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State of the Industry 2024 – What Lies Ahead for the Data Centre Sector?

By Blog, Downloads, Event, News, Press Release, Thought Leadership

As we reflect on Keysource’s State of the Industry Event 2024, the excitement and valuable discussions from the event continue to resonate within the data centre community. Now in its seventh year, this annual gathering has firmly established itself as a pivotal moment for data centre professionals, delivering crucial insights and expert analysis.

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Event Highlights

This year’s event delved into the rapidly evolving landscape of the data centre sector, highlighting how technology advancements are reshaping the industry. Attendees explored critical issues impacting the sector, including:

  • Sustainability Pressures: Strategies for integrating eco-friendly practices without compromising performance.
  • Skills Shortages: Innovative approaches to attract and retain talent in a competitive market.
  • Supply Chain Complexities: Navigating global supply challenges to ensure operational continuity.

The unveiling of our 2024 survey results provided a comprehensive overview of industry trends, reaffirming that balancing speed, substance, and sustainability remains a central theme for data centres moving forward.

Key Discussions

Participants had the opportunity to hear from industry leaders who shared their approaches to:

  • Adapting to New Regulations: Ensuring compliance while maintaining operational efficiency.
  • Managing Rising Costs: Implementing cost-effective solutions without sacrificing quality.
  • Integrating Sustainable Practices: Moving towards greener data centre operations to meet environmental goals.

”Keysource's event had great discussions and clear insights that really helped us understand the challenges and opportunities coming up

State of the Industry 2024 Attendee

”The State of the Industry event was a real eye-opener—great discussions with a clear look at the challenges we all face in our industry. Highly recommend it.

State of the Industry 2024 Attendee

Download The Full Report

Gain comprehensive insights from the State of the Industry 2024 Event by downloading our detailed report. Whether you’re addressing project delivery challenges, sustainability goals, or the ongoing skills shortage, our report offers invaluable perspectives from over 250 industry professionals.


At Keysource, we specialise in helping organisations to overcome the challenges of sustainable data centre design, building and management

Speak to our team today for tailored advice and guidance on creating and operating a data centre fit for the next generation of computing.

Contact us
7 November 2024

Data Centre Sustainability Challenges Facing Higher Education

By Blog, Thought Leadership

Data centre sustainability has been a priority within the industry for over a decade. Yet, today, data centres still account for 3% of the global electricity supply and 2% of overall greenhouse gas emissions.

This makes sustainability a priority for the higher education sector as institutions increasingly analyse how they power and centralise their IT operations.

We’ll discuss the sector’s primary sustainability issues and what can be done to address them.

What are the environmental issues associated with data centres?

It’s no great secret that data centres raise many environmental questions. According to Gartner, it’s predicted that 75% of data centres will employ some type of sustainability program by 2027.
Environmental concerns and cost optimisation drive the path toward sustainability. In short, it could be profitable to go green in today’s world.
So, what environmental issues must a data centre sustainability program examine?

Energy consumption

Data centres consume vast amounts of energy to power their servers and associated infrastructure. This incredible energy demand impacts greenhouse gas emissions and places additional burdens on electricity grids worldwide.

As the industry grows, this is becoming an even bigger problem. Today, it’s estimated that data centres use more fossil fuels than the entire global aviation industry.

Greenhouse gas emissions

Data centres often draw their energy from non-renewable sources, such as coal and natural gas. Due to this energy need, data centres are directly responsible for significant carbon dioxide emissions. It’s why data centres emit 300 megatons of CO2 annually.

Heat generation

During their day-to-day operations, data centres generate massive amounts of heat. All these facilities require intricate cooling systems to maintain optimal conditions.
These cooling mechanisms require energy, and improperly designed cooling systems can lead to excessive wastage.

Water usage

Water is often used as the primary medium for dissipating heat. In particular, large-scale data centres will use water-based cooling systems. This can tremendously strain local water supplies, especially in regions already facing drought conditions, such as California.

