Schneider Electric has unveiled a new framework for building ecologically efficient data centres. For data centre operators at various phases of their sustainability journeys, the industry-first methodology presents five areas of environmental impact, each with significant KPIs. Operators can reduce the environmental impact of data centres by utilising the architecture.
The backbone of today’s digital world is data centres. They are also responsible for up to 2% of global carbon emissions, which is comparable to the aviation industry. The industry needs a holistic and unified approach to environmental sustainability to deal with rising digital bandwidth and IT-sector electrical demand.
Pankaj Sharma, Executive Vice President, Secure Power Division, Schneider Electric, said: “Environmental sustainability reporting is a growing focus for many data center operators. Yet, the industry lacks a standardized approach for implementing, measuring, and reporting on environmental impact. Schneider Electric developed a holistic framework with standardized metrics to guide operators and the industry at large. Our intention with this framework is to improve benchmarking and progress toward environmental sustainability to protect natural resources for future generations.
“The data center industry has made significant progress in increasing energy efficiency; however, as digital demands increase they must remain committed to driving long-term broader sustainability initiatives,” said Rob Brothers, Program Vice President for the Datacenter and Support Services Program at IDC.
He added, “You can’t have an impact on what you don’t measure; therefore, companies must establish clear and consistent metrics that account for not only efficient technology, but also the consumption (or possible destruction) of natural resources such as water, land and biodiversity.”
Investors, authorities, shareholders, customers, and staff are all putting pressure on data centre operators to enhance their environmental reporting. Many data centre operators, on the other hand, lack sustainability knowledge and are faced with the difficult issue of selecting which metrics to monitor and strategies to implement. Schneider Electric’s framework was created with the help of its Energy Management Research Center, which drew on the knowledge of ESG specialists, sustainability consultants, data centre scientists, and data centre solution architects to eliminate the guesswork from measurement and reporting. Since its inception in 2002, the Energy Management Research Center has produced over 200 vendor-neutral whitepapers and trade-off tools that are freely available to the industry.
Tracking and reporting on standardized sustainability indicators improve internal team alignment and transparency for external stakeholders such as customers and regulators. Operators of data centres can also benefit from implementing this architecture because it allows them to:
Schneider Electric designs, builds, operates, and maintains facilities with major technology firms and colocation providers. It is the sole digital partner that provides solutions for the business’s power, building, IT, and sustainability.
