The Sustainability Challenge by DCD Magazine

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The sustainability challenge A guide to creating actionable sustainability strategies to implement efficient design, optimize operations, introduce renewables and decarbonize supply chains

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Contents 4

Introduction

Chapter 1: Robust sustainability strategies

A framework for achieving sustainability in data centers

Beyond PUE

Chapter 2: Design-build sustainability

Baking sustainability into the process

Sustainable data centers require sustainable construction

Chapter 3: Sustainable power & renewable growth

Sustainable power

Making the next generation of data center power more sustainable

Chapter 4: Optimizing operations

Why digitization holds the key to your sustainable strategy

A framework for how to modernize data center facility infrastructure

Waste heat warms up

EcoDataCenter case study

Chapter 5: Supply chain thinking

A sustainable supply chain

Demystifying Scope 3

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DCD eBook | The sustainability challenge

Introduction The goals of the pact

Capacity growth puts spotlight

of 2050. As the insatiable appetite

on sustainability

for digital transformation increases,

The demand for digital infrastructure

it’s incumbent upon the digital

The Climate Neutral Data Centre

continues to grow. Global multi-

infrastructure industry to continue

Pact has five goals. Some of

tenant data center (MTDC) capacity

this transformation with sustainability

them are not yet expressed in

by available power grew 62.4 percent

at the forefront of growth strategies.

concrete targets:

compound annual growth rate of

Digital infrastructure leads the way

Efficiency

nearly 10.2 percent, according to a

There has been a proactive response

Data centers must meet a high

recent report by 451 Research.

from the data center industry to

energy efficiency standard. By

this challenge. Hyperscalers such

2025, new data centers bigger than

centers will exceed 32 gigawatts of

as Google and Microsoft have made

50kW must have an annual power

electrical power available to customer

aggressive pledges and net-positive

usage effectiveness of 1.3 in cool

IT systems. This is comparable to

goals. This has been followed by

climates and 1.4 in warmer climates

a medium-sized country. With this

providers such as Vantage and

where heat removal is harder.

continued growth trajectory, it is

NTT, as well as suppliers such as

Existing data centers have till 2030

little surprise that both regulators

Schneider Electric.

to reach this target.

in the five years through 2020; a

By 2024, forecasts suggest data

and indeed, the general public,

Indeed, earlier in 2021, the Climate

The pact also proposes to

have become more focused on data

Neutral Data Center Pact was signed

develop a new metric that could

center resource consumption in

by 25 operators and 17 associations,

replace or extend PUE.

recent years.

including Equinix, Amazon Web

Against this backdrop, in 2015

Green energy

Services, and Google.

all members of the United Nations

This is not purely down to

Data center energy use will be 75

adopted the 2030 agenda for

corporate and public pressure,

percent matched by renewable

sustainable development and with

or the need to stay a step or two

energy by 2025, and 100 percent

it, the 17 sustainable development

ahead of the regulators, but also the

matched by 2030.

goals at its core. This was followed

growing customer expectations for

by the Green Deal for Europe in 2019,

sustainability and the evolution of

Water use

planning to make Europe the first

technology ensuring the economics

Data centers will improve their

climate-neutral continent by the end

are becoming more attractive. As the

water conservation - but the target won’t be defined till 2022.

Figure 1: Which of the following factors are most important in driving efficiency and sustainability initiatives within your organization?

Reuse and recycling Data centers will move towards a circular economy by “assessing” all equipment for recycling and reuse, and increasing the amount they

50%

40%

36%

35%

30%

29%

23%

20%

Customer requirements

Long-term operational resiliency

Regulatory requirements

Cost saving from efficiencies

Public opinions

Competitive pressure

Long-term legal risk management

Good corporate citizenship

External financial incentives

recycle - but an actual target won’t

4 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

be set till 2025. Heat reuse Data center operators will all examine the possibility of offering waste heat to district heating systems or industrial customers. No targets are set though.

Figure 2: Global operators highlight the importance of sustainability to customer decision making

Planning for sustainability Incorporating sustainability in

80%

practice can be easier said than done.

85%

“It begins with more holistic scopes and frameworks,” said Valdes. Indeed, where historically the thinking may have centered around operational 17%

12%

efficiency and scope 1 emissions,

17%

there is now a much more strategic

0% Not a factor

approach across the whole value-chain

Not very important

Somewhat important

to benchmark and measure scope 2

Highly important

and scope 3 emissions also. Beyond the operational efficiencies, strategies

Currently

are now being put into place to look at

In 3 years’ time

green and renewable energy, building materials and circularity. See figure

Transparency and sustainable practices will soon be key to RFPs and expectations. It will be critical to win new projects

3, for example, on Microsoft’s recent carbon negative pledge. DCD & Schneider Electric have created this eBook to capture the insights, best practices, and practical

recent survey from 451 illustrates

the importance of sustainability to

advice in introducing a comprehensive

(see figure 1), customer requirements

customer decision making over the

framework for developing holistic

and operational benefits are driving

next couple of years.

sustainability programs in the data

decarbonization forwards.

With this focus and collaboration,

center industry. Each piece covers

this more holistic thinking is paying

a part of the sustainability journey

president of Cloud & Service

dividends. Equinix chairman Michael

including a look at the strategies

Providers at Schneider Electric told

Winterson has even suggested that

driving it, the technologies enabling

DCD “transparency and sustainable

the data center industry’s Climate

it and the paradigm shifts in energy

practices will soon be key to requests

Neutral Data Centre Pact could

usage supporting it. It also features

for proposals (RFPs) and expectations.

even become a template for other

interviews and presentations directly

It will be critical to win new projects.”

economic sectors. “It can be the

from the Schneider team.

Ivonne Valdes, senior vice

This is also supported by the

catalyst for testing new ideas that

We hope you enjoy the read as part

recent DCD survey (see figure 2)

benefit other industries, such as

of your own sustainable journey.

with global operators highlighting

transport and mining.”

Thank you for your support.

Figure 3: Microsoft’s recent carbon negative pledge

Microsoft’s pathway to carbon negativity by 2030 Annual carbon emissions Net carbon emissions Microsoft and its supply chain carbon emissions Microsoft operational carbon emissions Avoided emissions offsets Carbon removal

Carbon emissions

15M

FY30: Microsoft and its supply chain carbon negative

10M 5M 0M -5M -10M 1975

1980

1990

2000

2010

2020

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2030

DCD eBook | Robust sustainability strategies

Chapter 1: Robust sustainability strategies A framework for achieving sustainability in data centers Kevin Brown, senior vice president, EcoStruxure Solutions, Secure Power Division, Schneider Electric explains the key elements to the Schneider Electric Sustainability Framework Beyond PUE DCD editor Claire Fletcher provides a more holistic view of the sustainability metrics you should be looking at and benchmarking against

6 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

A framework for achieving sustainability in data centers Kevin Brown is senior vice president, EcoStruxure Solutions, Secure Power Division for Schneider Electric

t’s becoming clear that

undertaking but it’s one that we

for placing a value on carbon

our industry will need to

can successfully achieve together.

whether through carbon pricing or

take a strong position on

Schneider Electric addresses this

caps on CO 2 emissions.

sustainability

challenge with a five-pronged

A recent 451 Research report

surveyed 800+ data center providers

framework. My presentation, When There’s no

2. Implement efficient designs As an industry, we have eliminated

worldwide and discovered the

Plan B, A Framework for Achieving

80 percent of energy losses with

majority of respondents (57 percent)

Sustainability in Data Centers, dove

our data center designs, but we are

view sustainability as a competitive

deep into the framework that will

hitting the point of diminishing

differentiator and cite customer

help your company move in the right

returns. We must invest in

expectations as a major driver.

direction. Of course, I encourage

technologies that improve energy

But only 43 percent said they have

you to watch the full presentation

efficiency and lower our carbon

strategic sustainability initiatives

to learn much more but here are the

footprint like SF 6-Free switchgear

and efficiency improvements in

highlights:

and liquid cooling, which could reduce overall IT and infrastructure

place for their infrastructure. That means that the majority

1. Set a bold and actionable strategy

energy consumption by 15 percent. And we also must prioritize

of data center providers across

Everything starts with a strategy.

the globe lack a strategic plan

Create one with clear objectives and

circular design by designing

for sustainability at a time when

prioritized action. You must align

for reduced size and weight,

customers are demanding it and

internal expertise and resources

serviceability, and second life, which

regulations may soon require it.

by having the teams for design,

translates to fewer raw materials,

procurement, facility operations, and

less land use, lower transportation

sustainability all working together.

emissions, and so on.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking about sustainability at DCD’s Towards Net-Zero event

Then, make a business case to

and my resounding message was

justify and fund projects, which will

3. Drive operational efficiency

to organize and prioritize around

require executive sponsorship and

When it comes to operations, they

data center sustainability. It’s a big

leadership…and most likely a strategy

must be efficient and sustainable,

Everything starts with a strategy. Create one with clear objectives and prioritized action. You must align internal expertise and resources by having the teams for design, procurement, facility operations, and sustainability all working together.

and we have done a lot of work in this area. There are connected systems to collect data to provide visibility, track energy usage, and benchmark performance. Predictive

maintenance services help drive operational efficiency and reliability while maximizing lifespan through connected services.

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DCD eBook | Robust sustainability strategies

Software and analytics are used to monitor and report through dashboards, to help make informed decisions and track sustainability progress. Also, we need to start implementing resource dashboards to track our carbon footprint. After all, you can’t manage what you don’t measure.

Vendors must be transparent about the sustainability impact of their products and should produce a Product Environmental Profile (PEP) or an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) with detailed information about the materials, compliance, recyclability, and more

4. Buy renewable energy You can accomplish this in three main ways – credit, on-site build, and off-site build. Energy attribute certificates or renewable energy credits are a simple and immediate way to offset your carbon footprint and support clean energy. For onsite/distributed generation, you can install renewable energy sources like solar panels on-premise. The site can consume the clean energy that it’s generated, or you can connect to the grid. Offsite generation is primarily for longer-term contracts that fund renewable power projects. Power Purchase Agreements or PPAs are most common. 5. Decarbonize your supply chain This might be your biggest challenge. Your vendor’s supply chain is a part of your carbon footprint. So, it makes good business sense to use vendors that embrace the circular economy with circularity designed into products. Vendors must be transparent about the sustainability impact of their products and should produce either a Product Environmental Profile (PEP) or an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) with

Where is your company on its

hard look at where your company

detailed information about the

climate journey?

really is on its climate change and

materials, and their compliance,

If you are interested in

sustainability journey.

recyclability, and more.

sustainability in data centers, I

Maybe your organization is

Decarbonizing the supply chain

really encourage you to check out

leading the way, or maybe it is just

is a complex and challenging topic,

the presentation, When There’s no

beginning. Either way, Schneider

but if a vendor is doing the right

Plan B, A Framework for Achieving

Electric has demonstrated success

things, they will be able to produce

Sustainability in Data Centers as

in helping many companies at all

the documentation.

a first step. Then, take a cold,

stages of this journey.

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Beyond PUE There was a time when the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) metric was the industry standard for measuring the energy efficiency of a data center. Undoubtedly, it is still a key efficiency metric but it’s time to encourage a wider-lens and more comprehensive measurements of sustainability

UE does a fantastic job

PUE

of helping data center operators see how energyefficient their facilities are and is still valued as

TOTAL FACILITY POWER IT EQUIPMENT POWER

a benchmarking tool. It was also the key metric that really got operators thinking about power use in relation to

Operators are under increasing

The drive to reduce PUE at all

sustainability, playing a significant role

pressure to lower their facilities’ PUE.

costs, whether this be through lack

in opening up that conversation.

This means powering ever-advancing

of understanding or environmental

technologies, servers, storage, the

pressures, can actually have a negative

center power to the IT load supported,’

network itself and everything in

impact, causing operators to potentially

PUE captures the energy overhead

between, whilst trying to keep it all

(and inadvertently) use more energy

associated with electrical distribution

from overheating – so you can see why

and as a result, increase costs.

losses and cooling, and oftentimes

engineers and operators may end up

ancillary functions such as lighting

with rising temperatures themselves.

assume you have a data center with an

and security.

But to help ease the pressure, operators

input of 100kW, half of which (50kW) is

should be looking beyond PUE.

being used to power IT equipment. This

Defined as, ‘the ratio of total data

It does, however, have its limitations. PUE does not consider

By honing in on this singular

Let’s take a practical example;

would carry a PUE value of 2.0. Now,

the efficiency of IT systems, but

metric, data center managers risk

suppose you virtualized some of those

when used correctly, can be used to

pigeon-holing themselves, and missing

servers, and that virtualization was so

help inform investment decisions on

out on other opportunities to seize

effective, you were able to reduce the

efficiency improvements. Although

the day when it comes to sustained

power to the IT equipment by 25kW

PUE is an ISO standard (ISO/IEC

reductions in energy consumption.

and the overall power to the data center

30134-2:2016), there’s actually

by the same. Where does that leave

no oversight or enforcement of

PUE under the microscope

our PUE? Yep, higher than when we

PUE outcomes, leading to some

As far as buildings go, we know

started. It may seem counterproductive,

mistreatment of the metric. Finally,

data centers are incredibly power-

but any reduction in IT load without

it is also restrictive when trying to

hungry, but with great power comes

balancing out the infrastructure load

analyze and compare data centers in

great responsibility and this has

will result in a higher PUE.

different climates, or with differing

understandably placed data centers

levels of server utilization.

firmly under sustainable scrutiny.

