Eaton: Powering the Future of Sustainable Data Centres

In the face of increasing power demands on data centres, sustainability remains incredibly important. From utilising renewable resources, to addressing excessive energy use, global operators are confronted with a dilemma: How to satisfy customers sustainably.

In this exclusive interview with Neil Potter, Customer Solutions Leader, Low-Voltage Switchgear Assemblies at Eaton EMEA, he explains how the company is poised to deliver energy-efficient solutions for modern data centres. 

Part of this method is a systems-engineered approach to data centre design - designing a facility with sustainability as a key focus, in order to deliver real progress in the industry.

“We are confident that our systems-engineered approach to data centre design will enable operators to deliver a sustainable future and remain competitive in a digital age,” he says.

He tells us how data centres will need to meet sustainability targets moving forward and how best to achieve this.

Tell us about Eaton and the work that you do

Eaton is a global intelligent power management company dedicated to protecting the environment and improving the quality of life for people everywhere. We make products for the data centre, utility, industrial, commercial, machine building, residential, aerospace and mobility markets. 

We are guided by our commitment to do business right, to operate sustainably and to help our customers contribute positively to net zero goals. Smart energy management systems, on-site renewable energy generation, EV charging infrastructure and energy storage are all solutions Eaton supports businesses with – helping them play a leading role in the energy transition. 

How do you think data centres can deliver a sustainable future?

The proliferation of emerging technologies like AI has resulted in surging power demands placed on data centres. So, naturally, understanding the efficient use of energy and sustainability are high on the priority list for data centre operators. And those that will succeed in doing so, will be those who both minimise power losses and optimise renewable energy sources.

For example, at the design stage, selecting and considering the right equipment with the entire power train in mind, enables improved energy efficiency. While in low voltage systems, for instance, using copper busbars will reduce power loss by around 25% compared to aluminium ones. 

However, improving energy efficiency alone will not meet burgeoning power demands, nor progress sustainability ambitions. It must also be done in tandem with increasing the integration of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, into the power ecosystem. Data centre operators should consider installing solar panels or wind turbines on-site, or alternatively harness existing external renewable sources.

By coupling renewable energy integration with energy storage solutions, data centres can store excess renewable energy and use it during peak demand times. This helps in balancing the grid and reducing reliance on non-renewable energy sources. 

What are some of the challenges you face in meeting energy efficiency targets?

Whilst operators can make the changes to deliver efficiency, it is currently difficult to quantify the environmental impact of those changes. This challenge is worsened by increasing pressure on operators to demonstrate progress, particularly as environmental reporting expected of data centres grows in complexity. 

The revised European Union’s Energy Efficiency Directive, for instance, introduced an obligation for member states to monitor the performance of data centres. Furthermore, the European Commission is due to implement a scheme to rate their energy performance and sustainability.

Traditionally, efficiency has been determined using metrics such as power usage effectiveness (PUE) and data centre infrastructure efficiency (DCIE). But such measures are only concerned with one aspect of a data centre’s operation, to the exclusion of all others. 

We must look beyond these ‘standard’ measures in order to calculate a holistic metric of sustainability. For example, detailing how equipment is manufactured, delivered and installed (scope 3 emissions); equipment efficiency; equipment’s run time and complete lifecycle management.

It’s only by monitoring these aspects of data centres, along with traditional power usage metrics, that we can create a new maturity metric tool to evaluate an entire system’s environmental integrity.

How is Eaton planning to mitigate these challenges to prioritise sustainability?

A systems-engineered approach to data centre design presents a clear way forward to accurately quantifying, measuring and demonstrating sustainable progress of data centres. Methodical and multi-disciplinary, such an approach considers a data centre as a complex system composed of interrelated and interdependent elements, rather than a collection of isolated components. 

By looking at data centres as a unified whole, you can provide a view of the individual aspects, as well as the interdependencies across the system. With this data, it’s possible to devise new metrics that can report on the entire system, which enables operators to provide evidence on both efficiency and sustainability progress.

******

Make sure you check out the latest edition of Data Centre Magazine and also sign up to our global conference series - Tech & AI LIVE 2024

******

Data Centre Magazine is a BizClik brand