centre of attention
WEATHERING THE STORM
Satheesh Jacob of Ramboll explains how to prepare
your data centre for the effects of extreme weather.
T
he effects of climate
change are widely
understood but
understandably many
perceive that there
are more imminent risks to data
centres, especially with the rise of
cybersecurity breaches. However, new
research has found global warming
and climate change could result in
50 per cent more lightning strikes
by the end of the century. Given that
lightning is now known to occur on
average 44 (± 5) times a second
12
over the entire Earth, a total of about
1.4 billion flashes per year, the risk of
a strike is increasing rapidly.
Historically numerous structures
have been damaged either fully
or partially due to lightning. Only
after the invention of the lightning
rod by Benjamin Franklin in 1752
has a scientific solution for the
protection of life and property been
successfully practiced. More recently
a number of research projects have
been undertaken and resulted in
advancement in the field of lightning
protection, but we still do not have
all the answers. Today the Faraday
cage principle is the standard
method for the protection of life and
property in buildings, and is currently
followed to mitigate the risk of
damage due to lightning.
Growth of digital data
The need to protect digital equipment
has been increasing with rapid
urbanisation and growth in cloud
based digital technology, resulting in a
huge influx of data centres worldwide.