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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

8 Tips to Reduce Costs of Data Centre Energy Bills

By Blog, Thought Leadership

Operating a data centre is expensive, but energy consumption is vital to the ongoing expenses of a data centre, which is one of the reasons why the industry is making such a drive for sustainability.

Today, the most significant cost of running a data centre is energy, with the average data centre spending 25% to 60% of its total expenses on energy consumption alone in the UK. It illustrates the need to act by integrating green technologies into new and legacy data centres.

What uses the most energy in a data centre?

Energy consumption is the biggest expense involved in running a data centre. This is because of the immense costs of running servers and the necessary cooling infrastructure. In fact, data centre energy consumption has grown so much that it now accounts for 3% of the global electricity supply.

So, what are the largest contributors to your data centre energy bill?

Servers/IT Equipment – Servers, storage and networking devices and peripherals are the largest energy consumers in data centres.
Cooling – Data centres generate massive amounts of heat. Advanced cooling systems, including chillers and air conditioning units, are required to prevent overheating.
Power Distributions – Data centres rely on Power Distribution Units (PDUs), including Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPSs), to distribute electricity and provide emergency power if outages occur.
Lighting – Whilst lighting doesn’t consume as much energy as servers and cooling systems, permanent lighting is required for maintenance, monitoring and accessibility. This fact alone means lighting contributes a large chunk to your energy expenditure.

Can data centres reduce their energy consumption?

Data centres can take action to reduce their energy consumption. Although data centres will always consume significant energy, taking steps can result in massive cost savings.
Actions like upgrading legacy technology, recycling old systems and using renewable energy sources are ways that data centres can tackle the sustainability issue.
Additionally, new data centres can focus on sustainability as part of a genuinely green data centre. The Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact has already been established to set firm guidelines as to what constitutes a sustainable data centre.
For existing data centres, the path to sustainability will likely be a long-term endeavour because legacy hardware may need to be replaced within the boundaries of current budgets.

Tips on how to reduce costs of data centre energy bills

Utility bills are no small expense. Whilst some data centres may concede these as unavoidable expenses, creative problem-solving and a real commitment to sustainability can save data centres tens of thousands annually.
Follow these tips for some simple ways to reduce the cost of data centre energy bills:
1

Integrate modern cooling systems

Cooling systems are an enormous drain on your resources. Some estimates state that inefficient data centres could spend up to 60% of their utility bills on cooling alone.
By introducing next-generation cooling solutions however, companies can decrease their utility bills. Some ideas could include:
  • Deploying hot/cold aisle configurations.
  • Minimising bypass airflow.
  • Investing in air handlers and chillers.
Doing away with legacy cooling systems can reduce your energy wastage and allow you to take more control over environmental conditions, including temperature and humidity.
2

Software-powered smart design

Experts know that data centre efficiency boils down to choosing the solutions that cover the greatest workload with the lowest number of hardware pieces.
Identifying underutilised pieces of equipment and removing underused applications can lower your energy costs across the board. It’s also possible to remove “bloatware” from the equation.
Bloatware is ineffectual software that drains power from your data centre due to excessive CPU cycles.
In other words, software-powered smart design is based on limiting hardware and doing more with less.
3

Leveraging server virtualisation

Server virtualisation is a powerful tool enabling you to consolidate servers and storage as part of a single platform. Virtualisation allows you to segregate applications, data and operating systems.
Running applications on shared hardware via virtual machines reduces your need for space, more power, more cooling and more resources.
Note that server virtualisation cannot solve all of your problems. For example, you may still require underutilised equipment to handle peak loads. Either way, virtualisation still contributes to efficiently migrating your data centre’s workload.
4

Controlling airflow management

Airflow management is another crucial energy efficiency practice. For example, if your data centre has raised floors, there’s a strong possibility that you are experiencing uncontrolled air leakage. Sealing these raised floors and removing unnecessary blockages within would be one solution.
What if clutter control and underfloor blockages are irresolvable problems? In this case, consider installing overhead cable trays. According to Schneider Electric, overhead cable trays lead to a 24% reduction in cooling fan power consumption.
5

Switch to variable-speed fans

Another option for decreasing energy usage is moving to variable-speed fans. This move could provide a much-needed CPU fan speed reduction.
The beauty of these fans is that they only run at the required speeds when needed. This is because they operate using sophisticated thermostatic equipment.
You can apply this same principle to other devices beyond your servers. Consider examining the cooling features of hardware like UPSs.
6

