< Previouscentre is located, its design and operations – are causing operators to rethink their deployment strategies to drive energy efficiency. Today cloud giants, and indeed many others, have realised that energy efficiency and sustainability are important foundations on which to build facilities that are fully optimised for the latest digital workloads. Compute-intensive applications, where vast data sets are required to be processed in seconds, minutes and hours rather than days, weeks and months, demand ever-increasing rack and power densities. In fact, according to the 2020 State of the Data Center report, the average rack density increased by nearly an entire kilowatt (kW) from the previous year, jumping to 8.2kW per rack, up from 7.3kW compared to 2019. Even allowing for PUE variables, there seems little doubt that there continues to be a significant quantity of very inefficient, unsustainable data centres in operation. This is a problem at a time when many organisations within the European data centre industry, for example, have committed to the Climate Neutral Data Center Pact, which aims to make data centres climate neutral by 2030. According to EBM Papst, as of September 2017, the average PUE of a legacy UK data centre was 2.5 (meaning only 40% of the energy used is available for the IT load). datacentre performance www.networkseuropemagazine.com 60Even allowing for some improvement in this figure over the past three years, legacy data centres are way off the 1.59 average. So, with climate change an ever-pressing issue, along with data centre carbon emissions, how can we provide legacy operators with a streamlined, simple and effective strategy for modernisation? A three-stage plan for performance and efficiency Today Subzero Engineering has devised a simple and streamlined strategy to help operators overcome the legacy data centre emissions challenge. And by taking this three-step approach, we believe that today’s end- users and operators can achieve the perfect balance of performance and efficiency and a lower carbon footprint. The first is to assess your environment – and utilise computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software to help identify inefficiencies within your system. This might include hotspots, poor airflow and/or inefficient rack configurations. The second is to optimise your existing infrastructure – and partner with best-in-class, global engineering experts to optimise your existing data centre footprint. Here simple steps may include consolidating mission-critical infrastructure, increasing densities and improving cooling or airflows to the racks and cabinets. The third is to drive data centre performance – through a comprehensive and bespoke modernisation program, you can retrofit or re-design the space with a new containment architecture. This offers increased rack densities, optimised performance and greater energy efficiency alongside reduced operating expenditure (OPEX) and carbon emissions. This plan is not some kind of a magic wand that, when utilised, automatically turns an ageing, inefficient data centre into a modern, sustainable facility fit for the digital future. However, what we do know is that by enhancing your facility with a data-driven approach, optimising your existing infrastructure and using a containment system you can achieve an average PUE reduction of 0.4 immediately at the end of the process. A bespoke approach to modernisation It’s important to note that while this offers a standardised approach to modernisation, the sequence is unique for every data centre. In fact, there’s no one- size-fits-all solution. Once the initial CFD assessment has been carried out, and the customer is presented with the resulting environmental impact assessment report, a range of strategies are possible. The optimise phase is not prescriptive and considers the best way to use a customer’s existing data centre infrastructure, wherever possible. It provides a range of possible improvements that can be made, and the solutions, which will help end-users, achieve their objectives. This might mean retaining the current power and cooling infrastructure, for example, but replacing the rack/cabinet ‘skyscraper’ layout with standardised units. Or, it may be that cabinet sizes remain, but a containment solution can be designed to optimise the power and cooling requirement. During the perform stage, customers really begin to see the benefits from their sustainability and energy efficiency improvements via reduced PUE. And by lowering data centre PUE we can reduce carbon footprint while increasing data centre performance. Nonetheless, we work closely with the customer from the design phase, through manufacture, installation and commissioning, to ensure performance objectives are met at every stage. For most customers, the speed and reliability of this end-to-end process, combined with the OPEX cost-savings achieved, are the immediate, major benefits. However, customised solutions, which incorporate cable trays and bus pathways, provide an increase in available kilowatts per rack and operating temperatures. Suddenly, high- performance computing (HPC) is a very real possibility in a legacy data centre. The good news is that, by improving the performance of your facility with a containment solution, you are also improving its sustainability credentials. And as your PUE comes down, so your energy efficiency increases. That means, more compute power for the same amount of power supply. By adopting this three-stage approach, you’ll almost certainly have the opportunity to reduce data centre water consumption and can address many other data centre sustainability issues, ensuring that your facility has a lean, green and optimised, lifecycle. n datacentre performance www.networkseuropemagazine.com 61 By improving the performance of your facility with a containment solution, you are also improving its sustainability