By honing in on a singular metric, data center managers could risk pigeon-holing themselves, and missing out on other opportunities to seize the day when it comes to sustained reductions in energy consumption

A useful analogy is perhaps the dreaded bathroom scales. Just because someone’s number is higher or lower than yours, doesn’t necessarily have a direct correlation to their health. There are many (many) other factors at play. When it comes to PUE, there will always be tradeoffs between availability and energy efficiency. Redundancy, for example, will increase PUE, and data center equipment will run more

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DCD eBook | Robust sustainability strategies

efficiently when more heavily loaded, it’s important to view sustainability

Figure 4: Grid carbon intensity tracking

from a wider lens. 7% New and evolving metrics When PUE first burst onto the scene

All sites/ organization-wide

14%

via the Green Grid et al. back in

37% Individual sites

2007, the adoption of environmental and sustainability practices was

Not at all

less advanced than it is today. Most operators didn’t even collect data or

Not applicable

42%

measure operational performance based on such metrics, let alone make technology choices that consider renewable energy. Today, the picture couldn’t be more different, and there are now a myriad of ways data centers can help get themselves out

much greenhouse gas is it accounting

Green Grid back in 2011, so a little

from under sustainable scrutiny and

for? This leads us nicely to our next

later than PUE (2007), but it’s still been

improve energy efficiency.

efficiency metric.

around for more than a decade and

IT utilization

Grid carbon intensity tracking

According to a recent 451 report,

Carbon intensity is defined by the

and electricity consumption of IT,

‘Multi-tenant data centers and

amount of carbon dioxide and

it is a worthwhile endeavor to track

sustainability: Ambitions and reality,’

equivalent gases produced per

water consumption and water usage

commissioned by Schneider Electric,

kilowatt-hour of electricity. Tracking

effectiveness, as water management is

we can see PUE is a metric that multi-

the carbon intensity of the power

an issue set to become highly charged

tenant providers track widely, with

grid is essential when calculating

in various locations.

almost 90 percent of respondents

environmental impact.

operators are now embracing it.

indicating they track PUE at some or

Unfortunately, according to the

Defined as the ratio of water usage

Weather incidents such as droughts, combined with unprecedented

report, only 37 percent of respondents

population growth are just a couple of

said that they track carbon intensity

the factors propelling this issue to the

IT equipment itself, it’s somewhat

across their entire organization. But,

fore, particularly among those areas

comforting to know that a similar

all is not lost, as 42 percent said that

affected by climate change.

number of providers keep an eye on IT

they tracked some of their facilities’

utilization, with two-thirds offering a

carbon intensity, bringing the tally to a

are all prime examples of locations

mix of facility and IT services, which is

more respectable 79 percent. Of course,

where water shortages can often be

generally a good proxy for efficiency.

there is still room for improvement.

severe year after year. Water scarcity

Utilizing servers more strategically

After all, you can’t measure what you

in water-stressed areas like these is

not only makes good business sense,

don’t monitor.

beginning to become something that

but can also dramatically improve the

Water consumption and water usage

data center owners are increasingly

energy efficiency across the entire

effectiveness (WUE) tracking

having to report on and disclose,

infrastructure.

This metric is slightly less-well known,

ensuring local watersheds are not

but as sustainable demands mount

negatively impacted by their activity.

all their sites. And since PUE doesn’t look at the

But beyond the energy consumption

California, South Africa, and India

of the infrastructure, what also needs

and the climate crisis rages on, that is

to be considered is the way energy

unlikely to be the case for much longer.

Infrastructure efficiency and

is generated – in other words, how

WUE is another metric born from the

sustainability improvements When it comes to infrastructure

They say age is just a number, and so is PUE if we don’t know how to use it to measure changes within a facility

efficiency, power distribution topped the charts as the most popular area for improvement. In recent years, power distribution has become highly efficient (above

10 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

90 percent) across the load curve. But

already with better designed facilities

older equipment may suffer major

and cooling architectures, that require

efficiency degradation once utilization

dramatically less energy through

drops below 50 percent – all too typical

relaxed temperature settings, variable-

in many data centers due to capacity

speed fans and, crucially, reduced use

over-provisioning practices. However,

of compressors.

there are plenty of opportunities to be

Committing to sustainability by setting actionable measurements Schneider has identified 23

gained in reequipping or refurbishing

Conclusion

sustainability metrics that apply to

existing facilities.

We can clearly see from DCD surveys

the data center across several

But power efficiency is not all about

across the year and the 451 report

metric categories. These categories

new or upgraded equipment; it is

that there are many other metrics

represent a holistic approach

also about balancing the load across

providers can explore beyond PUE

to addressing environmental

power systems and reevaluating

to help improve the efficiency of

sustainability.

power capacity requirements based

their infrastructure and make it

on actual load measurements, as

more sustainable.

opposed to taking the nameplate (or

The primary motivation behind

Energy: Reporting energy consumption, energy efficiency, and

arbitrarily dated nameplate) power of

these initiatives is to meet customer

renewable energy use is important

servers and storage systems. All these

requirements, most of which now

for data center operators to show

steps should free up stranded power,

expect contractual commitments.

their progress on efforts to minimize

defer investments in new capacity and

The data indicates that this will

their carbon footprint.

increase utilization over time.

become even more powerful, as

Cooling also deserves an honorable mention, coming in a close second

large technology companies and

Greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions:

major enterprises mount pressure on

CO2 and other gases such as CH4,

to power, with upgrades to cooling

their multi-tenant providers in their

PFCs, and HFCs are classified as

systems only just pipping optimization

pursuit of reducing carbon and water

greenhouse gases. According to GHG

to the post. Of course, there have been

footprints. A combined approach

Protocol and ISO 14064, there are

vast swathes of innovation when it

is necessary, using methods fitting

three categories of GHG emissions:

comes to data center cooling over the

for the individual facilities we are

Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3, which

last ten years due to its historically

operating.

are covered in more detail later in this

high demand for energy, but that

One size doesn’t fit all. Therefore,

eBook. Reporting GHG emissions is

was mostly driven by a (bad) habit of

in a time where data centers are firmly

important for data center operators

overcooling, via fans and compressors

under the sustainability spotlight, the

to show their efforts on controlling

working overtime.

use of multiple (relevant) metrics really

climate change.

The good news is, the multi-tenant sector has led much industry change

is the only way to ensure your facility stays ahead of the curve.

Water: Water is one of Schneider’s five metric categories. Reporting water usage is becoming more

Figure 5: Infrastructure efficiency and sustainability improvements. What efficiency and sustainability improvements is your organization actively considering within the next two years? Optimizing existing data center power distribution

47%

as a part of their overall sustainability goals. Waste: Data centers generate significant waste during construction

Upgrading data center power distribution infrastructure

47%

Upgrading data center cooling infrastructure

40%

Optimizing existing data center cooling efficiency

36%

Increasing server utilization (internal or with tenants)

important for data center operators

and operations. Minimizing waste generation from the supply chain and diverting waste out of landfills through reuse and recycling is a key strategy for being more environmentally sustainable. Circular economy design methodologies and

35%

processes support improvements in this area.

11 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

DCD eBook | Sustainable XXXXX design-build

Chapter 2: Sustainable design-build Baking sustainability into the process This feature explores sustainable thinking, highlighting how it must be baked in at all levels, from the value chain, to the equipment sourced, to the e-waste leaving a facility Sustainable data centers require sustainable construction Sustainability gains through energy efficiency will eventually plateau, but there’s much work to be done around the carbon footprint of building materials. DCD editor Dan Swinhoe investigates

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Baking sustainability into the process When it comes to designing an energy efficient data center, how can frameworks and sustainability models help to simplify the process?

few years ago, Schneider

longer enough to think about efficiency

Electric came up with

in isolation, we need to be asking, ‘am

mention costly) waste, there needs

a model that compared

I building what I need to fulfill the

to be a comprehensive approach that

efficiency from 2006

mission of the system as efficiently and

diligently starts with the requirements

to 2016, which was

sustainably as possible?’

needed on an operational level.

presented at DCD>London back

To avoid unnecessary (not to

We really need to be taking a more

Ask yourself: What is the mission

in 2017. Schneider found that by

comprehensive approach and that

of the system? What functions do I

implementing some fundamental

includes architectural design. And

need to perform that mission? Then

architectural and design

in the interests of sharing with you a

and only then can you start putting

improvements, they managed to

tried and tested architectural approach

together what should be a successful

achieve an impressive 80 percent

that actually works, Schneider has

and already more sustainable

reduction in energy losses.

you covered.

data center design.

the proof is very much in the pudding,

Schneider Electric’s architectural

holistic sustainability, whatever that

and there are many data points out

approach to data center design

mission may be, this step is one you

there to support this.

Before embarking upon any data center

can’t afford to skip when ensuring

project, you must first be crystal clear

those corporate needs are considered,

centers in 2006 vs 2016 or 2020, you

in your company’s objectives and core

and ultimately met.

can see there is marked improvement

strategy during the why phase. Is there

in PUE and that’s something that

alignment across all stakeholders on

building, and operating a data

should be celebrated. However, it is no

what we are trying to accomplish?

center are difficult and complex

Although this is a theoretical model,

If you take the average PUE of data

From efficiency, to high density, to

Assessing, planning, designing,

The basics have led to an 80% reduction in energy losses 2.00 1.80 1.60

Year 2006

0.13

1.40

0.22

`1.20 1.00 0.80

0.32

1.34

Year 2016 1.17

0.60 0.40 0.20 0.00

2006

UPS efficiency improvements

Improved airflow management

Efficient cooling/ economizers

Source: Schneider Electric analysis presented at DCD London 2017

13 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

2016

DCD eBook | Sustainable XXXXX design-build

undertakings, which is why Schneider

Solution-based design process

can help simplify the process, with a holistic, one stop approach that can

Identify the needs

be applied to any or all stages in the

WHY

data center life cycle, whether that’s turnkey support or optimizing certain components. This not only helps increase speed to market, but can help

Function 1

lower CAPEX, OPEX, and minimize

Function 2

WHAT

your exposure to risk.

Operational level

Mission of the system

Functional level

Function 3 Function 4

This consultation process, combined with Schneider’s proven reference designs and prefabricated modular solutions can also be quickly

HOW

customized to your exact specifications

Software

People

Hardware

Construction level

Technical components

to meet just-in-time demand. Schneider compared some of its reference designs from 2015 to 2020 and discovered that they had been

reduce this, you reduce your carbon

Ask for help

able to eliminate 30 percent of the

footprint. How about serviceability so

The journey can be a daunting one - so

capital expense.

that I can extend the length of services

seek advice. DCD sat down with Erik

of this device? This longer-term and

Mohn, Global Director of Sustainability

more circular thinking bears dividends.

Consultancy at Schneider Electric,

Twenty-two percent of that could be attributed to less equipment installed in a smaller footprint, yet

Another important consideration

who told us that collaboration is key to

the same amount of power was

is where you source your materials,

helping customers on their individual

delivered. This is a prime example of

are they raw or are they recycled?

sustainability journeys.

how you can take major steps toward

Schneider recommends customers

your own sustainability goals, simply

begin asking technology providers for

point in their sustainability journey;

by implementing this architectural

Environmental Product Disclosures, to

therefore Schneider makes it a

design process.

fully understand the carbon footprint of

priority to listen, and find out exactly

the product being purchased.

what it is the customer wants to

Crucially, these strategies are repeatable and scalable to ensure the

As recycled equipment becomes

Every customer is at a different

(and can) achieve.

full range of data center processes

more commonplace and data centers

are streamlined.

grow globally, an important part of

sector is quite progressive in terms of

“Overall, I think that the data center

broader sustainability is considering

the way that they’ve acknowledged

In it for the long haul

circularity and reuse. Is your equipment

the link between the original design

If we want to meet our sustainability

well managed when it reaches the end-

and build of a facility and the ongoing

goals, we must consider how to bake

of-life phase? Reusing and recycling

lifecycle cost and impact of those

circularity into the design phase.

as much equipment as possible to

facilities,” says Mohn.

This will start evolving into a

minimize the amount that ends up in a

“While there are certainly exceptions

conversation more geared towards, how

landfill is always guaranteed a gold star

in all sectors, I don’t think that there’s

do I reduce the size and weight? If you

for sustainability.

quite the universal focus, or this type of proactive mindset in relation to

“The data center sector is quite progressive in terms of the way that they’ve acknowledged the link between the original design and build of a facility and the ongoing lifecycle cost and impact of those facilities” – Erik Mohn, global director of sustainability consultancy, Schneider Electric

designing for sustainability that we see within the data center sector.” And among industry, focus is certainly shifting beyond bricks and mortar, ensuring sustainability is baked in at all levels, from the value chain, to the equipment sourced, to the e-waste leaving a facility. We are starting to see a real narrative forming, and long may it continue.

