www.centricabusinesssolutions.com


10 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER SEPTEMBER 2019


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