FEATURE
even during these trying times . He said that Equinix global reach , scale and buying power have enabled Equinix to :
• Invest over US $ 100 million in energy efficiency upgrades , retrofits and improvements since 2011 , which helped avoid 1.1 million megawatts ( MWh ) and 430,000 metric tons in carbon emissions over the same time period .
• Purchase renewable energy for 160 + ( out of 200 +) Equinix International Business Exchange ( IBX ) data centres .
• Cover 90 % of Equinix worldwide energy consumption with renewable energy . In EMEA , Equinix has covered over 95 %.
• Deploy cutting-edge innovations in its data centres that benefit all of its customers , such as Machine Learning , to identify new energy efficiencies . IBX SmartView , Equinix ’ s real-time data centre infrastructure monitoring ( DCIM ) software , helps customers make better decisions to improve their energy efficiency .
“ All of these innovations are passed to customers , enabling them to become greener faster and more efficient than they could on their own ,” said Schlosser .
DATA CENTRES ARE ENABLING
DIGITISATION
OF THE MODERN WORLD WHICH IS DRIVING THE CONSUMPTION
OF PRODUCTS WITH MUCH LESS ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT THAN
THEIR PHYSICAL OR ANALOGUE
COUNTERPARTS .
Jeroen Schlosser , Managing Director , Equinix , MENA
According to Martijn Imming , Business Development Manager Data Centres EMEA , Eaton , the current methods of data centre design and build often involve a ‘ mix and match ’ approach and this product approach , although it has been deployed successfully over the last three decades , cannot deliver the ever growing expectations of the next generation of customers . Imming believes faster construction programmes and leaner builds will require a more integrated systems approach that can reduce cost and improve uptime .
“ Hyperscalers have accelerated the evolution of data centres with their fast-paced construction programmes , and where previously , the largest colocation providers could deliver just a few data halls in a year , hyperscalers are now delivering this in a month ,” said Imming . “ By using a single manufacturer , component selection can be finely tuned and more closely matched , resulting in downsizing of the components in the power chain . By adopting a systems approach to the design of the electrical system , many of the problems faced by mix-and-match design can be easily and quickly addressed .
“ Such an approach involves considering the design as not just a number of functional blocks , but as a group of intelligent components coordinated with each other and tuned to the act as part of a coherent whole . Modular-build data centres maximise the benefits of a systems approach , particularly when constraints exist which hamper historical
FASTER CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMMES AND LEANER BUILDS WILL REQUIRE A MORE INTEGRATED SYSTEMS APPROACH THAT CAN REDUCE COST AND IMPROVE UPTIME .
stick-build construction methods . They are partially or wholly prefabricated off-site and provide many benefits as well as optimised performance , including quicker speed of deployment , design and installation cost savings and reduced total cost of ownership . A systems approach to design will define the future of data centres . Manufacturers are ideally positioned to combine complete component understanding with deep-dive design experience to produce a more finely tuned electrical system . This results in not just performance gains for the customer , but also significant cost savings across the complete cycle of the data centre , from the initial build to end of life ,” said Imming .
He went on to say that Smart Uninterruptible Power Supply ( UPS ) installations can play a key role in a smart systems approach to data centre design .
“ Being integrated with power infrastructure which is more aware of the energy it is using , a smart UPS can more effectively respond to outages where even a few seconds can be critical , while also providing significant energy savings through efficient power performance . Smart installations combined with a systems approach to design can have a truly transformative effect on the performance and efficacy of new data centre deployments ,” said Imming . ◊
38 Issue 21 www . intelligentdatacentres . com