14 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

Sustainable data centers require sustainable construction Sustainability gains through energy efficiency will eventually plateau, but there’s much work to be done around the carbon footprint of building materials

here’s no shortage of

power as possible, use green energy

sustainable activity

where they can, and have minimal

building movement has largely

going in the data center

or even carbon negative impacts on

focused on reducing operational

space. Hyperscalers such

the local area through district heating

energy – the energy used to heat,

as Amazon, Microsoft,

initiatives and natural cooling.

cool, and power buildings – which is

and Google have made carbon-

But is enough thought being

“Until now, the modern green

easy to see and measure,” says Stacy

neutral commitments and have made

given to the environmental impact of

Smedley, chair and executive director

significant investments in sourcing

the construction phase around data

of building transparency.

renewable energy for their facilities.

centers, especially the construction

And in 2021 alone, the likes of

materials they use? Data centers use

ChinData, MTN, and IBM have made

huge amounts of concrete and steel,

similar pledges to become carbon

which are major sources of CO2,

Sustainability Consultant at Schneider

neutral before 2040.

and as the sustainability gains from

Electric, agrees: “In many cases,

operational efficiencies dry up, firms

the first step is to ensure a client

conversation is still around

will have to look to embodied carbon

has a thorough understanding of

operational sustainability and

in the construction phase if they are

the current impacts affecting their

ensuring the facilities use as little

serious about being climate neutral.

footprint.” This moves beyond the

However, much of the

“While this effort has produced many successes, it’s not enough.” Erik Mohn, Global Director,

pure operational impact. As Mohn suggests, “this could

Overview of GHG Protocol scopes and emissions across the value chain

include transparency on scope 2 emissions; perhaps a screening of the value chain as well as scope

CO2

CH4

N2O

HFCs

PFCs

3emissions, to really dig deep into

SF6

both the varying upstream, as well Scope 2

Scope 1

INDIRECT

DIRECT

as downstream related impacts on their business.”

Scope 3

INDIRECT

purchased goods and services

capital goods

transportation and distribution

leased assets

business travel waste generated in operations

Upstream activities

investments

company facilities

the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from the mining, harvesting,

franchises

processing of sold products

employee commuting

fuel and energy related activities

Embodied carbon is the sum of all

importation and distribution

Purchased electricity, steam, heating & cooling for each use

Embodied carbon the next phase

company vehicles

Reporting company

use of sold products

end-of-life treatment of sold products

leased assets

processing, manufacturing, transportation, and installation of building materials, and is a major source of carbon globally.

Downstream activities

15 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

DCD eBook | Sustainable XXXXX design-build

Cement and steel are the most carbon-intensive construction materials, two materials data centers use in abundance. On average, a ton of cement will produce 1.25 tons of CO2, largely from the roasted limestone and silica. And as a result, buildings are responsible

The operational carbon impact of a data center can be more than twice the embodied carbon impact, according to Michael Riordan, managing director of Linesight UK, and focus has historically been on the operational side more than the embodied carbon aspect

for around 40 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions

more efficient, and as energy grids

so upgrading an old building can save

and 40 percent of all raw material

rely more on renewable energy,

78 percent of the carbon emissions of

consumption.

the sustainability gains and carbon

construction. The Global Cement and

Building Transparency says

reduction companies are looking

Concrete Association has committed

embodied carbon makes up half of

to make will be harder to come by

to zero emissions concrete by 2050.

a building’s total carbon emissions,

through operational efficiencies alone.

And while there will be no silver bullet

“As we start to reduce our

but with data centers, the fact they

to reach that goal, there are a number

are energy-intensive powered shells

operational emissions and the energy

of startups and trends in the materials

changes the equation slightly. The

grid starts to get cleaner, emissions of

space looking to reduce the carbon

operational carbon impact of a data

the materials that we’re building with

impact of this core building material.

center can be more than twice the

on our construction projects actually

embodied carbon impact, according

become a larger source of emissions,”

of the concrete industry, by injecting

to Michael Riordan, managing director

says Smedley. “For some of these large

waste CO2 into the mix. It hopes to

of Linesight UK, and focus has

data center owners that are already

remove 500 megatons of carbon

historically been on the operational

purchasing 100 percent green energy

dioxide annually from the concrete

side more than the embodied

for some of their markets and projects,

industry by 2030. Compass Data

carbon aspect.

they’ll already view themselves as

Centers are a CarbonCure customer,

carbon neutral on the energy side,

with CIO Nancy Novak saying the

and ever-increasing number, it’s not

and for those owners, the embodied

company estimates an average of

a topic that should be avoided just

carbon emissions are really what’s left

1,800 tons of CO2 per campus as

because there are more savings to be

to tackle.”

a result. Amazon and Microsoft

However, due to their large size

The fact that data centers are often

had in operations.

CarbonCure reduces the emissions

have also invested in the company.

fairly standardized in their construction

Novak tells DCD that Compass is also

going to come from wind, solar, and

also means once low-carbon practices

looking into other embodied carbon

other renewable types of sources,”

and standards have been established

technologies for aggregate.

says Rob Ioanna, principal at Syska

at one facility it should be easy to

Hennessy, “And when that happens,

replicate across future facilities without

that is raised during a data center’s

the conversation is starting to turn to

too much heavy lift.

construction, Novak says Compass

“At some point, most energy is

In terms of the spoil or ground

will process it so it can be used for

embodied carbon because that’s really going to be where we’re going to have

Slow progress in CO2 reduction

structural fill whenever possible,

emissions reductions.”

Linesight’s Riordan says that concrete

and will check if other projects in

often accounts for as much as 40

the vicinity of the site need clean

considerations around sustainability

percent of a data center’s construction,

fill before hauling it. If the spoils are

still revolve around the impact of

followed by fuel (25 percent) and

unsuitable for structure, Compass

operations; how to cool the servers in

then steel – both reinforcement

will often make berms and natural

the most energy-efficient way, what

and structural – which can account

landscapes to enhance security and

to do with excess heat IT hardware

for 10 percent of a project’s carbon

add to the amount of green space on

generates, whether the facility uses

footprint each. He adds that adopting

a campus. In 2018, AWS used 100,000

renewable power, or if there are more

low carbon approaches to new builds

tons of spoil from its Stockholm data

sustainable options for backup than

can result in 13 percent less carbon

center to raise the altitude of the Vilsta

diesel generators.

during construction, but repurposing

ski resort by ten meters.

Much of the construction

These are important

a building saves a lot more.

considerations, but IT hardware

Building a new facility creates eight

continues to evolve and become

times as much carbon as repurposing,

She adds that more offsite construction is key to reducing impact. “We need to be thinking in

16 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

the mindset of manufacturing, where

Associates. “Big companies are now

transportation and utilization of

looking at transportation and where

says LEDG’s Boucher. “If materials may

local materials as well as sustainable

materials or parts are coming from,

not be proven enough yet, it would be

materials, is paramount.”

and if they can source local materials

a challenge to implement them in a

or workers they will.”

data center environment that has any

“Everything from advanced work packaging, prefabricated components

“We’ve seen materials, such as

“Owners adopt low-risk mindsets,”

form of mission criticality.”

and fully modularized rooms and

carpets made from recycled bottles

buildings, needs to be more widely

becoming more prevalent in recent

resilience and redundancy are

adopted and normalized in the

years,” says Adrian Brewin, co-

higher on the list of priorities than

construction industry.”

founder of Reid Brewin Architects,

sustainability. However, as companies

“and clients are more conscious of the

move more towards fewer centralized

design firms tell DCD that broadly we

origins of materials such as tiling –

facilities and to more edge data

are still very early in the conversation

opting for local suppliers rather than

centers and availability zones, the

around embodied carbon, but progress

exotic ones.”

environmental impact per site lowers.

A number of architecture and

is being made slowly as awareness of

There’s also a regular stream of

This low risk mindset also means

This creates more opportunity to

the issues increases. There are clients

news about eco-bricks being made

introduce greener thinking into

that engage their sustainability teams

from novel recycled or organic

smaller sites.

really early on in the design process,

materials. Most recently, bricks made

“We are an industry that has

says Todd Boucher, principal and

from mushrooms and sawdust were

rightfully been completely focused

founder, Leading Edge Design Group

shown in London, but there are others

on availability and reliability. And that

(LEDG), “and in other cases where the

made of everything from construction

has governed most decision-making.

construction is more driven from that

and demolition waste to loofahs or

But with the utilization of hybrid

mission-critical sort of viewpoint,

reused water bottles. However, no

cloud models and the geographic

we find ourselves trying to weave in

one DCD spoke to knew if some of

diversification of data centers, we are

the sustainability discussion around

these innovations were ready for

moving away from the idea that a data

how we could help improve the net

prime time.

center has to be this huge monolithic

environmental impact without an

“Increasingly novel, innovative,

Tier IV facility,” he says.

impact on reliability. But I don’t think

recycled, and organic materials are

the conversation has extended far

likely to be used in different aspects

the perspective, we now can integrate

beyond efficiency into embedded

of large-scale construction within

different elements about energy

carbon and sustainability.”

the next [10-20] years,” says Brewin,

efficiency and carbon neutrality into

“but the regulatory systems that are

the conversation that are not solely

companies looking to green materials;

required to approve the industrial

focused on reliability, even if that still

Digital Reality announced it was using

processes needed to produce such

always has to be the number one part

‘sustainable materials, including

solutions, to the sheer volume we

of the conversation.”

recycled concrete and steel’ in its

would need, will likely take tens of

430,000 square foot (40,000 sqm),

years to implement.”

There are increasing examples of

four-story expansion of its Santa Clara campus in California.

And just because data centers

“And because of that softening of

Obviously utilizing existing buildings where possible is more sustainable than building new.

could be built, or possibly even 3D

Serverfarm calculates that reused

printed, from such novel materials

existing buildings can deliver

manufacturing yards to sites is a

doesn’t mean that many companies

embodied carbon savings of 88

massive part of the carbon footprint

will be willing to take the financial

percent compared with the material

on construction,” says Ashley

or resiliency risks to use them

carbon cost of new projects.

Buckland, managing director at JB

in construction.

“Transportation from

The fact that data centers are often fairly standardized in their construction also means once low-carbon practices and standards have been established at one facility it should be easy to replicate across future facilities without too much heavy lifting

Design firm HKS analyzed Serverfarm’s 25MW, six-story 150,000 square feet (14,000 sqm) Chicago facility, and found that the carbon cost of building an equivalent building would create over 9,000 tons of carbon emissions, compared to 1,000 tons for building reuse and expansion. Almost all of that saving would come through the reduction in concrete.

17 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

DCD eBook | Sustainable XXXXX design-build

Data and benchmarks are needed for sustainable construction While there are standards and certifications around sustainable buildings – LEED is probably the most well-known – they often focus on

Serverfarm calculates that reused existing buildings can deliver embodied carbon savings of 88 percent compared with the material carbon cost of new projects

the entirety of a building’s life cycle.

materials-use during a planned

Measuring and tracking embodied

construction project. It then creates what is essentially

carbon and the environmental

As well as Microsoft, Turner Construction and Mercury – US and European construction firms

impact of construction and building

a bill of materials and cost estimate

with large data center practices –

materials can be difficult, and so

in terms of carbon impact per

are both pilot partners for the EC3

creating effective benchmarks from

item, allowing users to easily

program. Smedley says it’s important

which to measure yourself and

see the environmental impact of

that data center firms, especially

others against, and start to make a

their material choices, but also

the hyperscalers, take an interest

change, hasn’t historically been easy

see if there are more sustainable

in reducing their embodied carbon

for companies.

alternatives available.

footprint due to the sheer number of

The hope is not only that firms

“Embodied carbon is inherently

facilities they run, both data center and otherwise.

more difficult to measure and

involved in choosing and procuring

track,” says Linesight’s Riordan.

materials will opt for greener

“Data is undoubtedly fundamental

choices, but that the firms supplying

centers may be smaller in number

in quantifying, understanding and

materials will be forced to make all

and size than hyperscalers and colo

reducing the environmental impact

their products greener as a result of

providers, those companies often have

within the construction space. What

losing business.

large commercial real estate footprints

“Having these owners start to ask

gets measured gets managed.”

Likewise, while enterprise data

they can transfer sustainable thinking

for lower-carbon products means the

to and from and likely can impact

we have a more standardized

manufacturers start to create lower-

their construction supply chains.

commonality of language and data,

carbon products, which then the

it might then be possible to create

whole industry benefits from.”

LEDG’s Boucher says that when

Smedley says one of the goals

something akin to a PUE against

“In the data center space, a lot of the players are very large companies that have a ton of other types of

which firms might be able to quantify

of EC3 is to make a tool that is easy

projects they’re building where they

and benchmark their embodied

to use and allow it to be integrated

can really kind of spur the market

carbon impact against.

easily into existing processes without

and benefit all of their building types

heavy lift and that people who aren’t

by getting to these lower-carbon

lifecycle tools examining how to better

experts in building lifecycles or

materials. It’s the big players that lead

measure, understand, and reduce the

carbon footprints can quickly use and

and make it easier for the smaller ones

embodied carbon of construction

understand. Early benchmarks from

to see they can implement it without

projects. The EU-funded BAMB project

the Carbon Leadership Forum have

much risk or cost.”

is working on Materials Passports that

been released for companies to rate

can help organizations understand

themselves against, and Smedley says

looking at mechanical systems, and

the provenance of materials and

companies are already seeing a 30

the carbon impact of materials such as

become more comfortable choosing

percent carbon reduction against that

generators with the hope of reducing

recycled materials.

high benchmark through using the

the emissions from their manufacture.

There are a number of projects and

Another project is the Embodied

EC3 tool. “It helps specifiers start to develop

Carbon in Construction Calculator

The next step, Smedley says, will be

Carrot and the stick: money talks

(EC3) from Building Transparency.

designs limits or benchmarks, from

While the hyperscalers and the largest

EC3 takes the Environmental Product

a carbon perspective, and these

data center operating corporates

Declarations (EPDs) – which are third

specifications then get into the bid

are already committing to carbon-

party verified disclosures that detail

documents,” he adds. Microsoft was

neutral pledges, financial incentives

information around carbon impact,

an early pilot partner of the tool, and

– whether carrot or stick – from

including kilogram of carbon per unit.

the company has been using it in its

government and investors might

EC3 takes disclosed EPDs and collates

Washington campus remodel as well

be required to get smaller firms and

them in a free and open source tool

as its data centers in order to choose

those more focused on returns to

in which users can input their own

lower carbon building materials.

come on board.