credentials.Ian Mills Director of Business Operations Nuvias IT and the taking the leap towards a sustainable future On first inspection, the pandemic might seem to have pushed sustainability into the background. However, many organisations are ramping up their commitment to environmental considerations - perhaps driven by the radical changes to ‘business as usual’ experienced during the last 12 months. sustainable future www.networkseuropemagazine.com 62With the G7 summit around the corner, there has been an almost 50% increase in the number of major companies committing to net zero. As more companies start taking action, it is critical that businesses talk to each other and understand how their sustainable efforts play into the broader business ecosystem. It is only by becoming a sustainable contributor to the entire supply chain, that small actions really can make a big difference. The chain reaction Many of the most significant commitments to sustainability are led by tech giants. Last year Microsoft famously vowed to become carbon neutral by 2030, removing “all the carbon the company has emitted either directly or by electrical consumption”, since its inception in 1975. In 2019, Amazon co-founded The Climate Pledge, a commitment to become net zero carbon across its business by 2040. The environmental strategies of these technology giants can set the tone and pace of the sustainable business agenda. Their carbon reduction policies will directly impact global supply chains, and may also exert pressure on other manufacturers who rely on their technology. But you don’t need to be a global tech giant to take a sustainable stamp on business and make a difference to the e channel s a sustainable future sustainable future www.networkseuropemagazine.com 63climate crisis. Companies of all shapes and sizes can commit to a more sustainable future, and every player in the supply chain has a responsibility to take action. A sustainable channel The IT channel has a huge opportunity to strengthen its environmental credentials and play its part in sustainability. Larger players in the industry are already employing director level resources dedicated to this topic, but what else can the channel do to contribute to reducing the environmental impact of the technology they sell? Reducing electronic waste: An important leap for the channel is reducing the amount of waste produced. We can take big steps by driving recycling initiatives to limit the number of devices that end up in landfills. In order to enact real change, we can introduce recycling and refurbishment initiatives and invest in equipment and facilities which enable us to securely refurbish or recycle the hardware. Limiting reliance on environmental resources: Manufacturing IT equipment uses a large amount of natural resources. But there are opportunities to help offset this. Channel partners can work with vendors to encourage the use of renewable resources, and to reduce the footprint of transportation, from fuel- efficient aircraft to electric delivery trucks. Transparency in your footprint: It may not be possible for a partner to tabulate the environmental impact of all the equipment they procure and sell, but openness is important. Partners can map their own individual business impact, and commit to certifications, demanding the same high standards from the organisations they collaborate with. sustainable future www.networkseuropemagazine.com 64Partnership is key: Working with a cohort of companies with strong environmental practices is also key. Ultimately, meaningful results can only be achieved by working together with other industry and channel players. By implementing a common environmental code of conduct, similar to Amazon’s Climate Pledge, the path to carbon neutrality will become more easily attainable. At Nuvias, we have taken several steps to contribute toward sustainability. As part of this commitment, we have selected a logistics partner that has a strong environmental ethos. UPS’ carbon reduction strategy incorporates the use of lower-carbon, renewable fuels, fuel-efficient aircraft, electric delivery trucks, lower- carbon electricity and renewable energy as well as intelligent route optimisation, saving miles and fuel. Ultimately, meaningful results can only be achieved by working in concert with other industry and channel players through a common environmental code of conduct. Setting up a sustainable future The latest estimates from the Global Carbon Project (GCP) suggest that, over the last year, carbon dioxide emissions have fallen in all the world’s largest emitters, including the US by 12%, the EU by 11% and India by 9%, the largest relative fall since the Second World War. Now as the UK hopes to move forward from the pandemic, the channel is in a prime position to take the leap towards better sustainability practices. By working closely with vendors, redefining our own best practices and helping set higher standards within the technology supply chain, the channel can take big steps forward in improving its environmental credibility. n sustainable future www.networkseuropemagazine.com 65Cities are increasingly using new technology and innovation to meet environmental and sustainability targets, create efficiencies, and improve the quality of life and safety of their citizens. Look around and we can see how smart devices and sensors are already becoming part of our transport systems, helping us move around more efficiently, delivering our utilities, and collecting data to help tackle the issue of increased urbanisation. The pandemic has shown how important it is to speed up this digital transformation and the real value of integrating smart innovation and applications to help tackle the global healthcare crisis. Cities have invested in technologies like contact tracing apps, crowd analytics, autonomous drones, and, in the case of Singapore, robotic ‘dogs’ to reinforce the need for social distancing