temperature, humidity, lighting, noise, ergonomics) and which provide a variety of break-out and social areas.
Data centres developments have baseline costs like utilities, land, civils and structure...So the more data centre capacity you can fit onto your site, the more IT yield per square metre you will get, and the lower your cost per kW will be.. As data centre designers, we must aim to maximise the site yield.
Here’s how we can do this:.It is not uncommon for permitted development on data centre sites to be limited to around 20 metres .A typical hyperscale data centre design, with the racks, then space for cabling and power, then a ceiling void and structure, will have a storey-to-storey height of often of seven or eight metres, and sometimes more.
In other words, you can have two floors for data halls in a 20 metre planning envelope.. A fundamental reassessment of the integration of cooling systems and structure, and optimised M&E services zones through close coupling of electrical and mechanical systems will yield geometric reductions that can reduce floor to floor height.Constructing less costs less, but this approach has the potential to yield much more.
For example, a reduction in floor to floor height to 6.5m would enable a three-storey data centre on that same site – an instant gain of 50% in site yield and significant reduction in cost per kW.. A similar approach to close integration of design and the arrangement of primary plant and ancillary systems will optimise the data centre facility plan footprint.
Again, this maximises yield per m2, with the added benefit of a reduction in costly M&E distribution paths..As we optimise the geometry and layout of the structure, plant and systems we can have a positive effect on the amount of embodied carbon in the building, structure and systems.. Our more sustainable approach to close coupling and integration increases efficiency in cooling and distribution losses and also lessens the carbon intensive materials used in these systems.. Our industrialisation and digital design approach allows us to quantify this carbon content during design, and minimise the content through optimisation and materials selection.
It means our clients can make arrangements for carbon offsetting prior to the data centre facility being handed over.. We continue to investigate and take opportunities to make use of the heat that is generated by the cooling of data centres.with provision for heat export suitable for connection to district heating or industrial processes where viable.. We are also working with data centre clients on alternative sources of clean energy; an area where we see significant potential for data centres to become autonomous, and to promote the use of cleaner standby power systems.. A positive future for data centre design.
As society’s requirement for data processing grows, so the market for data centres will continue to grow – and at a frantic pace.The potential impact of our integrated approach, therefore, driving efficiency and improving performance, will only be more important for our clients and their customers..