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Solutions for greener Data Centres

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Data centres, which form the cornerstone of network infrastructure, consume a huge amount of energy. But there are several ways they can reduce their environmental footprint.

Data centres are central to digital transformation. They house IT equipment (server racks) that is used to store, process and protect data. Sustained growth in the generation and use of digital data both by homes and businesses calls for ever greater storage capacity and optimised data management systems.

Energy efficiency improvements can be made at the operation stage by working on cold and hot airflow within the server room. The layout in the room can be rearranged to separate airflow with panels by positioning the server racks in such a way that the hot aisle is contained and that hot and cold air does not mix.

VINCI Facilities offers a fluid dynamics simulation tool for use in data centres. “The tool helps reallocate servers and spread out energy use more effectively,” points out Thomas Felgines, project manager at the VINCI Facilities Data Center & Télécom business unit.

Following an audit phase, VINCI Facilities sets up a monitoring system that uses sensors to collect data and thus identify ways to reduce consumption. During the subsequent recommendation phase, an expert proposes server room layout changes, and suggests what equipment should be replaced and what adjustments made. The expert also sets out a target PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness), the ratio between the total amount of energy used by the data centre (IT, ventilation, cooling, lighting) and the total amount of energy drawn by the IT and network equipment.