Subzero Engineering: Optimising the Sustainable Data Centre

Data centres are facing rising pressure to balance the compute demand of AI and high-performance computing (HPC) with environmental responsibility.

As a result, operators are seeking solutions that prioritise sustainability without compromising their competitiveness or operations.

“Environmental consciousness is not just a trend. We can’t rapidly mend the hole in the ozone layer and climate change concerns won’t be undermined by ever-evolving technology any time soon,” says Gordon Johnson, Senior CFD Manager for Subzero Engineering. “It is a constant challenge for organisations to balance scalability, operational efficiency and power resourcefulness with sustainability objectives.”

With data centres continuing to use large amounts of power and energy, particularly on account of AI and HPC, Gordon explains how important it is to minimise this impact.

He says: “New strategies need to be implemented, sustainable materials deployed and a mindset change to get to net zero and stay there.”

Confronting data centre sustainability

Data centre companies would benefit from implementing reduce, reuse and recycle policies into their core values. However, Gordon suggests longer-term, environmental goals that support building sustainable infrastructure with “energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy sources” – particularly when it comes to “redesigning or extending legacy data centre facilities, or building new ones”.

He explains: “One of the best strategies to accomplish sustainability objectives in these buildings is by utilising optimised containment. Optimising containment is a vital first step toward achieving a sustainable data centre and can significantly reduce unfavourable environmental consequences.”

Containment within the data centre refers to separating cold supply air from the hot air from IT equipment. It enables a stable supply temperature to the intake of IT equipment and warm dry air can return to cooling infrastructure. 

“After the ITE, cooling is the biggest consumer of a facility’s energy resources,” Gordon says. “Containment strategies decrease energy waste and efficiently regulate airflow. This enables data centres to maximise and boost operational efficiency while minimising their impact on the environment.

“Utilising containment helps maintain consistent thermal temperatures and increases cooling effectiveness by keeping the hot and cold air streams separate, enabling a regulated airflow environment and increasing the efficiency of the cooling systems. This way data centres can conserve energy, not consume more.”

An AisleFrame containment system is traditionally made of steel, which offers a floor-supported structure to physically separate the cooled and expelled hot air. Steel is also recyclable and can be melted down and reused without deteriorating.

“Through closed-loop recycling, every ton of steel scrap recovered can replace one ton of primary steelmaking while keeping its integrity in terms of properties or performance,” Gordon says. “Steel's long lifespan and minimal maintenance requirements contribute to its overall sustainability attestation. 

“However, decarbonising remains a challenge and a global priority, and steelmaking currently contributes around 8% of the world's total carbon emissions.”

Posing Composite AisleFrame (CAF) as a solution

Gordon proposes the Composite AisleFrame (CAF) solution, which is a system made from alternative and sustainable materials. 

It is a frame-based, floor-supported structure for IT and HPC deployments and has been used in the construction industry for more than 20 years, including in airplane tail structures, outdoor utility/telephone poles and bridges.

“This composite material has now been refined for specific use in data centres to be denser, stronger, and with additional fireproof properties,” Gordon says.

“CAF has many benefits compared with a Steel AisleFrame system. Every element in a data centre has an intrinsic cost that needs to be accounted for, and steel is a heavy material. This translates to high transit costs and increased installation times that must be factored into the build.”

It means multi-level data centres can have CAF systems running throughout each building floor without the additional financial risk of having to strengthen weight-bearing floors.

“While steel is resource-heavy, CAF is non-resource-heavy in implementation,” Gordon explains. “This means the CAF system can be delivered and installed in a fast and time-appropriate fashion. A steel structure can potentially take months to be shipped, but CAF could conceivably be delivered in weeks.”

As the data centre industry seeks to shift towards greener technology, the development of a sustainable infrastructure built with energy-efficient technologies could be the key to unlocking the next generation of high-performance data centres.

“Renowned for being hugely power-intensive buildings, data centre operatives must constantly investigate strategies and technologies to lower their TCO,” Gordon says. “Whether restructuring, redesigning, or building from scratch, the cost savings accredited to CAF can contribute to a much quicker return on investment in data centre infrastructure. 

“It’s a win-win when you’re lowering operational costs and optimising the facility’s high performance and reliability at the same time as achieving long-term global environmental objectives.”

Explore the latest edition of Data Centre Magazine and be part of the conversation at our global conference series, Tech & AI LIVE. 

Discover all our upcoming events and secure your tickets today.

Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter for the latest insights, trends and expert analysis.

Data Centre Magazine is a BizClik brand