INDUSTRY INTELLIGENCE POWERED BY THE DCA
Renew , reuse , refresh and repeat rather than rebuilding .
• Risk management processes
Project planning and execution needs to be aligned to operational risk issues and downstream impacts . Well-considered risk registers are required providing clarity about owners and actions , together with strong risk management processes .
• High levels of engagement with operational teams
Ensuring that project work can take place in a way that is congruent with the continuing business-as-usual operation of the facility is essential .
• Back-out plans agreed before changeovers are executed
Many projects will have one or several key changeover activities that require right-first-time execution and a pre-agreed process to ensure service availability in the event of unexpected difficulties
• Capable teams with relevant expertise and experience
A selection of skilled and experienced design and construction teams are essential to successful project delivery . Appointing project participants should therefore be done on the basis of a thorough pre-qualification process or through pre-existing knowledge of the capability of organisation ’ s key individuals .
• Financial considerations
Full project financial picture must be considered , inclusive of the tax position . Government tax incentives in the form of capital allowances are available to support and encourage businesses to undertake capital investment . These incentives are obtained through savings in Corporation Tax . With expenditure on qualifying plant and machinery likely to be substantial , Corporation Tax paying UK-based data centre owners should ensure that capital allowance benefits are maximised in order to improve their return on investment .
Obtaining the relief is not an automatic process and the tax rules are complex and often misunderstood . As a result , many businesses miss out on the tax relief available to them . Appointing a specialist capital allowances consultant with complex engineering systems experience will deliver tangible benefits .
2 . Potential efficiency gains through investment
Investments in next-generation computing , storage and heat removal technologies will be required to avoid potentially steep energy use growth later this decade . This is in addition to parallel investments in renewable power sourcing to minimise the climate implications of unavoidable data centre energy use .
Conclusion
At BCS we have seen significant improvements to sustainability delivered as part of a general refreshment of assets that are beyond their economic life as we look to renew , reuse , refresh and repeat rather than rebuilding . � www . intelligentdatacentres . com
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