18 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

“Ultimately, I believe the only driver

they have lower manufacturing and

is a financial one,” says Brewin of Reid

processing costs. She also advises

Brewin Architects. “Consideration and

firms to get ahead of the game and

effort to reduce the carbon impact of

get up to speed before it becomes a

data center construction occurs within

regulatory requirement.

the limits of local regulations and

“This is coming as policy. It might

Best practices for sustainability in data center construction While tracking and quantifying the

occasional certification requirements.

not be tomorrow but it might be three

carbon footprint of a data center’s

Anything more is for political gain or

years from now. You might as well

construction is hard to do, there

extremely limited, and the only way to

get your feet wet and just understand

are things firms can do now that

encourage sustainable thinking is to

what that means before it is potentially

will help:

make regulatory changes.”

a mandatory thing.”

“People don’t like change, and

“Every step that we can take,

unless they can see a clear business

however incremental, is important,”

payback for [sustainability] then

says LEDG’s Boucher. “If, as an

they don’t sign up to it,” says Ashley

industry, we’re ignoring the impacts

Buckland, managing director, JB

of the construction piece, then I think

Associates, “There are not enough

that we’re really doing a disservice

incentives there.”

in our commitment towards

In terms of sticks, there are

sustainability.”

•

Avoid landfill where possible

•

Use salvaged or reclaimed materials

•

Reduce cement usage in concrete mixes through fillers

•

Use synthetic gypsum for plaster and drywall

•

numerous carbon cap regulations

Buy green insulation such as cellulose or denim insulation/

coming out the EU, and New York City

Education and transparency are key

also has new carbon cap regulations

Everyone DCD spoke to said one of

on the books.

the most important things any firm

At the same time, investors

in the data center industry can do to

BlackRock are beginning to require

encourage more sustainable thinking

carbon reporting from the firms it

in the construction phase is to educate

invests in.

and engage with stakeholders on

“There’s a big ESG [environmental, social, and corporate governance]

the topic.

natural cotton fiber insulation •

Opt for rubberized asphalt made from recycled tires

•

Utilize recycled steel where possible

•

Source locally for as many materials as possible

•

Use modular designs and build off-site

Design, engineering, construction,

push in investment money and there’s

procurement, and sustainability teams

a lot of laws that are coming out that

should all be asking each other how to

are putting carbon caps on what you

make these facilities greener; are there

have brought transparency into the

can emit,” says Rob Ioanna, principal

more sustainable materials options, is

market around the types of designs

at Syska Hennessy. “Those two

there scope to use recycled material,

that they use in like the open compute

trends of money putting pressure on

is everything being sourced locally

project,” says LEDG’s Boucher. “Those

companies coupled with government

where it makes sense, is everything

have been really transformative for

incentives or pushes combining

as standardized and modular as it can

the industry, not only in providing

together will probably do some good.”

be? Asking these questions will at least

reference points for design but

start conversations and may surface

demonstrating the importance of

Transparency’s Smedley says the

more sustainable options. At the same

collaboration and transparency.

financial incentive carrot is already

time, firms need to be open in order to

Continuing to cultivate that type of

there, as less carbon-intensive

share what they’ve learned.

transparency in our industry will be

Meanwhile, Building

materials are often cheaper because

“Hyperscaler type companies

important to encourage sustainability.” “Every company has a

Early benchmarks from the Carbon Leadership Forum have been released for companies to rate themselves against, and Smedley says companies are already seeing a 30 percent carbon reduction against that high benchmark by using the EC3 tool

responsibility,” adds Buckland of JB Associates. “Anyone working in the data center world needs to be sending the message out how they’re trying to reduce their carbon footprint. They should share those initiatives ideas, it’s not something that any company should keep as their little black book.”

19 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

DCD eBook | Sustainable XXXXX power & renewable growth

Chapter 3: Sustainable power & renewable growth Sustainable Power This feature explores alternative data center power with an emphasis on the microgrid and the flexibility and resilience it can provide Making the next generation of data center power more sustainable Nick Vaney, chief technical officer & co-founder, RED, talks us through the technologies and innovations driving data center power forward

20 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

Sustainable Power The demand for sustainability from customers, shareholders and government agencies is mounting, yet many organizations are still struggling to find financially viable ways to make improvements. Enter, the microgrid Highlighting the use case for UPS as a DER, Philip Barton, senior director, Schneider Electric Microgrid Competency Center NA says, “The use of dispatchable UPS’s into the market is an area we should probably talk about. This is the idea that your UPS TAP TO WATCH

can be used just like any other battery energy storage system to participate in the market and shave peaks when prices are high. “If you have enough capacity in your UPS you can sell that capacity; we’re calling that dispatchable UPS and it is becoming an increasingly

common conversation. If you have ustainability and reliability

consumers to prosumers, microgrids

the capacity, you can utilize your UPS

can be a difficult balance to

help to ensure power is more

not only for backup, but for market

strike at the best of times,

reliable and resistant to modern day

purpose as well.”

made ever more difficult

challenges, as well as providing the

thanks to a combination of

freedom and flexibility to customize

resources you’ve got going on, the

increasing power outages, worsening

your system. Not only can microgrids

microgrid system cleverly operates as

weather, potential cyberattacks, an

and distributed energy resources

a single controllable entity, working

aging infrastructure, and rising costs.

(DERs) be used as backup, but also as

in parallel with the utility grid, or, in

another source of regular power.

an optional ‘islanded’ or ‘island’ mode,

Faced with all this uncertainty, energy users are realizing the

While it’s critical to have back-up

But whatever distributed energy

where it disconnects from the grid

importance of local energy generation

generation when the central grid fails,

and operates under its own steam (or

and managing renewable energy

there are also many other benefits that

electricity in this case.) In summary,

resources efficiently. After all, an

come with microgrids and distributed

it keeps that all important electricity

uninterrupted flow of low-cost

energy generation. But first...

flowing to critical loads, regardless of

electricity makes the world go round.

available utility services. What exactly is a microgrid?

Essentially, microgrids give the

Power to the people

A microgrid manages distributed

main grid an IQ. “Think of a microgrid

Thankfully, the introduction of

energy resources and the

as a conductor, working to keep your

microgrids is shifting control of

interconnected energy loads within

energy system in harmony,” says Jim

the energy system to the people

a defined electrical boundary, such

Plourde of the Schneider Electric

or, at least, the end user, making it

as a campus or a business park.

microgrid team.

more decentralized and democratic.

Distributed energy resources can

Microgrid solutions are now providing

consist of traditional fossil fuel

balancing supply and demand, in both

large consumers of electricity with

generators, renewable energy

on grid and islanded modes, as well

energy independence.

resources, battery energy storage or

as safely managing the switch back

even your UPS.

and forth, all while maintaining power

Helping transform customers from

This encompasses carefully

21 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

DCD eBook | Sustainable XXXXX power & renewable growth

stability and quality to protect your infrastructure and equipment. This balance requires deep knowledge of a facility’s energy infrastructure, as well as optimal microgrid design, that seamlessly ties distributed energy resources to intelligent software and controls, while providing the flexibility and scalability to adapt to ever-

Whatever distributed energy resources you’ve got going on, the microgrid system cleverly operates as a single controllable entity, working in parallel with the utility grid, or, in an optional ‘islanded’ or ‘island’ mode, where it disconnects from the grid and operates under its own steam

changing needs. as mentioned earlier, with aging

industry protocols and topologies can

microgrids also optimize a facility’s

Beyond ensuring reliability,

infrastructure experiencing more

offer the advantage of simple, external

efficiency, with predictive controls

power outages than ever before –

system integration.

that help to determine when to

not to mention rising global energy

generate energy, when to store it, and

costs – the demand is forecast to

components such as fiber optic

when to buy it for the most cost-

outpace supply.

routers and industrial wireless

effective operation.

Information technology

modems connect the system over Demand management

long distances – typically found in

improved sustainability performance,

To manage this demand, advanced

campus settings.

the integration of renewable

microgrids take into account the

distributed energy resources can’t

energy, environmental, and economic

Real-time control

hurt, can it?

constraints of the enterprise or

Taking Schneider Electric’s

institution – proposing the optimal

Microgrid Digital Control Solution

Making sense of the microgrid

arbitrage between the different

as an example, this can integrate

There are many building blocks to a

opportunities: demand response,

with your existing data center

microgrid system, and in order to fully

variable tariffs, maximizing self-

campus infrastructure to deliver a

understand how it works it’s worth

consumption, selling energy back

customized and scalable microgrid

looking at each in turn.

to the grid, or supporting ancillary

energy solution. Microgrids can also

services – like frequency or

track and forecast an organization’s

voltage support.

energy needs to ensure that comfort

And, of course, when it comes to

Utility grid It all starts with the utility grid. This,

and productivity are efficiently and

of course, comprises large-scale

Communications

power generation plants, as well

A reliable, high-speed connection

as transmission and distribution

between distributed local and system

Predictive software

infrastructure that transmits

devices is necessary to ensure stable,

Today’s energy managers need the

electricity across long distances. But

real-time functionality. Standard

ability to optimize the coordination

optimally maintained.

of loads, generation, and storage. Advanced cloud-based information, communication, and control

Microgrid

Utility Grid

platforms such as Schneider’s EcoStruxure Microgrid Advisor

Distributed Energy Resources Renewables

Demand Management

Non-Renewables

Heat Solar

Wind

Storage Generators CHP

Controllable Loads

Critical Loads Microgrid Management System

Accurate weather forecast data (helping to mitigate the issue market pricing, load profiles,

Communication Predictive Software

these goals.

of worsening storms), energy

Real Time Control Weather Information

are now available to help achieve

System Software

Utility & Aggregators Control Electrical Distribution and Power Quality Engineering Expertise

and forecasts of a consumer’s energy needs are all crucial to predicting the best opportunities for energy consumption, storage, and production.

22 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

System software

be enough. It’s all about rightsizing

Electrical distribution and power

Real-time control and monitoring

for your business. If you’re unsure,

quality engineering expertise

of all equipment should be easily

companies like Schneider Electric

We all know knowledge is power (quite

accessible from a dynamic user-

offer procurement services which

literally when it comes to microgrids)

friendly interface, that blends control

help you to identify strategic buying

and electrical system expertise is

and animated display for high

opportunities for all facilities in

probably the most integral part of any

operator efficiency, in both normal

your organization.

effective microgrid solution.

Non-renewables

microgrid can impact the electrical

Distributed energy resources (DERs)

For a predictable supply of power,

distribution system and in doing

DERs ensure energy independence

non-renewables such as micro-

so, know the solution must be

and resiliency, which is probably why

turbines, fuel cells, and traditional

designed to:

BP predicted a 400 percent increase

diesel or natural gas generators offer

worldwide in renewable energy use

the reliability needed to plug any gaps

by 2040, including DERs like wind

left by renewables or stored energy.

Experts understand how a

and critical scenarios.

•

currents occurring between modes •

and solar. Storage

The choice of DER components

Anticipate transients and in-rush Maintain coordination of circuit breakers

depends on many factors, such

Storage systems using batteries

•

Maintain ground connections

as: geographic locations (i.e.,

or flywheels save excess energy

•

Avoid nuisance tripping

incorporating solar or wind), the

produced by local DERs, or store

•

Protect for varying levels of

local cost of fuel, and availability

grid energy at times when it is most

of incentives.

cost effective. They complement

available fault current. Islanded microgrids can exhibit

intermittent energy sources like

Many microgrid installations use DERs that are already in place,

renewables by smoothing out

more pronounced conditions due to

such as fuel cells, battery energy

the varying supply, and require

the higher impedance of the DERs,

storage, distributed generators and

replenishment to their available finite

thus microgrid solutions should only

controllable (or flexible) loads used

energy supply.

be delivered by experienced providers with deep expertise in power systems

for demand response, which can be optimized through advanced

Combined Heat and Power (CHP)

controls. Microgrid designs should

CHP systems generate electricity and

leverage the best options on an

thermal energy in a single, integrated

You can have your cake and eat it

individual basis.

system by capturing heat that is

Due to the increasingly challenging

normally wasted in conventional

energy environment in which we

Renewables

power generation. This captured

find ourselves, demand for microgrid

With words like ‘sustainability’ and

heat can contribute to all sorts of

solutions is understandably on the

‘climate crisis’ constantly hitting

things, such as: space heating, water

rise. Now, organizations are taking

the headlines, it’s understandable

heating, dehumidification, and even

back control, and better managing

organizations want to be deploying

space cooling, through the use of

this uncertain landscape with

more renewables, and rightly so.

absorption chillers. CHP systems

the mindful implementation of

provide reliable power while grid-

distributed energy sources, married

of these renewable source DERs

connected, and can continue to

with the advanced energy flexibility

(such as solar and wind) is being able

provide power when islanded.

provided by a microgrid system.

The key to optimal management

engineering, as well as power control.

In summary, when it comes to

Providing a data center specific

to predict what you’re going to get. The ability to forecast their expected

example of where CHP could be

reaping the benefits of this technology,

contribution to the microgrid – while

implemented. According to Phillip

a combination of an individual

also allowing for real time variations

Barton: “We know from studying data

solution to fit your needs, alongside

such as passing cloud cover or

centers that they are very energy

a flexible approach and proven

changing wind speeds – is invaluable.

intensive. But a fair amount of that

expertise, will ensure the delivery of an

energy is going into cooling as well.

advanced microgrid system that offers

renewable energy procurement and

So when that cooling system needs

the best of both worlds: the advantages

on-site renewables. This tends to

to be upgraded or replaced is a great

of grid independence, without

happen when energy needs are so

time to think of new combined heat

forfeiting the benefits of being part of

large one or the other is unlikely to

and power approaches.”

the central grid.

