A data centre can be as sustainable as you want

Everyone has a view when it comes to sustainability. At one end of the spectrum, we still have some die-hard climate change sceptics, who remain to be convinced that the temperature rises and volatile weather we are witnessing across the planet are no more than the latest stage of the world’s climate cycles, stretching back hundreds of millions of years. After all, we’ve had ice ages, heat waves, floods and other extremes throughout history. At the other extreme, we have a group who seem to believe that every action taken by both individuals and corporations should have as its primary motive the good of the planet, regardless of the inconvenience this might entail. The argument being that, no matter the disruption or the cost, none of this is remotely problematic when compared with the imminent destruction of the planet. I suspect that the majority exists somewhere in the middle of these two polarities.

Take this debate into the data centre world, and it seems safe to suggest that end users should be able to discover a colocation provider closely aligned to their own sustainability views. But how to find the perfect sustainable data centre partner?

The starting point to obtain this knowledge requires a significant amount of homework. End users are urged firstly to crystallise their own sustainability views into a concrete document. It’s one thing to have some vague ideas as to what one believes when it comes to sustainability, quite another to think through the implications of all these ideas and to understand, therefore, what is actually required in the real world of work, as to the theory of one’s imagination. A simple example: corporate travel policy. The idea of everyone using sustainable transport options to get to and from work and to and from work meetings, is all good and well, but what are the implications for the employees in terms of (in)convenience and cost? And is it the job of an employer to dictate to its employees how to get to and from work? I don’t think there’s are easy answers to these questions, but they need to be considered. And this process needs to be carried out across all aspects of business. 

Having carried out this process, one then needs to decide to what extent one’s own values should be expected and/or demanded of other organisations. In other words, should you expect your colocation provider to be completely aligned with your own sustainability strategy, or not?

The second, and equally important, part of alighting upon the right colocation provider involves the work necessary to understand the technology solutions and business processes available to the data centre industry in terms of becoming more sustainable. Knowledge of existing and impending regulations and legislation are also important. Only by knowing what is possible when it comes to sustainability will you feel confident in engaging with a potential colocation partner – you will be able to understand whether or not what they are telling you and showing you are indeed as environmentally-friendly as they suggest. In other words, you won’t be the victim of greenwashing (which sadly does exist to a certain extent in the industry).

The good news is that both voluntary and compulsory reporting around energy efficiency and sustainability are becoming more and more standard practice for the data centre industry, but this doesn’t mean that end users should park their curiosity nor blindly trust in such corporate publications. Deeds not words are what really matter.

And so it is that the best way to discover just how sustainable is your potential colocation provider is by visiting the data centre, taking along with you a curious, but open mind. A legacy data centre is free from the embodied carbon inherent in any new build project (with brownfield projects faring better than greenfield ones on this score), but its energy efficiency performance might struggle to match that of a brand new facility. Then again, legacy facilities can be retrofitted with much of the new technology solutions which offer the enhanced energy efficiency which is pretty much standard in a new building. 

Renewable energy is another interesting area. Virtually every data centre will have a piece of paper to prove that its energy comes from renewable sources, but as renewable and fossil-sourced energy comes down the same cables, I’ve never been quite sure as to exactly how this can be. I am not suggesting that such proof is worthless, but a colocation provider which can demonstrate an interest in or, better still, practical examples of on-site generation projects and microgrids, for example, is likely to score higher on the sustainability front than those who cannot. Similarly, active involvement with Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) is another good indicator of sustainability commitment.

I’ll not list every aspect of a data centre’s construction, operation or ecosystem which needs to be examined in order to establish its sustainability credentials. Rather, just re-emphasise the importance of understanding every aspect of your potential data centre provider’s activities before you make your sustainability choice. Right now, I would suggest that the way in which an organisation addresses its Scope 3 emissions is a fair indicator of where they are on the sustainability spectrum. After all, it is the one which can most easily be filed in the ‘too difficult to address’ tray. So, those organisations who really can demonstrate the ways in which they are engaging with their supply chain (their design and construction partners, their infrastructure suppliers and the like) to promote sustainable best practices, will stand out from their competitors right now. And it may well be possible to chat to some of that provider’s supply chain to confirm that what you are being told when it comes to Scope 3 actions are indeed happening in reality.

If all of the above makes it sound as if most data centre providers are trying to hoodwink potential customers when it comes to their sustainability credentials, then that is definitely not the case! No, the data centre industry as a whole, with colocation providers being a key part of this, is very much heading in the right direction. However, the speed of travel does vary from organisation to organisation and, as stated at the start of this article, end users should be able to find a provider with whom they find themselves in the sustainability step. 

If you want a data centre that looks and feels like the facility you have been used to for the past 10 or more years, you’ll be sure to find one. If you want a timber-framed, wind-powered data centre, where the waste heat is recaptured and re-used by a nearby school, for example, and there’s no car park because everyone gets to and from it by public transport, then there’ll be one out there for you as well. Just make sure that your decision is based on the evidence. Take the time and trouble to look under the covers and recognise that, as with so many aspects of life, actions speak louder than words when it comes to sustainability.