in the city’s parks. While the global economic slowdown is expected to have some impact on smart city development, the pandemic is likely to accelerate these new initiatives and provide exciting opportunities for the future. Analyst firm, Frost & Sullivan, recently published a new forecast stating that spending on smart city technology will reach US$327 billion by 2025, up from US$96 billion in 2019. As companies look to develop smart devices and sensors, the company believes the “uncertain post- pandemic situation will compel smart cities to focus more on developing collaborative, data-driven infrastructure to provide appropriate healthcare facilities, as well as public security services”. Phil Beecher President Wi-SUN Alliance Phil Beecher, President at Wi-SUN Alliance, looks at how smart cities are evolving and incorporating new ideas and applications for today and in the future. scalable city growth www.networkseuropemagazine.com 66Scalability is the key to smart city growth scalable city growth www.networkseuropemagazine.com 67But with rapid network deployment and large-scale rollout of projects around smart grids, intelligent traffic management systems and smart lighting, comes the challenge of managing so many new devices and migrating and integrating them with legacy systems in a scalable, reliable and secure way. Scaling up The underlying technology of course must be fit for purpose and able to support rapid and sustainable growth. This makes scalability critical when designing the infrastructure for smart cities. As you add more devices to the network, it must be able to scale quickly and reliably. Wireless mesh by its very nature is highly resilient and capable of providing 100% coverage even in the most challenging environments. This was the case with the City of London, which recently completed an ambitious street lighting project as part of its plans to become a smart city and create a dynamic and safe environment for its citizens. Unlike many other cities, it faced major connectivity challenges due to the unique mix of historic brick buildings and modern high rises, constructed of steel and glass that create ‘dead’ areas and urban canyons. With communications technologies like cellular and LPWAN struggling to reach into the narrow streets between buildings, the City has deployed a wireless mesh network that can provide the right level of coverage and deliver the infrastructure for centrally-controlled lighting management and fault reporting. The fact the network is highly scalable means that it will continue to be responsive regardless of how many devices are connected to it. The City has already moved onto the next phase of its smart city plans with the installation of additional sensors for traffic and air quality monitoring, while smart sensors have also been fitted onto lifebelt holders along the River Thames to alert them when lifebelts have been removed so they can quickly be replaced. Interconnectivity requires interoperability With this growing interconnectivity between smart systems and devices, such as street lighting, traffic sensors and monitoring devices, networks will require devices to be interoperable, enabling peer-to-peer connectivity and supporting standardised methods for securing the network, such as device authentication. This seamless interoperability between products from different vendors requires the adoption of open standards, which brings the benefits of vendor choice, quicker time to market, reduced costs and the opportunities to develop and design multi-service networks. scalable city growth www.networkseuropemagazine.com 68This is especially true for utilities where interoperability and scalability are the key factors in developing infrastructures to manage services like water, gas and electricity. Again the communications network must stay reliable and fast as utilities add more devices and services onto it, and the network topology is an important consideration when planning a highly scalable grid solution. Mesh topologies ensure that each device uses the best connection available. Traffic is routed according to predefined rules. In the case of a utility, a mesh network will have multiple routes to send back data to the utility’s central processing facilities, and they can adapt the routing in the event of device failure, local interference or other disruptions. Looking to the future We have already entered the age of smart cities and there’s no going back. As populations continue to increase, with two- thirds expected to be living in urban areas and cities within the next 10 years, this heralds an era of innovation and change, with more connectivity than ever before. But with this comes the responsibility of managing this growth and ensuring the underlying technology is fit for purpose. It is hard to predict the many applications that will benefit from flexible and secure communications technologies. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people interact, particularly in indoor spaces. Smart building technology for applications, such as lighting, cooling and temperature and environmental control, is well established, but now there are more opportunities for technology to help reduce risks and inconvenience for people. These include applications like integrating occupancy sensing with air conditioning to provide airflow management and sterilisation to reduce the risk of infection. Big improvements in public transportation will be required to deal with increasing populations in our cities, particularly as individuals will have lingering concerns about being confined in a space with large groups of people. To support all of this innovation requires a communications infrastructure that can scale to support many millions of devices reliably and securely, and that can evolve to meet the needs of future applications for decades to come. n scalable city growth www.networkseuropemagazine.com 69Next >