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How Can Computational Fluid Dynamics Help Save Data Centre Cooling Costs?

By Blog, News, Thought Leadership

Did you know that Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations have been proven to improve cooling efficiency by up to 20% and reduce energy consumption by up to 30%?

These statistics highlight the immense potential of CFD in optimising data centre operations. In fact, according to a recent survey conducted by the Society of Computational Fluid Dynamics (SCD), a staggering 70% of organizations recognize the undeniable impact of CFD simulations in gaining a competitive advantage.

Data centres are essential for all organisations, but they can also be costly to operate. One of the biggest expenses for data centres is cooling, which can account for up to 40% of the total energy usage. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a powerful tool that can help data centre operators improve efficiency and performance by optimizing cooling systems.

What is Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)?

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a powerful simulation technique that utilizes mathematical algorithms and computer modelling to study and analyse fluid flow, heat transfer and other related issues that may impact efficiency.

For data centres in particular, CFD enables operators to visualise and understand the complex airflow patterns, temperature distribution and thermal behaviour within the facility.

By accurately modelling these factors, Keysource can help data centre operators make data-driven decisions to optimise cooling strategies, reduce energy efficiency and enhance overall operational performance.

Why should data centre operators be interested in CFD?

Enhanced Thermal Management

Effective cooling is critical for maintaining optimal operating conditions in data centres. CFD allows operators to precisely model and simulate the airflow and temperature distribution throughout the facility, identifying hotspots, areas of recirculation and potential airflow obstructions.

By gaining a comprehensive understanding of the thermal behavior, operators can optimise cooling systems, implement targeted airflow management strategies and reduce the risk of equipment overheating or failure.

Energy Efficiency and Cost Savings

Data centres consume significant amounts of energy and efficient cooling is a major contributor to operational costs. By leveraging CFD, operators can optimise airflow patterns, identify opportunities for air containment and reduce unnecessary energy consumption.

Studies have shown that implementing CFD-driven optimizations can lead to energy savings of up to 30%, resulting in substantial cost reductions and improved sustainability.

Predictive Analysis and Risk Mitigation

CFD enables data centre operators to conduct virtual “what-if” scenarios, evaluating the impact of potential changes or additions to the facility.

By simulating the effects of equipment upgrades, layout modifications, or changes in operational conditions, operators can proactively assess risks, identify potential bottlenecks and ensure optimal performance before implementing any physical changes. This predictive analysis approach minimizes costly trial-and-error processes and facilitates informed decision-making.

Optimal Equipment Placement and Capacity Planning

When expanding or designing a new data centre, CFD can play a crucial role in optimizing equipment placement and airflow management. By simulating various configurations and scenarios, operators can determine the most efficient layout, identify potential hotspots and ensure proper cooling to maximize the capacity and reliability of the infrastructure.

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If you are interested in learning more about how our computational fluid dynamic scans can help you improve efficiency and performance, contact Keysource today. We can help you assess your needs and develop a CFD solution that is right for you and your organisation.

 

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29 June 2023

Behind the Scenes at Glastonbury: The Critical Role of Data Centres

By Blog, News, Thought Leadership

Glastonbury, the renowned music festival that captivates audiences worldwide, is not just about the artists on stage. Behind the scenes, there’s a hidden world of technology and infrastructure that ensures the seamless streaming and broadcasting of this iconic event. At Keysource, we’re proud to play a crucial role in supporting our client, Timeline Television, as they bring the magic of Glastonbury to screens everywhere. Let’s take a closer look at the partnership between Keysource and Timeline Television and the essential role of data centres in the world of critical infrastructure and entertainment.

Powering the Broadcast Revolution

Timeline Television, a leading UK television broadcasting company, relies on a cutting-edge data centre located at Ealing Broadcast Centre (EBC) to deliver world-class post-production services, broadcasting facilities, and systems integration to the international TV market. Keysource has been entrusted with the critical facilities management contract, ensuring the flawless operation of this vital infrastructure.

Data Centres: The Unsung Heroes

Data centres serve as the backbone of the modern digital world, supporting a wide range of industries and services. At Glastonbury, where millions of fans eagerly await their favourite performances, a robust network of data centres and critical infrastructure is essential for smooth streaming, online ticketing, and overall event management. Keysource’s collaboration with Timeline Television brings these hidden worlds into the limelight, showcasing the pivotal role data centres play in delivering unforgettable experiences to viewers.

Reliability and Resilience

The EBC data centre, developed in 2021 through an ambitious transformation project, was converted from an 800-rack facility into state-of-the-art studios and a 60-rack data centre. With up to 3MW of capacity, this facility boasts cutting-edge power and cooling infrastructure, ensuring reliable operations even in the most demanding broadcast scenarios. For Timeline TV, who provides broadcasting facilities for key events like the football World Cup, political debates, and corporate conferences, uptime and resilience are critical.

