Future Modifications to Data Centre Architecture

The evolution of data centres has been continuous since their advent, with the requirements of each technological era-defining each phase of transformation.

FREMONT, CA: Since their inception, data centres have undergone constant evolution, with the demands of each technological era-defining each stage of transition.

Due to the sudden transition to digital caused by the COVID pandemic, we are producing more data than ever. Naturally, there has been an exponential rise in the need for data management, archiving, and processing. Future data centre construction will face a new set of difficulties and considerations due to this increased demand.

Stay ahead of the industry with exclusive feature stories on the top companies, expert insights and the latest news delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe today.

Sustainability Must Be at the Forefront of Design

Data centres are becoming necessary to support increasingly tech-dependent lifestyles. However, given that climate change is the biggest and most serious global threat facing society, the high energy requirements of data centres have come under scrutiny, bringing with them new rules as well as innovative technology.

Soon, considering the climate will be a requirement for all data centres. Getting building plans approved is increasingly difficult because it requires a detailed evaluation of the sustainability aspects of the proposed structure.

For instance, Frankfurt demands that data centres have a green exterior and occupy less land before granting planning authorization. IONOS has implemented this concept in its newest data centre in Worcester, UK. The ancillary buildings, substations, and bicycle shelters are just a few areas on the site with green roofs. Additionally, there are environmental protection areas with bug and bee hotels throughout the business park to support the local animals and natural environment.

Operators and trade associations are urged by recent initiatives like the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact to go above environmental goals and make their facilities carbon-neutral by 2030. Future building materials that are less carbon-intensive will become more and more crucial, along with incorporating nature into a site's design.

At the Worcester Six Business Park, the building's cladding maker completely offsets the carbon used in its production. They’re looking into carbon-reduced or entirely carbon-neutral concrete and steel for the future; this was just the beginning.

The Optimum Location and Process Maximizes Efficiency

The choice of where to site a data centre will grow more difficult as the world becomes more congested and space becomes scarcer. Several considerations must be made before the building starts.

Taking into account where consumers are is essential; a low latency is necessary for increased speed, performance, and efficiency. The availability of fibre and power also influences the choice. The land developer IONOS purchased the property from Worcester Six Business Park and was also hired to construct the powered shell. Both parties placed a high value on being energy-conscious and having access to the correct power.

Photovoltaic (PV) panels that cover the entire roof produce up to ten per cent of  overall energy needs. The grid supplies the remaining energy, and they exclusively buy 100 per cent pure green energy from hydro, wind, or solar energy sources. In the future, data centres worldwide will frequently and require this shift towards renewable energy procurement.

Natural elements like weather patterns and topography impact decisions because of increased environmental accountability demands and rising global temperatures. Power consumption effectiveness (PUE) has been a priority for us from the start. At Worcester, our design PUE is 1.25.

Cooling systems are still required, even in cooler climates. To adjust its chillers to the outside temperature, IONOS uses free-air cooling. Compressors continue to create chilled water after this temperature has been attained, further cooling the location.

Data centres are frequently threatened by overheating and power outages when a component breaks. To avoid this, the new Worcester data centre was built to a Tier IV standard and has redundant capacity parts and active distribution pathways that are segregated to provide concurrent maintainability and fault tolerance. Additionally, it includes on-site generators with limitless runtime, ensuring that power is always accessible.

Since IONOS powers these generators with hydrated vegetable oil (HVO), the carbon footprint is reduced by around 90 per cent. It also has an automated valve control system and a buffer tank continuous cooling system. More improvements are being developed in the sector to raise cooling system and backup generator efficiency levels.

Although direct-to-chip liquid cooling is getting more popular, most users still use air cooling. Another technique is immersion cooling, in which  IT components are immersed in the liquid.

Some manufacturers are also considering adopting hydrogen fuel cells to power generators in the future, even if the market is not there now due to a lack of storage capacity. It might represent an innovation for the sector because it is environmentally friendly and fully emission-free.

Heightened Security and Monitoring are Key

In addition to the need for greater efficiency, security issues are still a concern for data centres worldwide. CCTV cameras, motion detectors, an intrusion alarm system, and fire and smoke detection are all used by IONOS to keep an eye on the physical location.

Data centres must improve their digital security mechanisms as hackers become more skilled. Virtualisation and remote access are rising trends, but many businesses are wary of embracing them.