Growing data centre sector looks to keep carbon emissions down

Which approaches are proving most effective in decarbonising data centres globally? A recent webinar assembled a panel of experts to discuss how the sector is looking to reduce energy consumption and emissions.

With demand for computing power continuing to rise – and the expansion of AI representing a significant proportion of this – data centres are consuming considerable, and increasing, amounts of energy. A recent webinar organised by RICS WBEF and the iMasons Climate Accord therefore brought together experts in the sector to look at present, and future, efforts to decarbonise, emphasising a long-term perspective and collaboration.

More sustainable power can be used while awaiting grid connection

Progress in decarbonising data centres varies globally, says Compass Datacenters senior vice-president Amy Marks. While decarbonisation is becoming a regulatory requirement in some markets, in others it is the owners and operators of assets who are taking the initiative to lead decarbonisation. The pace of adoption is increasing, she adds, albeit in a fragmented manner. Developers of hyper-scale facilities – often considered to be those that house more than 5,000 servers or at least 40MW of computing power – alongside other companies like Compass Datacenters, are increasingly adopting sustainability requirements for energy usage and embodied carbon as well as materials, cooling systems and water, she observes.

Pete DiSanto is executive vice-president of data centres at energy solutions provider Enchanted Rock. He explains that, with the near-exponential growth of AI and cloud computing, a massive constraint on the sector’s sustainability in the US is the time required before data centres can connect to the electricity grid. The most efficient and practical source of electricity typically comes from the grid, but in some cases, data centres are waiting as many as seven years to get connected. During that time, interim power solutions relying on diesel generation are neither a sustainable nor a viable option.

Pete continues, modular and hybrid energy systems that power new data centres using a variety of sources are gaining traction as an alternative over this transitional period. Not only does this reduce the carbon intensity of the transition period itself, he says, but it can also cut the time before utility connection because the centre’s demand on grid power is lessened or can be managed through a flexible interconnection.

Data centre decarbonisation has focus on reducing operational consumption

Arup senior mechanical engineer Gemma Grant agrees. From a design perspective, Arup is seeing a lot of the hyper-scalers and colocation providers – data centres that are host to, or lease out, IT equipment to multiple businesses – focusing on energy consumption in the operational phase of a data centre by reducing power usage effectiveness (PUE) values (a measure of energy efficiency) and saving energy. Reducing operational carbon is quite straightforward for new builds, she continues, but there are many existing data centres that could be run much more efficiently, she says. Features such as higher chilled water temperature and changes to data centre air distribution care offer a couple of easy wins, she continues.

Pete says that research under way at the DCFlex initiative in California also aims to demonstrate how existing data centres can better support the electric grid through innovative, flexible interconnection systems. He suggests that a more flexible, natural gas bridge power system or microgrid can provide a temporary energy solution during the construction, expansion or early operational phases of a data centre’s lifecycle. Additionally, he continues, microgrids that integrate natural gas generation with battery storage and smart controls can evolve with the site, operating alongside the grid, being repurposed or even relocated as needs change. These containerised or fully relocatable systems can also be deployed as back-up generation on site, he explains.

As the grid decarbonises and renewable tariffs become more widely available, the sector should focus on embodied carbon more, says Gemma. When designing new data centres for construction, she explains, it’s also essential to think in a more circular way about the reuse and refurbishment of materials and components to decrease embodied carbon on a new project.

Life-cycle view and collaboration can reduce total costs and emissions

Amy believes sustainability can be achieved by building projects to last the longest possible lifetime, and by focusing on minimising the total cost of ownership. Around 74% of Compass’ buildings are factory-produced, she continues, whether as components, equipment or assemblies. Indeed, Compass plans to use standard designs in a flexible way that allows them to adapt to new technologies quickly.

The company is looking at assemblies and equipment from the perspective of the so-called 100-year campus, she explains: ‘If we can buy something upfront more expensively but not have to replace it for 100 years, that’s inherently more sustainable than a cheaper option that we would end up replacing five times over.’ Compass also partners with manufacturers so its supply chain is given proper incentives to create products with lower environmental impacts, she says.

Thinking about the longevity and maintenance of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) components of a building is also important, adds Gemma, as they are replaced at regular intervals during the operation of the asset. While the data on the embodied carbon of MEP components isn’t all available yet, she explains that each time you replace a part you’re introducing more embodied carbon.

As reference designs for new buildings may be used in several locations, continues Gemma, it is important to consider how the way these distribute pipework and cables, for example, could ensure material efficiency, or whether materials and components can be removed for reuse in the future. She adds that Arup also works with its supply chain to improve products, including specifying equipment that needs to have embodied carbon data in the form of an environmental product declaration or Technical Memorandum 65 data.

Better data sharing is needed to benchmark properly

Costs and business outcomes are crucial to decision-making in the built environment, says Amy, and the return on investment should be a central part of the argument for more environmentally-friendly approaches. Cheaper financing, more attractive leases, lower materials costs and greater energy efficiency are all results of thinking more sustainably, she says.

RICS head of sustainability Anil Sawhney FRICS agrees, explaining that the current edition of Whole life carbon assessment for the built environment is designed to be integrated with the International Cost Management Standard, so that you can report on carbon and life-cycle costs at the same time when comparing options.

However, centres have not always historically shared data, says Gemma, so it has been challenging to benchmark operational and embodied carbon. Encouraging data sharing must therefore come first, she advises, followed by making sure that operators are reporting their scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. At the same time, she continues, where data centres are campus-based, the style of development and design and operation is very varied, with colocation (offering IT services to multiple businesses) differing considerably from hyper-scalers (data centres customised expressly or a specific business) making them quite challenging to benchmark against each other.

Anil adds that the Built Environment Carbon Database is a free benchmarking tool developed for the UK by RICS, in collaboration with other organisations. As more providers report their assessments, the benchmarking capability of this database could make comparisons increasingly easy. Alongside this, adds Gemma, the UK Net Zero Cabon Building Standard – while still under development – includes benchmarks for data centres.

AI can help reduce energy use but also increases demand

AI can be very helpful to analyse and predict how carbon-intensive the power supply to your data centre is, Pete remarks, particularly when considering a flexible system that incorporates both grid and on-site power generation. Gemma agrees: ‘From a buildings perspective, there are AI tools that can help optimise building and data centre support systems; for example, a chill wall that can be run predictively using AI rather than reactively.’ Of course, there is also the balance between AI energy consumption and what it can save by predictive analytics, she adds.

As the AI revolution accelerates, demand for data centres and the energy required to power them is set to rise rapidly. By 2030, data centre energy use could triple in advanced digital economies and take up as much as 4% of worldwide power consumption. With 80% of the global energy mix coming from fossil fuels, this growth could generate 2.5bn metric tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions. However, increasing investment in data centres presents a major opportunity to encourage more sustainable approaches and draft a blueprint for the decarbonised data centres of the future.

Amid shifting policies, economic headwinds and competing demands for land and resources, which approaches are proving most effective in decarbonising data centres globally? In partnership with the iMasons Climate Accord, this webinar explores strategies for reducing data centres’ carbon impact. Our expert panel examines energy sources, IT and MEP systems and building materials, highlighting effective measures and best practices for carbon reduction as well as the innovations that will shape data centre decarbonisation in the next few years.

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