Keysource’s Proactive Approach

Keysource’s mission is to achieve optimum performance and prevent any unplanned downtime at the EBC data centre as Luke Brimelow, Operations Manager at Keysource, explains:

“Due to the criticality of this facility where any unplanned downtime could result in TV programs going off air, our aim is to achieve optimum performance. By identifying and managing issues that affect all aspects of the facility before they become critical, this joined-up approach to fault finding and resolution maximizes critical availability, efficiency, and resilience.”

The Price of Disruption

The importance of uninterrupted broadcasting was underscored by a major incident in September 2021 when a fire suppression system triggered at Red Bee Media’s London broadcast centre, resulting in widespread disruptions and many TV channels going off air. The incident highlighted the criticality of reliable power and cooling infrastructure and the importance of proactive maintenance and support, both of which Keysource provides to Timeline Television.

As you immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of Glastonbury, take a moment to appreciate the behind-the-scenes efforts powered by organisations like Keysource and Timeline Television. From delivering high-definition broadcasts to seamless streaming experiences, this collaboration ensures that viewers around the world can enjoy the magic of live events without interruptions.

Keysource remains committed to supporting critical infrastructures, such as data centres, that make moments like Glastonbury possible, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Timeline Television in shaping the future of entertainment.

Take Action Now and Secure Your

Data Centre's Resilience

Stay tuned for more updates and behind-the-scenes insights from Keysource, as we continue to provide cutting-edge solutions for data centre design, energy efficiency, and infrastructure management.

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19 June 2023

Keysource and Deep Green Win DCS Award – Edge Project of the Year

By Blog, News

Keysource and Deep Green are proud to announce that we have won the Edge Project of the Year award at the DCS Awards! This recognises our innovative approach to data centre design and construction, which uses sustainable technologies to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact.

Project Overview

An innovative start up Deep Green has seen the heat generated by a data centre used to heat a Devon public swimming pool. The computers inside the white box are surrounded by oil to capture the heat – enough to heat the pool to about 30C 60% of the time, saving Exmouth Leisure Centre thousands of pounds. The data centre is provided to the council-run centre free of charge and the leisure centre’s electricity costs for running the “digital boiler” will also be refunded.

Sean Day, who runs the leisure centre, said he had been expecting its energy bills to rise by £100,000 this year. “The partnership has really helped us reduce the costs of what has been astronomical over the last 12 months – our energy prices and gas prices have gone through the roof.”

The future of the data centre has to be at the heart of communities, contributing too, rather than detracting from local communities. We can do this as part of an integrated planning process, leveraging the heat for district heating, support local community services like swimming pools or even as part of new residential and commercial developments.

Rishi Sunak recently highlighted the £800m investment in supercomputing, and what better way to achieve this in a sustainable manner, to support NetZero 2030 than an integrated Metropolitan Edge data centre within every community. Keysource and Deep Green are working together to scale this approach across the UK.

Challenges Addressed

Energy costs are at an all-time high and swimming pools are struggling to stay open. (Last summer, BBC News revealed 65 swimming pools had closed since 2019, with rising energy costs cited as a significant reason.) This also bucks the trend of data centre projects by repurposing the heat generated to serve the local community.

The project was able to find the ‘load’ that marries up with the Direct Liquid Cooling compute approach in a footprint that can be sustainable and secure whilst ensuring the IT hardware has valid ‘warranty’ in DLC / Immersed environment.

Moving forward this approach also addresses the Grid limitations and energy requirements that are significantly limiting opportunities to develop new data-centre capacity and creating significant negative publicity for the data centre industry which is manifesting itself in moratoriums on new project development.  In essence, rapidly growing industry energy requirements and carbon footprint represent an existential threat to existing DC business models.

Innovation

This approach utilises small pockets of ‘spare’ and already allocated grid capacity to deliver edge and HPC capabilities within the fabric of society. The energy recapture model saves pools at least 63% on their energy requirements to heat the pool.  In exchange, the pools provide space, power and connectivity to support the deployment.

It utilises the energy efficiency benefits of immersion and direct liquid cooling in combination with heat re-use to deliver a PUE of 1.005 or lower and runs on 100% renewable energy.

Project Challenges

As with many projects in the sector we faced supply chain delays and had to also manage the programme with the swimming pool. The availability of skilled people was an issue as we were looking for specialist partners to work with, with strong supply chain and coverage to support the installation.

Warranty restrictions of existing components is not favourable to immersion projects so we had to work with OEM manufacturers to validate the use of their technology within immersed environments.