Some organizations opt for both

23 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

DCD eBook | Sustainable power & renewable growth

Making the next generation of data center power more sustainable Nick Vaney is the chief technical officer and cofounder of RED. A chartered mechanical engineer with more than 30 years of industry experience, Nick is an accredited tier designer with the Uptime Institute

ajor social and

center performs as expected. So in my

tenants want to reduce their carbon

business trends are

role, I have a bird’s eye view on how

footprint to benefit the environment

emerging and they

these market shifts are set to transform

and they want to be seen as green.

have the capacity

data center design. On-site renewable energies to power

to alter the way that

hyperscale and colocation data center

Impact of trends on future colocation

data centers

facilities are designed. That is my big

data center designs

For any colocation provider wishing to

takeaway from the Innovation Talk

Below is a summary of the key trends

attract new tenants, energy supplied

Webinar: The Evolution of Cooling

that I see influencing the coming

primarily from fossil fuels is becoming

Technology and Design for Data

generation of data center design.

a negative topic in negotiations. Many

Centers and What Comes Next. These

of the hyperscalers are now buying

changes include a higher emphasis

A premium on sustainability

renewable energy, however, much of

on sustainability, a steep increase in

Sustainability has been a hot topic

that energy is actually used elsewhere,

required rack power densities, and real

for many years, however, in the past

while fossil fuel-based energy is

estate portfolios with sufficient space

there has often been some reluctance

consumed in their data centers.

to allow the integration of on-site

to invest CapEx on sustainability

While buying renewable energy to

renewable generation. In particular,

measures, particularly in the highly

be used by others is laudable, to truly

we discussed how innovative cooling

competitive world of colocation

minimize the environmental impact

technology can be applied to address

data centers. This is changing as

of a data center project, we need to

these trends.

governments and big businesses

consider utilizing locally generated

emphasize the importance of

renewable power. Many data centers

engineering services for buildings.

acting now to limit climate change.

are built in out-of-town locations

We often engage with colocation and

Data centers represent significant

where land is relatively cheap. Why

hyperscale data center providers to

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

not buy additional land and locate

design facilities that optimize both

and significantly impact Scope 2 and

some renewable power generation

floor space and energy efficiency.

Scope 3 emissions respectively for

directly adjacent to the data center?

When a project is under construction

the operator and the tenant. However,

This has the effect of eliminating

we oversee the installation to ensure

sustainability is now highly targeted

transmission losses, genuinely

it meets the specified requirements

for several reasons. In the long run,

minimizing environmental impact,

and we then supervise the testing and

most sustainability measures are cost

and also offering a great corporate

commissioning to make sure the data

effective; data center operators and the

social responsibility pitch.

At RED, we design MEP and ICT

24 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

Liquid cooling to maximize per rack power densities Around 20 years ago, colocation power densities averaged about 2kW per rack. Today, some hyperscalers are running at average densities of about 10kW per rack. In such cases, rows of 20-to-40 racks produce a huge amount of very

Case study: How Digital Realty tracks its sustainability progress

he data center industry is becoming increasingly

condensed heat. Whilst there is not really a limit on the load that can be air cooled in an individual rack, data center

responsive to environmental concerns. Typically, the industry

operators will soon reach the point

has used a great deal of energy to

where they can no longer physically

power its facilities, cooling systems,

force enough cool air down the cold aisle to meet the requirements of the IT

and customers’ computer servers.

equipment. Aisles could be made wider

In many cases, they have consumed

to accommodate more air, but such a

substantial amounts of water to

practice erodes the original purpose and

cool their systems. However, one of

scenario confirmed by the Science-

cost benefit of packing as much power

Schneider Electric’s customers, Digital

Based Target Initiative for reduced

density into as small a space as possible.

Realty is out to lead the way toward

carbon emissions by 2030. In broad terms, Digital Realty

greater sustainability — and it’s using

Therefore, one solution is a

data to get real results.

move towards a direct liquid cooling

Digital Realty is a real estate

approach. One example is full

targets the full lifecycle of its data centers in their sustainability

immersion cooling, where the server

investment trust that owns, acquires,

goals. The process starts with the

is housed in a chassis and the main

develops and operates a global

acquisition and development of

processing chips and motherboard are

platform of data centers. They

facilities and evolves into optimizing

immersed in a dielectric fluid, which

also lead the data center industry

the operational lifecycle, including

keeps components cool and is a very

in sustainable environmental

the periodic refurbishments of

poor conductor of electric current

performance as demonstrated by

infrastructure and supply chain. They

and thus doesn’t short out electrical

being the first data center company

build on their efforts using green

components. Water is supplied to a

to receive an Energy Star Partner

bonds, renewable energy, energy

manifold at the back of each rack,

of the Year award. They have now

efficiency tactics, water stewardship,

typically at around 40°C, and then

received this award for two years in

climate change resilience and

returns to dry coolers or hybrid coolers

a row and thirty-one Digital Realty

green building practices to find new

at around 46°C where it is cooled.

facilities representing 70 percent

and innovative solutions to curb

of Digital Realty’s US footprint by

emissions directly in their facilities

cooling can be achieved in virtually

capacity have received Energy

and their supply chain.

all geographic locations. In addition,

Star certification.

This means that 100-percent free

Collaborating with sustainability-

the water is at a good temperature to provide heating and could be

Setting the sustainability goals

focused customers

exported to other buildings or a district

Because Digital Realty is the largest

For Digital Realty, sustainability is not

heating system, both bringing in

global provider of cloud- and carrier-

only good for the planet — it’s good

additional revenue and eliminating

neutral data center, colocation and

for business. Resource efficiency

wasted energy. Chassis-based direct

interconnection solutions, setting an

has repeatedly proven itself to have

liquid cooling can typically operate

ambitious sustainability goal for their

business value because using water

at around 40kW per rack. This results

premier global data center platform

and electricity more efficiently

in a 75-percent reduction in racks for

(PlatformDIGITAL) was no small task.

saves money and aligns with its

a given IT load as well as a far more

In 2020, Digital Realty committed to

customers’ priorities. To that end,

space efficient cooling system enabling

reducing its Scope 1 and 2 emissions

90 percent of Digital Realty’s top 20

a smaller, lower cost, and faster built

(direct and indirect) by 68 percent

customers have publicly stated their

data center with less embodied carbon,

in more than 290 of the data centers

sustainability goals.

thereby further reducing the overall

they operate in 24 countries. This is in

carbon footprint.

line with a 1.5-degree climate change

Digital Realty integrates its customer feedback and commitments

25 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

DCD eBook | Sustainable XXXXX power & renewable growth

into decision-making to help them

many of Digital Realty’s data centers

Recycling excess energy from the

reach their sustainability objectives.

use the cool night air as a heat sink for

Westin is expected to save some 80

Also, ESG (Environmental, Social

thousands of hours each year to save

million kilowatt hours of electricity use

and Governance) — the three critical

on electricity. They also use renewable

over 25 years — an amount equivalent

factors for measuring a company’s

energy in many markets. For example,

to the carbon dioxide emissions from

sustainability and ethical impact, is

in Dallas, Texas Digital Realty has

burning 62 million pounds of coal.

increasingly important to investors. As

long-term agreements to source

This project is in line with the City

one of the ten largest publicly traded

154 MW of wind and solar power.

of Seattle’s goal to reduce building

US Real Estate Investment Trusts

Schneider Electric worked on Digital

energy emissions by 38 percent from

(“REIT”), Digital Realty actively engages

Realty’s behalf to negotiate a portion

2008 levels by 2030 and achieve

with key investors to understand their

of these renewable energy Power

carbon neutral status by 2050.

investment priorities and objectives as

Purchase Agreements. In total, Digital

they relate to ESG.

Realty’s entire Greater Dallas portfolio

water-related risks, Digital Realty uses

Because climate change introduces

will be powered by approximately 70

GRESB metrics to perform physical

Measuring metrics for

percent renewable energy starting

risk scenario analyses for its portfolio.

energy savings

this year.

Risk evaluations include sea-level rise

Digital Realty uses verifiable metrics

and water stress. Among the many

and third-party organizations to

Using data to conserve water

tools Digital Realty uses to assess water

back its claims. As a significant

In the first quarter of 2021, Digital

usage is The World Resource Institute’s

supplier to Digital Realty, and as “the

Realty became the first consumer of

Aqueduct tool. It provides insights into

world’s most sustainable company,”

recycled water and first and only data

water scarcity and evaluates usage in

Schneider Electric is also on a journey

center company to join the WateReuse

water-scarce regions.

to continue to lead on sustainability

Association’s Recycled Water User

topics, and both of our companies

Network (a network for businesses and

Next up: Supply chain metrics

know that we must have quantifiable

other entities that use recycled water).

Knowing a sustainable business is

data to back up our claims.

The company’s membership in the

arguably only as “clean” as its supply

Recycled Water User Network includes

chain, Digital Realty has begun to

metric at Digital Realty is PUE (power

the green designation WATER STAR

focus on the environmental impact of

usage effectiveness). PUE is the ratio

which recognizes Digital Realty’s

its suppliers. As a part of its Science-

between annual energy consumed

achievements as a steward of water

Based Target Initiative the goal is to

by the data center and annual energy

resources in the local community.

reduce scope 3 carbon emissions by

A much-watched energy efficiency

consumed by all computer servers

Digital Realty’s data-driven

in the facility. Their colocation PUE

assessments have concluded that

This is an ongoing effort, and

reduction goal of 10 percent by 2022

more than 50 percent of the water

Digital Realty and Schneider Electric

(against 2017 baseline) was exceeded,

used to cool its US data centers were

work well together because we share

and they reduced PUE by 11 percent.

supplied by non-potable sources

similar sustainability objectives and

They provide their customers

in 2020. In total, 43 percent of its

priorities. We also continue to be

with information down to the

global water supply was provided

proactive on implementing new

individual customer suite level by

by municipal non-potable or onsite

and better ways to have a positive

utilizing Schneider Electric’s PME

recycled water in 2020.

impact on the environment. We are

software to improve their PUE

In the US, Digital Realty’s Westin

24 percent per area by 2030.

excited to continue to work with

performance. This data enables

Building Exchange data center in

Digital Realty to help create a better

their customers to also improve their

Seattle, Washington supplies heat

and more sustainable world and

PUE performance.

for the adjacent Amazon corporate

data center industry.

Significant energy savings can be

campus. The Ecodistrict uses heated

For more information on Digital

realized through LED lighting at data

cooling water from the Westin

Realty and Schneider Electric’s ESG

centers, and Digital Realty’s new data

Building to heat Amazon’s World

initiatives visit:

centers use LED lighting throughout

Headquarters buildings. The cooled

•

because it’s the most efficient lighting

water from Amazon’s buildings is then

available today. Their cooling systems

recycled back to the Westin to cool the

also take advantage of “free cooling”

data center infrastructure.

whenever possible. Even in warm

The system ultimately heats about

climates like Santa Clara, California,

Digital Realty’s third annual ESG report

•

Read more about Digital Realty’s focus on sustainability

•

five million square feet of office space.

26 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

Read more about Schneider’s focus on sustainability

Chapter 4: Optimizing operations Why digitization holds the key to your sustainable strategy With increasingly distributed IT and complex workloads, Claire Fletcher, DCD, takes a look at the increasing role of software in driving sustainability A framework for how to modernize data center facility infrastructure Patrick Donovan, senior research analyst, Data Center Science Center, Schneider Electric, highlights a four-step framework for data center modernization and performance Waste heat warms up Graeme Burton, head of partner content, DCD, talks circularity and district heating schemes, looking at how data centers can better serve the communities they are in

27 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

DCD eBook | Optimizing Operations

Why digitization holds the key to your sustainable strategy Not only must we make technology itself more environmentally friendly but we must also deploy the technology responsibly and effectively to become more sustainable. Digitization and transparency can help achieve this

igitization continues

on how the industry could meet

detailed how it uses DeepMind AI

to transform how we

this challenge. He proposed the key

for cooling and was able to cut PUE

work and live. As the

question the data center industry

by 15 percent through the automatic

role of technology in

should be asking itself; “what evolving

management of variables including

day-to-day life deepens,

technologies can we exploit and how

fans, cooling systems, and windows.

can we best utilize them?”

The company has also used DeepMind

however, so does the amount of energy it consumes.

for predicting the output of wind Is data intelligence the key?

turbines up to 36 hours in advance,

provide us with sustainability enablers,

With increasingly distributed IT and

which it used to predict power needs for

allowing organizations to shrink carbon

complex workloads, the smart use of

its facilities connected to wind farms.

footprints and manage energy more

software enables “operators to take a

efficiently. We are facing, therefore,

more proactive response to monitoring,

such as automatic temperature checks,

what Accenture has referred to as a

management and sustainability,” says

touchless authorization, payment and

twofold-imperative; not only must

Kent. Ensuring we get these services

control systems, and traffic monitoring,

we make technology itself more

in place requires a combination of

which played a vital role throughout

environmentally friendly but we

connected devices that need to become

the pandemic are also likely to remain

must also deploy the technology

more intelligent whether they’re located

in the future. As Olivier Micheli, CEO,

responsibly and effectively to become

on the edge or in data centers. ‘Do we

Data4 told us, “Automation provides

more sustainable.

actually have the right software tools to

many benefits but requires smarter and

help us manage that and understand

more intelligent planned systems and

continued improvements in operational

how equipment is performing and what

infrastructure to ensure security from

efficiency and new paradigms in using

alterations are required?”

end to end. These approaches provide

Innovations in technology also

For data centers, this means

technology to drive efficiency.