Electronic waste

The technology behind the average data centre changes all the time, and this means that data centre owners and operators must constantly implement upgrades and replacements for their equipment. Over time, this creates a tremendous amount of electronic waste.

Material use

Did you know that many of a data centre’s emissions come directly from its construction?

Various materials and chemicals are used to bring a data centre to life. These include:

  • Cabling
  • Fire suppression systems
  • Cooling fluids

Improper management could lead to harmful substances making their way into the environment.

Land use

Where you build your data centre matters. Sometimes, data centres may require deforestation and disruption to local ecosystems to build. Unfortunately, large-scale data centres require massive amounts of space due to their physical infrastructure.

How do data centres work in higher education settings?

With these environmental issues in mind, do higher education settings need data centres to power themselves?

Higher education institutions rely on data centres for a variety of functions, and this is why schools, colleges and research labs often require data centres to reach their potential.

Some of the ways data centres work in higher education include:

Infrastructure Support – Data centres act as the underlying infrastructure necessary to control the IT systems of a higher education institution. Without these hardware components, keeping everything up and running would become impossible.

Data Storage/Backup – Data centres are designed to act as central repositories for all the digital data produced by students, faculty and administrative staff. They also offer robust disaster recovery functions.

Computing Resources – Additional computing resources are often required for the computational needs of higher education institutions, including High-Performance Computing (HPC) and complex data analysis.

Application Hosting – Higher education data centres may also use institutional applications, such as Learning Management Systems (LMS). Crucially, they are centrally managed, making a data centre essential.

Connectivity – Data centres do much more than house data and power applications. They also act as network hubs to unify your institution’s entire network infrastructure, guaranteeing high-speed connectivity at all times.

The importance of data centres for higher education

Why are data centres so critical to higher education institutions? Today, the IT needs of higher education have evolved. As new technologies are implemented in the classroom, and researchers increasingly call upon next-generation technology, dedicated data centres have become a must-have.
Some of the purposes of data centres include:
  • Data storage
  • Data management
  • HPC resources
  • Facilitating innovation
  • Teaching and learning support
  • Institutional operations
  • Collaboration
  • Campus networking
  • Data security
  • Data compliance

The data challenges faced by higher education

Higher education organisations face a range of challenges associated with data. This leaves sustainability a problem because the answer is not to scale back IT operations and infrastructure.

As you can see, data centres are necessary to function optimally in today’s day and age. It means all data challenges faced by higher education must be solved through the lens of sustainability.

So, what are the primary data challenges faced by higher education?

Silos – Higher education systems must prevent data from becoming fragmented and unintegrated.

Quality – Ensuring a high degree of accuracy and consistency across all systems is another major challenge.

Security – All institutions must meet the highest data security standards to protect students and staff. Moreover, security is a huge part of compliance with domestic and international regulations.

Governance – Governance pertains to how relevant stakeholders handle and manage data. These strict policies are required to create consistency and security across your institution.

Systems – The physical infrastructure powering your data is also a priority. If running an in-house data centre, or outsourcing, you must keep your finger on the pulse to ensure that you have the physical hardware that’s fit for purpose.

Despite these immense challenges, confronting the sustainability elephant in the room and meeting the basic standards of a world-class data centre is possible.

How can universities make data centres more sustainable?

Efforts are already being made to improve the carbon footprint of data centres. One initiative is the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, which pledges only to purchase 100% renewable energy to power data centres.
However, individual data centres may need to make substantial changes to meet the standard of a genuinely climate-neutral data centre.
Here are some ways universities can take action to make data centres more sustainable today.

Upgrade to new equipment

It may seem counterproductive, but keeping your data centre equipped with the latest equipment makes you more energy efficient overall. Older data centres with core electrical and mechanical components, like Static Transfer Switches (STSs) and Uninterruptible Power Systems (UPSs), are more prone to this.
When disposing of older equipment, ensure all components are correctly recycled to reduce your footprint further.

