To meet renewable energy targets, reduce carbon emissions and benefit from predictable energy costs, data centres are increasingly opting for energy and infrastructure delivered as-a-service. GETEC has the expertise and infrastructure to integrate waste heat into local networks and ensure a stable power supply for non-stop operation. Data centres avoid upfront investments and reduce their energy costs.

Energy solutions that use renewable sources, such as solar and wind, are best for data centres. However, as the energy industry continues to transition, it’s important to balance security of supply, sustainability and economic efficiency. A diversified approach using a mix of energy sources provides reliability and helps meet climate protection requirements.

Data centres can improve energy efficiency by utilising waste heat, implementing advanced cooling technologies and using renewable energy sources. Smart power management software, on-site energy storage and predictive maintenance can also improve efficiency.

A key measurement for a data centre is the power usage effectiveness (PUE), which is the ratio of the total facility power consumption to the power used by the on-site IT equipment. A lower PUE indicates greater efficiency. Carbon usage effectiveness (CUE) tracks greenhouse gas emissions, while water usage effectiveness (WUE) measures water consumption. Individual servers and storage systems can also receive detailed efficiency ratings using power management software.

The data centre market has three distinct segments: hyperscalers, co-locaters and project developers. Hyperscalers have high energy requirements, ranging from 100 MW to 600 MW, and prioritise increasing the speed of project deployment and securing reliable and cost-effective energy supplies. Co-locaters have power requirements under 100 MW, with a focus on optimising the power usage effectiveness. Project developers have smaller data centres of up to 40 MW, and seek to maximise the project and property value.