In addition, Kent notes, “we must

Safety and security applications

assurance to customers, and their

Indeed, the data center of the

also consider if we have a strategy

future will bear little resemblance to

on lifecycle optimization to ensure

the cabinets of old. The next gen data

that equipment is being maintained,

How can deploying monitoring

center will have more interaction with

recycled, and de-risked.” What are the

software help?

the grid and renewables; greater power

operational efficiency options you have

In 2021, legacy software isn’t quite

variability with IT as efficiencies start

to maximize this lifespan?

cutting it. We need intelligent

to improve; a mix of complex cooling

For the hyperscalers and public

architectures, and more sites to manage

cloud providers, digitization and

in a hybrid environment.

intelligent use of data is already part

DCD talked with Kevin Kent, CEO, Critical Facilities Efficiency Solutions,

customer’s customers.”

dashboards that will help us identify solutions more quickly. Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure

and parcel of data center deployment

solution deploys software, analytics and

and operations. Google has previously

services across three main domains:

28 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

EcoStruxure Power, EcoStruxure Building and EcoStruxure IT, allowing customers visibility across all aspects of their organization. Most colocation customers today

Replacing only active components as opposed to a whole unit, will minimize raw material consumption you know it, your business may have

to not only save money, but increase

also now expect sustainability reports

generated millions pertaining to energy

efficiency and transparency. But even

alongside their financial ones. And

and sustainability. Imagine all that

when you have good quality, accurate

if you’re not quite sure how to go

complexity spread out across disparate

data, data on its own is useless. To

about that, Schneider Electric has

systems and a hodgepodge of locations,

make the most of it, you need the right

answered that call with EcoStruxure

being used by separate teams who can’t

internal resources in place to make

Resource Advisor.

easily share information, it’s a headache

sense of it all. A recent Intel study found

waiting to happen.

that when presented with a list of big

This innovative tool supports a data center’s ability to carry out sustainability

Resource Advisor allows you

data challenges, the response was

reporting, helping to appease climate-

to collect multiple types of data,

overwhelmingly ‘data analytics’ and

conscious customers and their

from spreadsheets and invoices, to

‘data expertise.’

demands for green credentials.

meters and submeters, from every

EcoStruxure Resource Advisor can

Luckily, Schneider has all the

facility, all in a single platform. This

internal expertise you’ll ever need to

tell you what your carbon emissions

provides invaluable visibility to

help you translate your data into action.

are, your energy procurement costs,

enterprise KPIs, as well the ability to

Survey tools featured in Resource

what type of energy it is you’re

identify opportunities with cloud-

Advisor can be utilized to both collect

procuring, and whether it’s clean. It

based software that will scale with

and analyze data, allowing you to make

will also provide guidance with project

the business.

informed decisions based on good

planning and risk management.

And when it comes to collecting

quality data and intelligence tools.

Resource Advisor doesn’t just monitor

data, bad data is worse than no data.

traditional infrastructure, but reaches

Schneider found that up to 80 percent

global data operations team, whose sole

into other areas that may previously

of customer data requires ‘data

purpose is to help customers achieve

have been overlooked, or limited to

cleaning’, this is why when collecting

an accurate and complete data set

the sustainability office (should your

and aggregating data, Resource Advisor

which affords them global reporting

business have one).

can help ensure this is accurate, as data

capabilities via Resource Advisor.

Implementing energy management software such as this can actually help your bottom line too. Data points accumulate fast, and before

Schneider also has a dedicated

streams undergo stringent industrystandard quality testing and cleaning.

The Schneider data team validates customer data, then makes it available

Good, dynamic data can then be

for reporting. In the past 24 months

leveraged across your entire enterprise

alone, invoice validation efforts have uncovered over €45 million in invoice errors, so even if you think you know what you’re doing, there’s always room for improvement. Echoing this sentiment, Sudhir Kalra, senior vice president, Global Operations at Compass Datacenters says: “The people working within the data centers and data center operators need to be increasingly ‘computer’ savvy. Mechanical and engineering knowledge will always be valuable, but a diagnostic and analytical understanding of internal issues will become more important.” As data centers become larger, more complex and increasingly integrated into everyday life, knowledge will become ever more prevalent if constant uptime is to be maintained.

29 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

DCD eBook | Optimizing XXXXX operations

Maintain and modernize

consumption, and ensuring your

Naturally, all this new and improved

infrastructure is ‘right-sized’ to fit

visibility extends to lifecycle services,

your needs will save you money. It

not only considering how you can

might sound simple, but time and time

maintain and extend the life of

again organizations panic and over

When it comes to collecting data, bad data is worse than no data

your facility, but also any potential

provision; aligning your infrastructure

in the design and manufacturing

modernization, whether this be

with current operating conditions

process. Instead, applying circular-

from scratch, or improving what’s

is an impactful way of reducing

economy thinking acknowledges and

already installed. It’s a case of striking

energy consumption.

retains that embedded value. In 2015, Schneider began working

If you would like to marry together

an amicable balance between maintenance and modernization

the best of both maintenance and

with the supply chain and marketing

in order to hit that sustainability

modernization, Schneider advises

teams in one of its divisions to identify

sweet spot.

the implementation of smart sensors

products for which this approach made

in order to transform corporate

sense. From there, a secondary market

modernize right now, it’s worth having

equipment into connected assets,

could be found for those products that

a stringent maintenance plan in place.

enabling software analytics to optimize

are no longer fit for (original) purpose.

Schneider offers digitally augmented

operations and make data-driven

maintenance services in four key areas:

decisions that help to improve

only generates cash at the consolidated

electrical distribution, UPS, cooling and

efficiency. Smart sensors are also useful

contribution level, but opens up new

EPMS/BMS.

for supporting predictive maintenance,

markets, increasing the customer

to ensure faults are spotted before

portfolio, with no disruption to the

anything goes wrong.

primary channel.

out when it’s actually needed, resulting

Refurbish and remanufacture

Recycle

in reduced budgets of up to 40 percent,

Older equipment is staying in

If you’ve exhausted all other options

as well as an 80 percent reduction in

service longer than ever before in

and you’re still left with equipment that

electrical failure due to fire. This not

a bid to cut costs. Cost control and

is no longer viable in your critical data

only ensures maximum operational

maintaining productivity can be

center, then the last port of call should

efficiency (whilst reducing the risk of

a tricky balancing act, but to help

be recycling.

downtime) but helps extend the life of

tip the scale, it’s worth considering

your equipment through the proactive

remanufactured equipment.

If you’re not in a position to

By moving from traditional calendar-based to condition-based

Finding a secondary market not

maintenance, maintenance is carried

Schneider offers a vast selection of

replacement of parts.

Ninety-eight percent of a medium voltage cubicle can be recycled, and Schneider has saved more than 35,000

remanufactured industrial electronics,

tonnes of CO2 through its end-of-life

Steven Carlini, robots (and ever-

including many items that are fully

(EOL) services.

advancing AI technology) could also

remanufactured, certified, and

be a viable option in automating data

protected by a comprehensive warranty.

According to Schneider Electric’s

Remanufacturing does more than

center operations.

Schneider takes full responsibility for the end-of-life processing of obsolete electrical equipment, with an

breathe new life into older equipment;

IEC compliant solution that also deals

demonstrated the ability to replace

every remanufactured part is upgraded

with SF6 gas. This includes providing

servers housed in data center IT

using the latest technology and to the

you with a recycling or destruction

racks. And although at the moment

most up to date standards. Second life

certificate for traceability and peace

anything more complex might be a

doesn’t have to mean second best.

of mind.

unrecognizable from the one we

Reuse and redistribute

you need (as opposed to what you

knew a couple of years ago, anything

Say you have a perfectly good product

think you need) and recycling what

is possible.

that has become obsolete, perhaps due

you don’t, based on accurate, clean

to advances in technology, what do you

data, the right software and expertise

do with it? You can reuse it.

can be an invaluable asset when it

Some of these robots have already

Overall, by implementing only what

little challenging, in a world almost

Robots of the future aside, if you can modernize alongside your maintenance plan, then all the better, but you needn’t overhaul your entire facility.

Although linear-economy thinking

comes to ensuring your sustainability

might suggest scrapping obsolete

goals are achieved, as well as any

inventory through traditional recycling

otherwise hidden opportunities for

components as opposed to a whole

to reclaim the component materials,

sustainability that may not initially

unit, will minimize raw material

that sacrifices the value that was added

have been realized.

For example, replacing only active

30 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

A framework for how to modernize data center facility infrastructure Patrick Donovan is a senior research analyst for the Data Center Science Center at Schneider Electric, with more than 20 years of experience developing and supporting critical power and cooling systems for Schneider Electric’s IT Business unit

s physical infrastructure

benefit from recent technological

of data center modernization: (1)

systems age beyond

advances. These improvements make

equipment hardware (electrical &

their warranties,

data centers simpler, more efficient,

mechanical), (2) software systems,

software tools no

easier to manage, and less expensive

and (3) operations & maintenance

longer reflect or

to operate today.

programs. Keeping the IT systems

comprehend reality, and operations &

This article lays out a simple

running depends on all three of

maintenance (O&M) programs grow

four-step framework for how to

these domains. So, it is critical

outdated and/or become under-

go about modernizing a facility.

that all are considered in a

staffed, the risk of an interruption

It begins first with developing

modernization project.

in service goes up significantly.

performance standards. This

Aging data centers must either be

is then used to perform a gap

Four steps of the data center

modernized or have its IT outsourced

analysis identifying risks and

modernization framework

to cloud service and colocation

needs. This approach, developed

The four-step framework is a

providers to minimize the risk of

by a team of Solution Architects at

measured and methodical process

business disruption. Remaining sites

Schneider Electric, should be used

to determine what to modernize in

that delay modernizing also fail to

to cover the three key domains

your facility, and how and when to

Benchmark performance & identify health risk

Determine options to address gaps

Prioritize actions based on cost, feasibility, risk

31 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

Operations & maintenance

Develop performance standards

Software systems

Equipment hardware

Four-step framework for modernization

DCD eBook | Optimizing XXXXX operations

do it. It is best applied holistically, across domains, but can be applied to a single domain within your data center as well. 1. Develop performance standards

Technological advances make data centers simpler, more efficient, easier to manage, and less expensive to operate today

It is important to first start with documenting the specific objectives and goals of the modernization

meet a particular tier or criticality

their interconnections. You want

project. What do you want the data

standard, then what it takes specifically

to understand each device’s age,

center to look like at the end of the

to meet those requirements should

maintenance contract status, load vs.

project? How should it perform

be documented in the design

capacity, etc. It means interviewing

and what is needed to achieve

standard. Make sure you have buy-in

the O&M team and reviewing their

that? It is useful to start with the

from all the key stakeholders and

methods of procedure and training

larger business and IT objectives.

an understanding of what the IT

documentation. You should not

These may well have changed since

outsourcing strategy is. An example

just rely on drawings or written

you first built the data center. The

performance standard is shown below

reports. Data center infrastructure

criticality and power capacity needs

for the power and cooling systems.

management (DCIM) tools should

may have changed significantly as

be checked against the equipment

a result. Reevaluating your needs in

2. Benchmark performance &

benchmark to see how well the

the context of today’s organizational

identify health risks

software map of assets and their

objectives will help you figure out,

With the performance standards

interconnections match reality.

for example, what level of electrical

clearly documenting in detail

Use the performance standard

redundancy is really needed or what

where you want to be, the next

documents as scorecards to record

the operations team staffing levels

step is to evaluate what the current

the current reality and to identify

should be at a given site.

state of the data center is across all

gaps in performance and health risks.