Use liquid cooling solutions

High-performance hardware often experiences the trade-off between high-performance vs high energy consumption. This is why high-end equipment often relies on adopting liquid cooling for CPUs as standard.
Instead of using fans to move air across a heat sink, liquid cooling involves using a liquid, such as water, to dissipate heat.
Today, experts consider liquid cooling to be the gold standard of cooling when compared to air-cooling methods.
7

Increase the temperature

Once upon a time, raising the temperature within a data centre would be considered risky. However, equipment vendors have designed systems capable of operating at higher temperatures than usual.
Many servers can operate at 77 degrees Fahrenheit, but most data centres still stick to the 65 degrees Fahrenheit guideline for temperature.
Raising the ambient temperature a few degrees can reduce your cooling systems’ power usage without impacting server performance. Moreover, taking this step requires no investment or overhead.
8

Power down inactive servers

Server virtualisation has demonstrated the sustainability advantages of doing more with your hardware to use less; but, why not power down entire servers that are not in use?
Too many data centres always keep them spinning because they want to have more business agility, but is it worth the thousands in costs that come with operating inactive servers?
Try searching for instances where servers can be powered down. The chances are, there may be some objections to this move, such as:
Lower Server Life Expectancy – The myth that power cycling lowers the server’s life expectancy is just that: a myth. Servers are built using the same components as hardware that’s commonly power cycled, including medical devices and vehicles.
Too Long to Power – Some people claim that servers take too long to power up. However, you can counter this by turning off boot-time diagnostic checks or booting from operational snapshots.
Customer Dissatisfaction – Users have shown they are willing to hang in there to get up and running. Most application architectures don’t decline user requests but slow them down; this has been shown to have zero impact on retention or satisfaction rates.
In short, servers are built to be switched on and off at will. If you have the budget for automation technology, you can even set up parameters that will automatically power up or down servers for maximum energy efficiency.

What is the most cost effective way to reduce energy consumption in data centres?

Upgrading your energy efficiency often means making significant investments; but, there are low-cost alternatives.
Upping the temperature is one option as part of controlled pilot experiments. On the other hand, you can also use “free” outside air-cooling to help harness the Earth’s natural resources.
Studies have shown that this option works incredibly well. For example, Intel saw a 74% reduction in power consumption after implementing free-air cooling. According to the computing giant’s findings, they saved $3 million in cost savings and used 76 million gallons of water less.

If you’re ready to reduce your energy bills for your data centre, contact the Keysource team today.

Whilst these steps can help, creating a green data centre with the help of professionals can always yield better results. Consulting with Keysource on upgrading your data centre or building a sustainable data centre from scratch can allow you to maximise efficiency opportunities.

Contact us
29 August 2023

How Data Centre Managed Services Supports Higher Education

By Blog, Thought Leadership
Data centres power modern society. With 8,800 data centres globally, these facilities power everything from governments to small businesses.
One sector that has increasingly shifted to data centre managed services is the education sector. As universities continue to embrace and incorporate new technologies into their setups, data centres have become a central part of that shift.
In this guide, we will discuss how data centre managed services work and the benefits they provide for the higher education sector.

How do data centre managed services work with the education sector?

Universities often operate in-house data centres to manage their cyber assets. The problem is that most universities have built their data centres over time using an ad-hoc strategy. These facilities often contain critical IT assets, but are powered by antiquated hardware and software.
Achieving high-performance computing is often out of reach for most higher education facilities, limiting their capacity and compromising data security. As researchers and academics generate astounding amounts of data, switching to a managed data centre provides access to advances like:

✔ Automation
✔ Machine learning
✔ Artificial intelligence
✔ High-performance computer systems

With the data centre services market projected to increase to $105.6 billion globally by 2026, higher education facilities can tackle logistical, performance and budgetary concerns by outsourcing the challenges of running an on-premises data centre while accessing state-of-the-art infrastructure.

What is the importance of data centre management in universities?