Benefits

A cut in gas consumption for pool heating by 91%; a current PUE of 1.005 with a projected PUE of 1.003; projected cost savings of £2500 per month: and projected reduction of carbon footprint of 3 tonnes per month.

Are you looking for a data centre partner that can help you achieve your sustainability goals?

Keysource is a leading provider of data centre design, construction, and management services. We have a proven track record of delivering sustainable data centres that meet the needs of our clients.

Our team of experts can help you every step of the way, from planning and design to construction and commissioning. We will work with you to understand your specific needs and goals, and we will develop a custom solution that meets your budget and timeline.

We are committed to sustainability, and we are always looking for new ways to reduce our environmental impact. We use the latest technologies and techniques to design and build data centres that are as efficient as possible, improving their energy efficiency, reducing their water consumption, and minimizing waste.

Contact us
18 May 2023

Teledata appoints Keysource to deliver new data centre

By Blog, News, Press Release

Teledata, a premium colocation, cloud hosting and data centre services provider based in Manchester, has appointed Keysource as the lead contractor for the design and preconstruction of its new 30,000 sq ft data centre facility (MCR2) which has been funded by UBS. In addition, the critical environment and data centre specialist will also be responsible for delivering ambitious sustainability goals following the calculation of the ‘whole life carbon’ of the facility and a stage 2 carbon assessment which has informed the design.

The project, which leverages existing planning permission, involves a combined design and planning application to ensure local regeneration goals are integrated, including design development past ‘RIBA 2’. Keysource is also harnessing the power of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to lead the design process to provide high performing, resilient and efficient solutions. This will include ensuring that the available site power capacity and available space to increase rack count capacity is maximised, delivering an annualised PUE of less than 1.15 for this.

“To support the major regeneration of the area this an opportunity to deliver a data centre which can differentiate itself within a competitive market through site architecture and design which delivers a high quality and commercially competitive services, whilst delivering local, company and funder ESG goals. This forms the basis of our approach.”

Jon Healy, Operations Director at Keysource

“At Teledata we are committed to delivering the highest levels of service and support and the quality of our data centre estate is absolutely key. This new facility will be best in class in terms of resilience, security and sustainability and we know that we can rely on Keysource to deliver this.”

Matt Edgley, Director – Teledata – A Datum Group Company

Teledata was acquired by Farnborough-based data centre provider Datum Datacentres in September 2022. This marked the first regional bolt-on acquisition for Datum as part of its regional expansion strategy. Datum was acquired by Funds managed by the UBS Asset Management Real Estate & Private Markets business (REPM) in September 2021 with the intention to expand into key regional markets.

Read our Press Release

 

Are you looking for a data centre partner that can help you achieve your sustainability goals?

Keysource is a leading provider of data centre design, construction, and management services. We have a proven track record of delivering sustainable data centres that meet the needs of our clients.

Our team of experts can help you every step of the way, from planning and design to construction and commissioning. We will work with you to understand your specific needs and goals, and we will develop a custom solution that meets your budget and timeline.

We are committed to sustainability, and we are always looking for new ways to reduce our environmental impact. We use the latest technologies and techniques to design and build data centres that are as efficient as possible, improving their energy efficiency, reducing their water consumption, and minimizing waste.

Contact us
15 May 2023

Keysource Recognised for Its Commitment to Investing in People

By Blog, News

We’re proud to announce that we have recently been awarded the We Invest in People accreditation by Investors in People, recognising our commitment to creating a positive workplace culture and investing in our team members.

Earning this accreditation is no small feat – it’s a rigorous process that involves a thorough evaluation of our people management practices, policies, and procedures. We’re thrilled that that our commitment to supporting our team members’ personal and professional growth has been acknowledged by such a distinguished organisation.

 

“We’d like to congratulate Keysource. Being accredited with We invest in people is a remarkable effort for any organisation, and places Keysource in fine company with a host of organisations that understand the value of people.”

Paul Devoy, CEO of Investors in People

 

“This accreditation is a testament to our dedication to supporting our team members and helping them grow both personally and professionally. At Keysource, we believe that our people are our most valuable asset, and we are committed to providing them with the resources, training, and support they need to succeed.

We know that investing in our team members not only benefits them but also benefits our clients and our business as a whole.”

Stephen Whatling, Keysource Group CEO

This recognition from Investors in People is a testament to our commitment to our team members and our dedication to providing a positive and supportive workplace culture. We’re proud to display our accreditation to the world, recognising that it is people that make work better.

 

Join us

If you’re interested in joining a company that values its people and fosters a culture of innovation and excellence, then check out our careers page now. We’re always looking for talented individuals to join our team.

View our current vacancies
16 March 2023
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