A performance standard for

three domains and noting what is

each of the key domains should be

at risk of causing incidents. This

3. Ascertain options to address gaps

documented. If, for example, the

involves physically investigating

With the current situation

decision is that the data center should

the infrastructure equipment and

documented, the next step is to

System

Attribute

Level 1 Standard

Level 2 Standard

Level 3 Standard

UPS redundancy

N+1

UPS battery runtime

5 min

10 min

15 min

UPS battery type

VRLA or Li-ion

Li-ion

Generator redundancy

N+1

Generator fuel onsite

24 hours

48 hours

72 hours

Branch circuit monitoring

Yes

Heat rejection redundancy

N+1

Air distribution redundancy

N+1

CRAH fans

Fixed speed

VFD

Economizer mode

Yes

Thermal storage

30 min

1 hour

Aisle containment

Yes

Power

Cooling

Example of performance standards

32 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

consider and document what it

evaluated based on the amount of

would take to bridge each of the

risk they represent to the continued

gaps. Vendors and consulting

functioning of the IT. For each gap

PM services, adding blanking

engineers may be needed to clearly

uncovered in the audit, you must

panels to racks, plugging holes

understand what your options are,

calculate the risk of not addressing

in raised floors, removing

as well as their costs. This effort will

it. Obviously, gaps with the biggest

obstructions from underfloor air

begin to form a picture of what it will

risk go to the top of your list of needs

pathways, making sure floor tiles

take time, money, and labor-wise to

to focus on. This risk needs to be

are in the right places, making

achieve the project goals. This, in

balanced against cost, time, how

sure racks are aligned properly,

turn, could cause you to reevaluate

disruptive it might be to on-going

the design standards. And that’s okay,

operations, and any other objectives

this is designed to be an iterative

deemed important, such as energy

as-built drawings, ensuring

process.

efficiency goals.

methods of procedure (MOPs)

In addition to benchmarking

rules are found to be broken, etc. •

Cooling: conducting past-due

and so on. •

Note there are 3rd party vendors

Operations: updating/correcting

and emergency operating

against your performance standard,

who can assist you or even lead this

procedures (EOPs) are correct and

a basic “health check” should be

evaluation process. Not only would

in the right places, verifying staff

conducted to identify systems at risk.

they simplify and likely accelerate

is properly trained on emergency

This health check should evaluate:

the process for you, but you would

•

Age of devices and

benefit from their having experience

warranty status

with many data centers. Also, their

and making sure all software

Maintenance history and

independence might make for a more

tools have an accurate map of

service contract status

accurate, unbiased judgment of what

assets and resources, and that

Current load versus capacity

risks might exist in your facility.

their dependencies are mapped

• •

procedures, etc. •

of systems

Software systems: reviewing

correctly, and reviewing alarm Identify & address the basics (low-

thresholds and notification policies.

hanging fruit)

As devices age, they present greater downtime risks. Components

During the processes of creating

Following and adhering to this

are more likely to fail or require

the performance standards and

framework will simplify the process

maintenance. Many devices

benchmarking performance, you will

and reduce risk. It will optimize

as they age are also not under

likely uncover easy-to-fix issues, i.e.,

costs by focusing spending on

maintenance contracts.

items involving relatively little to no

process improvements, hardware

CapEx and time to implement. These

upgrades, and replacements that

4. Prioritize actions based on cost,

should be addressed right away, of

have the biggest impact on reducing

feasibility & risk

course. Low-hanging-fruit actions we

critical incidents and failures

The last step before the actual

often see include:

that can cause downtime of the

implementation of upgrades and

IT systems and applications. And Power: conducting preventative

new business requirements may

the actions needed to close the

maintenance (PM) services on

mean the infrastructure needed

gaps to bring the data center to

units that are past due, removing

today may be much less than what

the performance levels spelled

unused power modules from UPSs,

you needed when it was first built.

out in the design standards. Being

redistributing unbalanced loads,

When you combine that with

a (presumably) mission-critical

correcting mistakes in PDU/rack

the likely efficiency gains that

data center, all gaps need to be

PDU assignment if redundancy

modern infrastructure and their

replacements begins, is to prioritize

•

management tools bring, the real

This framework will optimize costs by focusing spending on process improvements, hardware upgrades, and replacements that have the biggest impact on reducing critical incidents and failures that can cause downtime of the IT systems and applications

total cost of ownership of a newly modernized facility is often less than you expected.

To learn more, download Schneider Electric white paper 272: A framework for how to modernize data center facility infrastructure.’

33 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

DCD eBook | Optimizing operations

Waste heat warms up Ninety percent of the thermal energy that goes into a data center can be recovered. So how do we make waste heat more useful?

hen Facebook was looking to Denmark

district heating network.

Staying cool

This scheme is expected to

Erik Barentsen, a senior policy officer,

as a key location

recover some 100,000-megawatt-

energy and sustainability, at the Dutch

in its network of

hours of energy per year, which

Data Center Association notes that

global data centers,

Facebook estimates will warm around

there are basically three main forms of

6,900 homes.

data center cooling. The first one, direct

part of the brief for the designers was to maximize every possible aspect of

The drive behind such sustainability

air cooling, “is not really applicable for

sustainability. One item on that list was

initiatives comes after 10 to 15 years

the idea of reusing waste heat from data

of technology companies and data

center cooling systems - a proposal that

center operators pushing the power

computer room air conditioning, in

has excited interest for some time, but

usage effectiveness (PUE) down from

which the air in the IT room is chilled,”

has often foundered on the practical

above two – the US average is around

he adds. With servers arranged in ‘cool’

realities of implementation.

2.5 – to figures ever-closer to one, says

and ‘hot’ aisles, the exhaust air can be

S&P Global Market Intelligence senior

extracted, run through a heat exchanger

research analyst Daniel Bizo.

and returned to the cool aisles, helping

It doesn’t take complex technology to convert waste heat into something useful. The challenge is the expense,

Improving PUE means data centers

recovering waste heat,” says Barentsen. “The second is where you have

to lower air conditioning costs, as well

combined with the fact that data

consume less energy. Reusing their

centers are often a long way from

waste heat is an additional benefit,

the locations that can actually do

but it needs infrastructure. And,

from an ordinary air-cooled data center

something useful with their second-

while the European Union has been

is only between about 25 degrees and

hand energy.

pushing district heating schemes as an

35 degrees Celsius, he adds, limiting

environmentally friendlier alternative to

its value without the addition (and

just one high-profile proponent, along

electric or gas central heating, these are

expense) of a heat pump to boost its

with Amazon Web Services, Google,

not widely used outside of Germany,

temperature.

and others. In Denmark, Facebook was

Scandinavia (excluding Norway), and a

able to secure a tie-up between its third

handful of other places.

But that’s changing, and Facebook is

facility, in Odense, and the local district

The difficulty of finding alternative

as extracting heat for re-use. However, the typical exhaust heat

The third system, says Barentsen, is by deploying liquid cooling. “Liquid cooling can be done either through

heating company, Fjernvarme Fyn, to

uses for data centers’ waste heat is

immersed technology, where the

recycle warm air extracted from the ‘hot

illustrated by Google’s latest data

whole system is immersed in oil and

aisle’ of the data center.

center opening in Middenmeer,

the oil itself is conditioned to a certain

the Netherlands.

temperature, or you can use a closed-

“The warm air is directed to our cooling units. This warm air is directed

While the company claims it has

loop liquid cooling system,” he says.

over a coil – cold water comes in, the

been able to radically slash power

air heats up the water, and the warm

consumption per unit of compute

adds Andy Lawrence, executive

water is then piped across the street to

power in its data centers, compared

director of research at the Uptime

the heat pump,” says Lauren Edelman,

to the data centers it opened less than

Institute, is that servers can be run

energy program manager at Facebook.

ten years ago, its waste heat re-use at

hotter and harder, while higher exhaust

Middenmeer doesn’t currently extend

temperatures widens the scope for

the temperature is boosted using a heat

any further than helping to heat the

re-use. Using liquid cooling, server

pump – powered by renewable energy

office space at the data center for its 125

racks can be also more densely packed.

– before the water is delivered into the

employees.

“The exhaust heat is going to come out

Once the air reaches Fjernvarme Fyn

The main benefit of liquid cooling,

34 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

piping hot – above 50 degrees Celsius would be quite common – and using it for hot water or heating would make a lot of sense,” says Lawrence. But, notes Barentsen, liquid cooling doesn’t improve overall data center efficiency – it merely makes exhaust

In Denmark, Facebook was able to secure a tie-up between its third facility, in Odense, and the local district heating company, Fjernvarme Fyn, to recycle warm air extracted from the ‘hot aisle’ of the data center

heat re-use more viable. “In essence, the amount of waste

consultancy IT Renew. It has devised

sustainability – especially among

heat recovered compared to the

a containerized data center that

well-heeled organizations that can

electrical input will remain the same:

can use liquid cooling to maximize

most easily shoulder upfront expenses

90 percent of the thermal energy

heat capture, piping the result to

– and regulation, particularly in the

that goes into a data center can be

commercial greenhouses – for which

European Union.

recovered,” says Barentsen. “However,

the Netherlands is famed – to help keep

at least for the time being, the residual

tomatoes and bell peppers growing

has been pushing member states to

heat temperature will make a difference

throughout the autumn and winter

implement district heating schemes,

because with liquid cooling the

months without the use of gas.

providing funds for start-ups, arguing

residual heat is easier to use in a district heating system.”

Its 200 kW edge data centers use

For around the past decade, the EU

that district heating is more efficient

liquid cooling – enabling more compute

and less carbon-intensive than either

Even then, there are challenges over

power to be packed into a relatively

electric or gas central heating.

how to re-use this resource if there isn’t

small space – that can be converted

Indeed, part-funding from the EU

a friendly neighborhood district heating

into water at a toasty temperature of

is behind a district heating scheme in

company willing to take it off of the data

65 degrees Celsius.

Dublin, Ireland. South Dublin County

center operator’s hands.

However, the demand for such

The US National Renewable Energy

Council – under whose authority the

edge data centers next to greenhouse

Castlebagot ‘digital business hub’ falls –

Center, for example, used excess warm

facilities is likely to be highly niche, and

has established its own publicly owned

air to heat the pathways around its HQ

while gas prices are low it’s unlikely to

energy company, called Heatworks,

in Golden, Colorado in order to keep

gain much traction, suggests Barentsen.

to pipe heat from data centers in the

them free from snow and ice in winter,

hub to the newly established Tallaght

but that is scarcely an efficient use of a

Tighter regulation

valuable resource.

What may help drive data center

A more practical alternative solution

District Heating Network. More recently, there have been

exhaust heat re-use is a combination

calls for tighter regulation of the

has been developed by Dutch tech

of the broader corporate push

data center industry, especially

company Blockheating, together with

towards carbon neutrality and

following a December 2020 United Nations report claiming that carbon emissions from the construction and operation of buildings now accounts for 38 percent of total global energyrelated CO2 emissions. Heating (and cooling) buildings around the world is responsible for just under 10 gigatonnes of CO2 emissions, it claimed. But for the time being, warns Lawrence, proponents of liquid cooling need to convince an industry geared towards air cooling that it is the way forward. “The case for liquid cooling is quite strong, but…every designer knows air systems. There’s lots of equipment out there, lots of standardized designs and it’s cheaper in terms of capital outlay,” says Lawrence.

35 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

DCD eBook | Optimizing XXXXX Sustainable operations power & renewable growth

EcoDataCenter Case study “When we build a data center, we consider how we’re part of the community. With EcoStruxure IT Advisor, we can give something back to the local grid” - Mikael Svanfeldt, chief technology officer, EcoDataCenter The challenge: •

Focused on sustainability,

•

EcoDataCenter wanted to set

•

The company also sought

EcoDataCenter needed an ultra-

up an ultra-efficient, reliable

greater physical security

low carbon footprint data center

power management system to

and cybersecurity for data

at the heart of its HPC colocation

support this project and ensure

safety and communications

in Falun, Sweden.

customer-server uptime.

between clients.

The solution: Sustainable digitization with EcoStruxure solutions

•

Apps, Analytics & Services: EcoStruxure IT Advisor,

As EcoDataCenter’s chosen partner for the project, Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure for Cloud & Service

Connected Services Hub

Providers solution was ideal for working effectively

Edge Control: EcoStruxure IT Expert, EcoStruxure Building Operation, EcoStruxure Energy Expert,

with third-party solutions. •

EcoStruxure Building Expert

Connected Services Hub, a dedicated team from Schneider Electric data center experts,

Connected Products: Uniflair™ Turbocor Chillers,

remotely monitors, troubleshoots and analyzes

APC™ Netshelter, Galaxy™ VX UPS, Pod Data Center, InfraStruxure™, Masterpact™ MTZ, Premset™, rPDU,

EcoDataCenter’s critical facility 24/7. •

Two Uniflair™ Turbocor Chillers add to facility

Smart Panels (IEC), Sensors & RFID, CRAH-units, Canalis™,

climate control, supplementing the usually

Lithium-ion batteries, cooling centers, AHUs, and

low Nordic temperatures, especially during

heat pumps

summer’s humidity.

The results: •

EcoDataCenter now has

•

Within EcoStruxure architecture,

•

EcoStruxure proves to be crucial

connected sensors and meter

four Galaxy VX UPSs support

in helping recycle the facility’s

data generating analytic

1,250 kW of customer load in

heat waste. Now, EcoDataCenter

reports on the data center’s

its 99% efficiency ECOnversion

uses that efficiency to give back

operational efficiency — and its

Mode. This backup power frees

to the local grid, keeping the

sustainability index.

up energy that can be diverted

company focused on being one

to clients.

of the most sustainable data centers in the Nordics.

36 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

Chapter 5: Supply chain thinking A sustainable supply chain Ekaterina Tsvetkova, head of sustainability, EMEA, Schneider Electric encourages a more robust approach to supply chain management Demystifying Scope 3 Decarbonizing Scope 3 may feel like a massive undertaking, but it’s essential – and possible. Schneider Electric’s resident experts summarize the main findings during a recent Science-based Targets Initiative (SBTi) peer learning group workshop

37 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

DCD eBook | Supply chain thinking

A sustainable supply chain “Many companies get bogged down with the emissions resulting from their direct operations when in fact, the majority of supply chains produce five times that amount,” says Ekaterina Tsvetkova, head of sustainability, EMEA at Schneider Electric

onsumers are no longer just interested in what they buy, but where it comes from. In 2020 alone, over

80 percent of consumers indicated

Scope 1&2

sustainability was important to them, yet 86 percent said that sustainability and transparency were the metrics they were looking for. Catalyzed by the disruption caused by Covid-19, now more than ever companies are looking to their supply chains to cut costs, strengthen business and mitigate environmental risk. Organizations are rethinking how they operate their supply chains and at the same time, seem to have developed a deeper understanding that the more sustainable their supply chain, the more resilient it is. Being able to understand the carbon footprint of suppliers helps companies engage with them to reduce their GHG emissions

Scope 3

alongside other ESG issues – a

Typically 80 percent of your company emissions will be in your Scope 3

huge differentiator for clients in a highly saturated competitive market. When this ambition is translated into impact, it can be incredibly significant. Scoping out emissions Before you can go about tackling the emissions in your supply chain,

38 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

Many companies get bogged down with the emissions resulting from their direct operations when, in fact, the majority of supply chains produce five times that amount

Schneider encourages clients to digitize as much as possible, to use enterprise level energy and sustainability software solutions such as Resource Advisor.” The ability to automate data

first you have to understand them.

past three years. By the end of

streams and fill gaps is also key

Emissions come in three categories,

2020, 80 percent of Schneider’s

to the process. The help of AI and

as defined by the greenhouse

operations were powered by

Machine Learning is really gaining

gas protocol:

renewables, enabled by Schneider’s

momentum; combined with human

Scope 1: Direct emissions on site,

own technologies and leveraging

expertise to track performance

i.e., generators.

renewable Power Purchase

and suppliers, they really are

Agreements (PPAs).

invaluable tools to help foster

Scope 2: Indirect emissions

Schneider Electric is currently

successful initiatives.