IT spending on data centres has never been higher. By the end of 2023, projections reveal that $222 billion will be spent globally on these services. Universities often spend millions on maintaining and managing their data centres.
Unfortunately, this is something that cannot be avoided. As academics perform their research and utilise increasingly complex programs as an alternative to “wet labs,” management becomes more difficult.
So, what’s the importance of data centre management for higher education?
Security – In 2022, the number of cyberattacks rose by 38%. This is the most significant aspect of data centre management universities must consider, requiring constant software and hardware updates to patch vulnerabilities.
Maintenance – Maintaining systems, including power and cabling infrastructures, is crucial for overcoming the physical challenges of operating a data centre.
Disaster Management – Universities rely on their data centres as backups for their disaster recovery program. Failure in this area can cost years of hard work and valuable academic study.
These are only three aspects that are vital to universities operating data centres, and this is also why outsourcing these functions to a dedicated managed data centre makes sense. It can save thousands every year on management while also producing better results.

The challenges of data centre management for higher education

Higher education must deal with various challenges while managing on-site data centres. Unfortunately, these are the same challenges large-scale data centres face, meaning that there’s no way around them.
Some of the problems a higher education facility may encounter while managing a data centre include the following.

Maintaining Uptime

Availability and uptime are critical to a data centre that does its job. If you continue to rely on spreadsheets for managing server information, you know how much of an issue maintaining accurate and complete information is.

This is a particular problem when dealing with unplanned downtime requiring troubleshooting or mapping out the power chain.

Utilisation of Capacity

Space, power and cooling are the three factors that allow a data centre to function. Creating an efficient data centre often means working with severe limitations in these three areas.

With the help of managed data centre services, you can shift this burden to a dedicated facility.

Reducing Operating Expenses

Operating expenses are a constant headache for facilities running even small data centres. By design, these installations consume vast amounts of energy.

Moreover, universities must budget for upgrading software, getting the latest hardware, and replacing broken components. You may also need to employ a dedicated team to run it all.

With 25% of English universities reporting a budget deficit in 2018, controlling costs is a massive problem for higher education institutions.

Achieving Zero Days

A “Zero Day” means that your data centre was not attacked. While you cannot guarantee one of these days, you can ensure that your servers aren’t breached due to a cyberattack.

Most of your time managing your data centre will be spent obsessing over security, and with so many potential physical and virtual entry points, it typically necessitates employing a dedicated cybersecurity team.

The costs of failing to meet this challenge are immense. For example, the Blackbaud Hack of 2020 saw more than 20 universities and charities in the UK, U.S., and Canada fall victim to a data breach.

Complying with Governmental Regulations

Previously, data centres were largely built and managed based on commonly accepted best practices. However, as cyberattacks grow in number and prominence, governments worldwide have acted to enact legislation to regulate data centres.

Higher education institutions must also comply with these regulations while managing their data centres. Moreover, these regulations are constantly evolving, necessitating an in-depth knowledge of the latest developments within the sector.

What benefits do data centres provide for higher education?

Data centres are essential for how higher education facilities operate today. Whether opting for an in-house data centre or outsourcing to a managed data centre, the benefits are the same.

Some of the reasons why universities worldwide rely on data centres include the following:

✔ Secure off-site servers that enhance your university’s security.
✔ Higher uptime rates guarantee constant access to vital data.
✔ Reduced costs of data storage.
✔ Greater capacity to manage enormous amounts of data.
✔ Fully scalable infrastructures to grow alongside your operations.

With students, tutors, academics and administrative staff generating more data than at any other point in history, data centres are the only way to store, process and disseminate this data.

In short, a data centre is a must-have for the higher education sector.

Which data centre approach works best for higher education?

Deciding how best to address the data centre issue means evaluating the pros and cons of each solution.

For most higher education institutions, the choice is between an on-site data centre or a managed service. In some cases, colocation facilities may also be on the table.

Every higher education institution differs, and each option has pros and cons. What works for your campus may not work for another.

In this section, we’ll discuss some of the most common approaches to data centres.

On-site data centres

Campuses often choose to utilise on-site data centres. While costly and complex to maintain, they offer several benefits unavailable via outsourced services.

Some of the advantages include:

✔ Total control over your data centre.
✔ Added in-house security.
✔ Flexibility to grow your data centre as you please.
✔ Long-term savings.

Even though on-site data centres offer higher upfront costs, they can be more cost-effective in the long term, especially compared to colocation facilities.

Managed data centre services

On the other side of the spectrum is the managed data centre. These facilities allow higher education facilities to purchase a package and have a dedicated company do everything for them.

This also includes renting the hardware and software that allows a data centre to operate in the first place. Unlike a colocation centre, you don’t need to supply hardware or software.

So, why do managed data centre services make sense?

