Bringing back DCs to the communities that they serve

In recent months the buzz around green data centre initiatives has increased with discussions around subjects such as district heating solutions, solar power and green roofs. So far, the hype outweighs the actions of our sector, and we find ourselves at a crossroads once again - with one route being proactive, investing in new technologies, self-generation and looking at innovative storage solutions to reach climate neutral targets. The other route is having legislation and regulations dictated to the industry and having to react to the imposition of energy, water and emission targets that we have no influence over. The recent German energy efficiency law is a good example of the kind of regulation we can expect and whilst it is still too recent to assess its impact, we anticipate that many jurisdictions will follow Germany’s lead.  

The Data Centre Dichotomy

The challenge that we, as a society face, is that data centres play a vital role in supporting our digital infrastructures supporting governments, economies, defence, and healthcare and the communities that they serve. The other side of the equation is that data centres use lot of energy and create significant heat, and this is the basis for much of the regulatory concern. In many cases data centres are competing for the resources that they draw with the communities where they are based, putting increasing pressure on utilities, driving up energy costs and increasing pollution from non-renewable energy sources. 

It is therefore understandable that if operators do not take the initiative to find solutions by themselves, Governments will start to dictate specifically how data centres are supposed to be built and operated in terms of energy efficiency and stipulate mandatory green initiatives. We must change or be changed.

Whilst there are clearly challenges, particularly around cost, I believe this is an opportunity for operators to try to integrate more with the communities that they are supposed to serve. However, to make that happen we as an industry will need to make significant changes in areas other than just our designs such as our culture and our communication. 

A well-kept secret

For many years the data centre sector has hidden in the shadows – of little interest to anyone that wasn’t directly involved. For many it was still assumed that it was a few servers in the back telecoms room and its sheer size and importance shrouded in secrecy. However, a number of factors including high profile data leaks; the proliferation of streaming services; and the arrival of AI have forced the sector into the spotlight. For example, in the UK, the Government has announced that data centres will be designated as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) alongside energy and water systems. With this increased profile comes greater scrutiny in areas such as sustainability. And whilst the communication departments from many of the developers have done a great job in advertising the green initiatives that their respective organizations work on it is fair to say that these efforts haven’t matched the equivalent growth of the industry.

Secrecy is of course a key aspect of data centre operations in order to support the protection of the data they hold. However, operators have got accustomed to the comfort this brings but this has started to change and in recent months we are seeing ‘green activists’ that have started to demonstrate outside data conventions and shareholder meetings to protest about ‘vampire data centres’ and their effect on the planet. This is a real risk, and it is no longer a matter of if, but when these types of activists will start to target data centres directly especially as they become aware of the energy usage and carbon emissions. 

Getting the message out

It is therefore vital that the industry take the lead in implementing sustainable designs and solutions and communicating them to a wide audience. A good start will be to follow the lead of the German Authorities in their recent legislation – not just because no one has a choice anyway but embrace the principles; and come to the realisation that no one wants windowless, dark-grey, secret buildings any longer in their communities. They want modern buildings that can provide heat to entire neighbourhoods and help reduce energy bills. They want to see trailblazing initiatives where buildings heat greenhouses where community members get the opportunity to grow their own food. They want an integrated approach.

Transformative leaders needed

Sadly, more of these types of initiatives are needed and in fact we need to transform our approach and completely rethink data centre projects from the inception. The first questions will have to be - what place does this data centre have in the community and will the building be an integral and valued part of it. Leaders and forward thinkers will need to step up and take the initiative. No one knows yet what the next generation of data centres will be like, but one thing is for sure, they will be fully integrated within the communities that they serve. There is no other way for the industry to continue to grow, and steer away from the incoming storm of regulation.