(emissions produced by the utilities

working with its own supply chain

to provide electricity, heating

department, implementing its own

and types of initiatives and

and cooling).

program geared towards an ultimate

reduction levers can be incredibly

goal of net zero carbon emissions

overwhelming, therefore Schneider

Scope 3: Other indirect emissions.

(including suppliers) by 2050. The

is helping clients understand that

This is the main scope this article

company is spearheading climate

they can grow with their programs,”

will focus on.

action throughout its ecosystem.

adds Tsvetkova.

There for the journey

decarbonization puzzle is helping

addressing all three of these metrics,

Everyone is in a different place on

suppliers to create their own

but there is a little more to Scope 3

their sustainability journey, and

science-based targets (SBTs).

than meets the eye.

if you’re not sure where to start

“The number of suppliers

Another key piece of the We must be reviewing and

Scope 3 emissions are perhaps

With a good understanding of

when it comes to decarbonizing

clients, Schneider can match your

the biggest carbon footprint a

your supply chain, Schneider can

organization with the best programs,

facility has, and tend to be more

help. The first step is assessing your

and will continue to develop more

nuanced, as they broadly represent

suppliers’ ecosystems by collecting

ambitious programs as time goes

all other indirect emissions from

both qualitative and quantitative

on, allowing suppliers to monitor

value chain activities.

data, as well as identifying

performance and innovate in real

priority levels.

time. And customers are quickly

Think of an iceberg. The visible part, that has historically been easily

“It would be impossible to deal

measured and monitored represents

with 5,000 suppliers at a time,

scope 1 & scope 2 emissions.

so we need to create a roadmap

realizing if they can gain more agility, resilience will follow.

tailored to a specific need or client.

Melting the iceberg

too often unseen chunk, those are

There is a lot of data mining at the

It is, perhaps, a daunting challenge

your scope 3 emissions. In fact,

beginning, it’s essentially a data

to tackle scope 3 emissions. Below

your supply chain’s scope 1 and 2

hunt,” says Ekaterina Tsvetkova,

are four key areas to consider if you

emissions are also a part of your

head of sustainability, EMEA at

are beginning the journey.

scope 3 emissions – alongside

Schneider Electric.

The much more significant but

embedded carbon.

She continues, “A data plan is a

Schneider Electric - voted the Most Sustainable Corporation in the

Supplier and customer

crucial conversation to have early

engagement

on. These programs are so complex,

Education, education, education.

World in 2021 by Corporate Knights and the Best Global Sustainable Supply Chain Organization at the Global Sustainable Supply Chain Summit 2021 is leading the way here. Its supply chains’ carbon emissions have been reduced by more than 100,000 tons over the

You should be challenging all of your vendors to produce an environmental profile or environmental product declaration, as that is what will contain all this (quite frankly invaluable) information 39 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

DCD eBook | Supply XXXXX chain thinking

No longer is it a case of simply selecting a vendor based on product, price and supply chain, but added to that list we have considerations like energy sourcing, environmental and social factors, as well as corporate governance

would be people’s first port of call, but when it comes to data centers, you want to be purchasing products with circularity baked in. You can’t do this after the fact. Vendors must be transparent about the sustainability impact of their products. What materials were used? How about a life cycle assessment (LCA)? What about

We can’t stress that enough. If

power purchase agreements

recycled content, recyclability,

you don’t ensure your suppliers

(PPAs) can be implemented.

compliance, energy efficiency and

are privy to best in-class climate

Executing PPAs for new, say, wind

embodied carbon footprint?

management systems, renewable

or solar projects must account for

energy procurement and efficiency

construction cycles and provide

to know, so you should be

initiatives, then you’ve already lost

potential long-term financial

challenging all of your vendors

the battle.

benefits, in addition to EACs or

to produce an environmental

renewable energy credits.

profile or environmental product

Buy renewable

All this you have a right

declaration, as that is what will

Ensure you’re supporting the

Other options include green

adoption of renewable energy

tariffs and tax equity investments.

procurement within your supply

PPAs can also be either local or in

chain through setting out specific

your grid, or virtual/financial.

models and strategies. This could

contain all this (quite frankly invaluable) information. This is also a good litmus test to see if they’re doing the right

And to get the most out of the

things. Are they designing their

involve advising your suppliers

above, due to the complex variables

products from the beginning for

to purchase/invest in renewable

at play, it’s wise to take a portfolio

a circular economy for example?

energy. There are a few ways they

approach, because not all of

This is something that as an

can go about this:

these tools are available across all

industry we should be taking very

geographies around the world.

seriously, as the criteria for vendor

1. Energy attribute certificates

selection continues its seemingly

(EACS) Also referred to as

Circular economy

renewable energy credits (REC) in

Issues here include EOL (end-

No longer is it a case of simply

the United States, EACs underpin

of-life) treatment of hardware;

selecting a vendor based on product,

all renewable energy, tracked

durability and ensuring the

price and supply chain, but added

and traded globally. Generally,

longevity of equipment. Ask

to that list we have considerations

EACs allow renewable credit

yourself, do you have vendors

like energy sourcing, environmental

to be applied immediately and

that embrace a circular economy

and social factors, as well as

are highly variable/traded as a

principle? Are the products they

corporate governance.

commodity. However they do

design meant to be maintained and

come at a cost premium.

prolonged? If you can no longer

turning point, as focus shifts to

2. O nsite/distributed generation

seismic shift.

Companies are currently at a

maintain your equipment, is there

green recovery and the current

Achieve this by installing

a strategy in place to perhaps reuse

uptake being seen in supply chain

renewable energy sources on-

and redistribute it? If not, can the

decarbonization. There is real

premise, whereby your site can

equipment be remanufactured

reason to be very optimistic that this

directly consume clean energy,

for reuse?

progress won’t just lead to linear,

alongside associated EAC

Considering these questions

but also geometric, and exponential

retirement. With this there is also

before you commit to working with

reduction in GHG emissions, not

scope to connect to the grid to act

a supplier is critical, as they will

only across the supply chain, but

as part of a microgrid.

impact your Scope 3 emissions.

across all elements of the business.

either get a contract for renewable

Environmentally friendly materials

can decarbonize your supply chain,

energy directly from the supplier,

If all else fails, that is when we can

check out Schneider’s supply chain

or more commonly, long-term

consider recycling. Often, recycling

decarbonization services.

3. O ffsite generation Here, you can

To find out more about how you

40 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

Demystifying Scope 3 Findings from Global Compact Denmark and SBTi workshop For many businesses, a majority of the carbon footprint rests in the supply and value chain. Looking outside your company’s own walls and decarbonizing Scope 3 may feel like a massive undertaking, but it’s essential – and possible. Schneider Electric’s resident experts summarize the main findings during a recent Science-based Targets Initiative (SBTi) peer learning group workshop in the interview below

Thomas Schrøder International consultancy senior manager Thomas works as international consultancy senior manager focusing on decarbonization journeys, integrated into our clients' sustainability & climate programs to help companies in the Nordic region achieve their climate goals and spearhead the green transition.

James Oram Sustainability consultant James works as a sustainability consultant within Schneider Electric ESS, helping corporate clients develop their sustainability strategies. This covers areas such as carbon accounting, target setting, and sustainability reporting in accordance with global standards (GHG Protocol, GRI, CDP, etc.).

41 | DCD eBook • datacenterdynamics.com

DCD eBook | Supply XXXXX chain thinking

Thomas, James – you joined the recent ‘Introduction to Scope 3’ workshop during the SBTi peer learning group of Global Compact members in Denmark. How did this topic resonate with companies in the region? Thomas: Scope 3 decarbonization is a huge trend for companies in Denmark and across the Nordic region for several reasons. It’s important to understand that the Nordic region has had a strong global perspective for many years. Our small countries, with only 27 million people, make up the 12th largest economy in the world, so we have a common understanding that our impact – including that on the climate – does not end at our borders. Moreover, many Nordic companies have quite a long track record in decarbonization and have already done a lot for their Scope 1 and 2 emissions. For these advanced companies, Scope 3 is the remaining big rock on their carbon journey.

James: We see Scope 3 decarbonization as one of the most pressing issues for many of our clients within their climate action programs. Interestingly, we are on this journey together. At Schneider Electric, we just launched the Zero Carbon Project. Under this Scope 3-related initiative, we will partner with our top 1,000 suppliers which represent 70% of Schneider’s carbon emissions - to halve their operations’ CO 2 emissions by 2025. The initiative is part of our commitment to net zero by 2050. So, we have a profound firsthand understanding of the challenges our clients are facing.

What are those common challenges when companies embark on Scope 3 decarbonization? Thomas: Per the definition of the GHG Protocol, Scope 3 comprises all emissions that are not owned or under the control of a company. It is a very large and heterogeneous group of potential emission sources across the 50 GHG categories, in very different geographies and markets. The complexity to understand, model, and take actions within this network of both small and large suppliers, clients using your products, or end-oflife treatment might be overwhelming for some organizations. However, the SBTi recognizes this common challenge with their rules: While all organizations with a large Scope 3 (> 40% of total) are required to set Scope 3 targets, there are many different approaches deemed acceptable. During the workshop, we discussed a variety of ways to set these targets while keeping in line with the SBTi’s requirements for ambition and measurability.

James: The complexity of Scope 3 also extends to the second big challenge: data. To understand your Scope 3 footprint and set a baseline, you have to collect large amounts of quantitative and qualitative data across the whole Scope 3 universe. The process begins with a lot of data mining. In most cases, this data is not available or exists in siloed sources. It was made very clear during the workshop that bad data quality is not the exception but the rule for most companies at the start, and that should not prevent companies from setting Scope 3 targets. The initial scope 3 screening for all relevant categories can include a lot of estimates, and data quality will increase over time.

What recommendations can you share on how companies can overcome these challenges? Thomas: Another important recommendation is to collaborate with peers. In this sense, it was very timely and helpful for the Global Compact to host this session and fuel the multi-stakeholder dialogue. No company is an island—we are all part of an ecosystem. Activating this ecosystem can provide the boost we need in global decarbonization. We see many successful examples of this collaborative approach and foster knowledge sharing with our own Perspectives Virtual events, where we regularly invite our clients to share their experiences and help other companies tackle similar challenges.

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James: Throughout the workshop, we discussed how a pragmatic and strategic approach to a supply chain decarbonization program can help to realize significant environmental impact while improving the reliability of your business. For our clients, we use a combination of supplier engagement, measurement, strategy setting, and implementation via efficiency, renewable energy procurement, and carbon offsetting. The offer builds on successful supply chain solutions already developed for clients including Walmart, GSK, and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.

According to climate science, we need to stay on a 1.5-degree pathway to avoid vast damage on our planet – this translates into a net zero ambition for the mid of this century. How was this reflected in the SBTi workshop? Thomas: Most experts agree that 2021 is a crucial year in the fight against climate change, with COP26 expected to be a catalyst for climate action. It is critical that corporations take the lead now and demonstrate that a 1.5-degree future is still in reach and bold ambitions like net zero are achievable. In the workshop, CDP’s Lea Fink encouraged companies to join the Business Ambition for 1.5°C and set a net zero target in line with a 1.5°C future. So far, over 500 companies, representing more than $8.6 trillion in market cap, have responded to the open letter from global leaders, and signed the Business Ambition for 1.5°C commitment.

James: The SBTi adapted their guidelines very soon after the IPCC Report in 2018 stated the need to strengthen the temperature target from 2 to 1.5° C. Today, targets submitted for validation will only be accepted if they are consistent with limiting warming to ‘well below 2°C’ or 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Moreover, the SBTi is well underway to releasing a framework to enable companies to set robust and credible net zero targets in line with a 1.5°C future. This guideline is intended to be launched at COP26. Schneider Electric has actively participated in the public consolidation process and we discuss these future requirements today in our target setting strategy sessions with clients.

With companies and countries already signing up to deep carbon cuts, what makes you hopeful these ambitions can translate into action? Do you have any related findings from the event you’d like to share? Thomas: The same sentiment was repeated by the case study from Nilfisk. Their Head of CSR, Ann-Katrine Friis, very openly shared her experiences and even frustrations when starting to work on their decarbonization journey. I was thrilled to hear that today she even joins in R&D sessions for the company’s new products to embed the carbon footprint early on in the design process – informed by GHG data from Schneider Electric’s Resource Advisor technology. If we can help a client to get that far, that makes me believe the carbon neutral future is at reach.

James: It’s encouraging to see that the level of discussion was very action-focused. I think most of the companies not only want to set a target, but they are really motivated to accelerate their actions. Coming back to the Scope 3 complexity, I found it very helpful how SBTi underlines the iterative character of the exercise. That you can start small, and grow your program over time. We have seen with many of our clients that with success in early, small steps comes confidence and an appetite to go further – that was my best takeaway.

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