Minimise bypass airflow

Did you know that data centre cooling accounts for 40% of total energy consumption?
Optimising airflow is one way to improve energy efficiency. By reducing bypass airflow, which doesn’t remove heat, you can increase your cooling capacity and lower your costs whilst reducing hotspots.

Go ECO mode

UPSs waste vast amounts of energy. Instead, switch to Economy (ECO) mode to minimise losses from poor energy usage.
Whilst ECO mode lacks popularity due to increased noise and other power issues, ECO mode can deliver up to 99% efficiency, compared to 94% on any other mode.

Use server virtualisation

Server virtualisation allows physical servers to be divided into multiple virtual machines capable of running separately from the physical servers. Server utilisation is one of the best moves you can make because it can:
  • Improve server utilisation.
  • Consolidate space.
  • Improve equipment usage.
  • Reduce energy consumption.

Equipment recycling

Data centres can drastically bolster their green credentials by committing to equipment recycling and reuse.
For example, Google has reused its data centre equipment since 2007. Unwanted parts are transferred from one server to repair or replace another.
Following these same principles can help you to reduce your wastage. Working with a green electronic waste company can ensure that broken, faulty and unneeded parts are correctly recycled.

How can the education sector implement a sustainable data centre strategy?

The education sector can take several steps to move to a sustainable data centre model. Several options exist, but it all begins with defining a clear strategy. It could include designing a green data centre or gradually replacing parts of an existing one.
Some options for building your strategy for sustainability can include:
  • Monitoring energy usage to identify areas for improvement.
  • Implementing power management systems to shut down idle servers.
  • Deploying energy-efficient technologies.
  • Using renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power.
Understandably, this is a significant undertaking for any higher education institution. Don’t worry if you need to move from legacy processes and systems to a new green future. Keysource can help you every step of the way!

Speak to our team today for tailored university data centre solutions

At Keysource, we specialise in designing and consulting on sustainable data centres for the higher education sector. Our expert team brings decades of experience to the table and an understanding of the unique needs of the education sector.

Contact us
21 October 2023

Navigating the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED): What Data Centre Operators Need to Know

By Blog, Thought Leadership

Prepare for the New EED Rules

The Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) is a European Union (EU) directive that sets energy efficiency targets for member states. The latest revision of the EED, which was adopted in 2021, includes a number of new provisions for data centres, which are responsible for a significant portion of the EU’s energy consumption.

Some of the new EED rules for data centres will come into effect as early as next year but data centre operators should start preparing now to comply with the new requirements.

What do the new rules include?

Mandatory reporting for large data centres

Data centres with a capacity of at least 500kW will be required to report their energy efficiency data to the EU Commission on an annual basis. This data will be used to track progress towards the EU’s energy efficiency targets and to identify areas where further improvement is needed.

Minimum energy performance standards for new and refurbished data centres

New and refurbished data centres will be required to meet minimum energy performance standards. These standards will be based on the best available technology and will be updated on a regular basis to reflect technological advancements.

Obligation to promote the use of renewable energy

Data centre operators will be required to promote the use of renewable energy in their facilities. This may involve installing on-site renewable energy generation systems or purchasing renewable energy from the grid.

Additional requirements

In addition to the new rules outlined above, the EED also includes a number of other requirements that may be of interest to data centre operators, such as:

  • Reporting on key sustainability indicators: Data centre operators will be required to report on a number of key sustainability indicators, including total data centre energy consumption, temperature set points, and ICT equipment utilization.
  • Compliance with EN50600-4 KPIs: Data centre operators will be required to comply with four of the eight EN50600-4 KPIs, which are a set of standards for measuring and reporting on the energy efficiency of data centres.

How Keysource Can Help You Prepare for the New EED Rules

Data centre operators need to start preparing now to comply with the new EED requirements.