✔ Multiple locations to improve your backup plan.
✔ Access to unrivalled expertise.
✔ State-of-the-art hardware and software.
✔ Simple scalability.
✔ Save money on employees, infrastructure and running costs.

Everything can be managed via a customer-facing interface, and you can contact tech support if there are any problems.

Implementing an on-campus data centre requires expertise and experience. At Keysource, we can support your university in designing, building and maintaining a dedicated data centre that fits the needs of your campus.
The first hurdle is the design. Your data centre must be built to your needs ten years from now, meaning you need a space to accommodate potential growth. The issue also extends further than floor space. Your team must factor in cabling, ventilation and power issues.
Once a space has been established, you must manage how data is transmitted. This goes back to the cabling – how much data can travel over your connection?
Bandwidth must be high to guarantee a certain network speed. On the other hand, you have latency, which is data delay. High latency means a low-performing data centre.
Your data centre however, is vulnerable without the appropriate security measures, even with the proper infrastructure. Some of the primary problems to address include:

✔ Compromised credentials
✔ Phishing
✔ Cloud misconfiguration
✔ Third-party software vulnerabilities
✔ Physical security

Finally, there is the environmental side. Today’s data centres account for 1% of all global electricity, which is enormous. With so many universities committed to sustainability practices, how will you manage the green implications of your data centre?

Speak to our team today for tailored university data centre solutions

With the complexities of implementing and managing campus data centres, it’s essential that you get the support you need to make your plans a reality. At Keysource, we specialise in building sustainable data infrastructures for the education sector.

Contact us
23 August 2023

SECR Overview

By Blog, Thought Leadership

Streamlined Energy & Carbon Reporting (SECR) is the new industry legislation introduced in April 2019, replacing the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) scheme. This scheme changes the requirements for energy and carbon emissions reporting, putting more responsibility on organisations to choose how they measure and report their emissions. The first reports are due in 2020.

SECR has been introduced as part of the UK Clean Growth Strategy, which aims to improve energy efficiency among businesses by 20% by 2030. Additionally, as per the requirements of the Fourth Carbon Budget, emissions must also be reduced by 51% by 2027.

WHO IS IN SCOPE?

A company falls into scope if they fulfil two or more of the following criteria:

Within a managed data centre, you’ll find the same standard components as in any other type of data centre, including:

✔ They have more than 250 employees.
✔ The annual turnover is more than £36million.
✔ The annual balance sheet is greater than £18m.

WHO IS EXEMPT?

✔ Companies that are not registered in the UK.
✔ UK subsidiaries that qualify for SECR but are already covered by a parent’s group report (unless the parent company is not registered in the UK).
✔ Public sector organisations, charities and private sector organisations that don’t file reports to Companies House.
✔ Companies that use less than 40,000 kWh of energy in the reporting year.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF COMPLYING WITH SECR?

SECR allows companies to improve their carbon reduction and energy efficiency. Such improvements could drive financial savings and become an investment area for energy improvement measures.

SECR falls under the same compliance rules as financial reporting so non-compliance could result in penalties and unlimited fines.

WHAT ARE THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS?

✔ It is an annual requirement and a statement must be included in the Directors report.
✔ LLP’s are required to submit a standalone report to BEIS.
✔ SECR came into force on 1st April 2019 and the first report should include data from the 2019 –2020 period alongside their financial reporting.

What to Report

_ _

_
  • Energy Use
  • Scope 1 Emissions
  • Scope 2 Emissions
  • Scope 3 Emissions
  • Carbon Intensity
  • Energy Efficiency
    Measures & Results

Quoted Company

_ _

_
  • Global
  • Global
  • Global
  • Voluntary
  • Yes
  • Yes

UnQuoted Company

_ _

_
  • UK
  • UK
  • UK
  • Voluntary
  • Yes
  • Yes

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
14 August 2023

What is a Managed Data Centre?

By Blog, Thought Leadership

Data centres are the core part of our modern world. They are responsible for keeping the world connected by providing a hub for storing, processing and sharing data and applications.

Today, global IT spending on data centres has reached $222 billion, showing just how important these have become for supporting the everyday functions of society as a whole. In short, the world would look very different without the power of data centres.

However, what actually is a managed data centre? In this guide, we’ll discuss the critical components of these data centres, how they’re managed, and how they work.

What are the key components of managed data centres?

The U.S. makes up the bulk of the world’s data centres, with more than 2,700 data centres located in the country, followed by Germany with less than 500. Despite this imbalance, the industry is growing fast in every major developed nation, including the UK.