Keysource can help you with this process as we provide a range of helpful services.

Energy audits

We can conduct a comprehensive energy audit of your data centre to identify areas where energy consumption can be reduced.

Energy management systems

We can help you to implement an energy management system to improve energy efficiency and reduce costs.

Compliance planning

We can help you to develop a plan to comply with the new reporting requirements, including identifying the data that needs to be collected and the systems that will be used to collect and report the data.

Renewable energy assessments

We can assess your renewable energy options and help you to develop a plan to reduce your reliance on fossil fuels and meet the new renewable energy requirements.

Contact us today to learn more about how
we can help you to prepare for the
new EED regulations

Our team of experts has a deep understanding of the new EED rules
and how they will impact data centre operators.

We are committed to helping our clients to comply with the new rules
and to reduce their environmental impact.

Contact us
Contact us
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16 October 2023

State of the Industry 2023

By Blog, Downloads, Event, News, Press Release, Thought Leadership

Now in it’s sixth year, Keysource’s State of the Industry Report 2023, focuses on the data centre trilemma: balancing speed, substance and sustainability. It’s packed with insights from over 250 data centre professionals, and it’s essential information for anyone involved in our industry.

The report highlights the trilemma the industry is facing in dealing with the competing and compelling challenges of developing and delivering on sustainability targets; the pressure to speed up project delivery to remain competitive; and the continuing supply chain and skills issues. This is against a background of rising costs and new EU and imminent UK Regulation changes.

”The pressure to speed up project delivery is perhaps the most concerning finding of the report with 75% of those surveyed identifying quality issues which could reasonably have been identified or better managed earlier as a result. Certainly, we are seeing some organisations prioritising speed above all else which is at best risky, especially considering our respondents’ strong concerns about getting the correct advice as the skills shortage continues to bite.

Jon HealyChief Operating Officer, Keysource

The report shows that the skills shortage continues with competing demand both ‘client side’ and within the supply chain for the same people. This is reflected by the fact that only a third of respondents are confident in the quality of the information that is being provided which negatively impacts the ability to make informed decisions. As a result, nearly half of respondents chose to sub-contract more projects or services than they had planned, as the industry turns even more to supply chain partners to keep to programme timescales. According to the majority of respondents this approach had a positive impact including better quality and quicker delivery, with the inevitable trade off of a higher cost.

There are some encouraging findings around sustainability with 69% of respondents having a seat at the table when discussing sustainability targets and over half having a separate ‘green budget’ that can be used for sustainable solutions and initiatives. However, this positive progress is at odds with the just 17% who consider sustainability to be a high priority and the fact that less than a third said they were making significant progress with their sustainability strategy – with over half still not having one at all! In addition, 64% of respondents haven’t evaluated the carbon impact of existing data centre services and solutions and 57% aren’t intending to evaluate future investments, meaning missed opportunities to make both carbon and financial savings.

”The inrush of available capital that we have seen enter the data centre market is reflective of its promising returns and the comparative performance of other markets. This is coupled with a relatively low risk given its resilience through recent years, which is overall very positive for the short and medium term of the industry. This said, these conditions can quickly change given the influences this sector has from a range of areas such as technology, regulation, energy resources, corporate governance, and a lack of skilled people.

So, whilst this year’s state of the industry report shows that the data centre and related sectors continue to grow despite these challenges and the current global unrest, political scepticism, and economic uncertainty, it also flags that a number of common challenges still remain and these are forcing decision makers to operate differently. Our industry has a clear trilemma and the need to solve all three are equally important!

Jon HealyChief Operating Officer, Keysource

Get the State of the Industry Report 2023


At Keysource, we specialise in helping organisations to overcome the challenges of sustainable data centre design, building and management

Speak to our team today for tailored advice and guidance on creating and operating a data centre fit for the next generation of computing.

Contact us
28 September 2023
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