Within a managed data centre, you’ll find the same standard components as in any other type of data centre, including:

✔ Servers
✔ Networking equipment
✔ Storage technologies
✔ Cooling systems
✔ Software
✔ Cabling/power infrastructure
✔ Physical security

What separates a managed service data centre is the customer-facing interface that serves as the customer management platform.

What is a managed service data centre?

Managed data centres are the core of Data Centre as a Service (DCAAS) packages. The purpose of these data centres is to provide the physical infrastructure to clients to manage their data processes.

While these data centres contain the same infrastructure as any other type of data centre, the goal is to outsource the computing power of each centre. The benefits of managed service data centres include providing flexible, scalable and affordable data centre capabilities to businesses and public services.

The popularity of managed service data centres has exploded recently, with the industry expected to reach $600 billion by 2026. In other words, by removing standard data centres’ logistical and budgetary constrictions, managed service packages allow businesses to stay in business.

How do managed data centres work?

Managed data centres are ideal for organisations lacking the space, staff or expertise to deploy an on-site IT infrastructure that serves their needs. Instead, outsourcing your data and IT operations to the experts is a sound choice so that you can concentrate on managing your business.

Within a managed data centre, the process works like so:

  1. The client will lease a dedicated server, storage or networking hardware.
  2. The client has full use of their leased hardware/software.
  3. The managed data centre is responsible for administration, monitoring and management.

However, a similar type of data centre is the colocation facility. Under this model, the client company owns the infrastructure and rents a dedicated space within the data centre. If opting for the traditional model, you’ll be responsible for maintaining this hardware.

This however, is often impractical for most companies due to the remote nature of data centres and the risk of outages. This is why many colocation facilities offer management and monitoring services.

Tasks involved in data centre management

Data centre management involves overseeing computer systems and the information passing through these systems on behalf of clients. A dedicated manager and their team monitor all management responsibilities. Again, the majority of these tasks may be managed 100% remotely.
So, what are the primary tasks involved in managing a data centre?
While every type of data centre serves a different market, the components and running of a managed data centre are largely similar. Moreover, failure in any area could lead to data loss, outages and loss of consumer confidence.

Data Backups

Managed data centres often provide backups and form part of disaster recovery contingencies for UK SMEs. The manager must ensure the integrity and availability of these backups.

Troubleshooting

Large scale computing environments require constant troubleshooting to prevent problems and maintain uptime.

Supervising Technicians

Despite the comprehensive automation that has streamlined today’s data centres, on-site work remains necessary, mainly when dealing with hardware. Part of a manager’s role is to supervise technicians in the course of their work.

Managing Cybersecurity Systems

Managed data centres are under near-constant attack from bad actors; therefore, data centre management must revolve around keeping state-of-the-art cybersecurity systems in check.

Forming a Physical Security Plan

Physical security is also a concern. Today’s security systems may still rely on human security guards, but most internal systems are electronic, including CCTV cameras, biometrics and more.

Supporting Data Centre Integrity

The components that make a data centre work also create new challenges. For example, managers must formulate cooling and cabling strategies to prevent outages.

Data centre monitoring

Monitoring makes up the bulk of operating a data centre. Business clients are paying first for the infrastructure and second for peace of mind.
Your goal in monitoring a data centre is to maintain its health and ensure it reaches its peak potential. Simultaneously, data centre monitoring ensures that the facility complies with external and internal regulations.
A combination of manual and automated tools are deployed to achieve these goals. While data centres have yet to reach 100% automation, most key functions can be managed remotely without human input.
On a side note, while many use the terms “monitoring” and “management” interchangeably, they’re not strictly the same.

Challenges of data centre management

Growing complexities within modern data centres also create unique challenges for the teams operating them. As part of designing and building a data centre, teams must account for these challenges to construct an infrastructure that overcomes them.
Failure in any one area can lead to a catastrophe. Today’s average data centre downtime cost is $740,000, 50% higher than in 2010, so prolonged downtime can cost millions.
So, what are the challenges you need to be aware of?

✔ Power management
✔ Capacity planning
✔ The role of the Internet of Things (IoT)
✔ Data security
✔ Real-time reporting
✔ Balancing efficiency and cost controls

On top of these challenges, data centres must tackle the problem of evolving government regulations. These concerns must be addressed domestically and globally to ensure that you give clients and the general public the confidence they need when sharing and using data.

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 August 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
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