Every digital process, from online banking to TV streaming starts a process in a data center and as a result of the widespread adoption of data intensive computing, such as AI, the demand for data centers that can accommodate these workloads has skyrocketed. Projects like the EU’s €200 billion InvestAI initiative and the $500bn Stargate project in the US are set to fuel colossal demand for high performance data centers – each with incredible energy requirements necessary for power and cooling of the associated digital infrastructure.
According to the International Energy Agency, traditional enterprise data centers might have a power requirement of 5-10 megawatts (MW). But large hyperscale data centers, suitable for AI and other High Performance Computing (HPC), demand power of 100 MW or more, with an annual electricity consumption equivalent to the electricity demand from around 350,000 to 400,000 electric cars.
At the same time, the introduction of ESG legislation such as CSRD in the EU – that requires mandatory carbon footprint disclosures – compels data intensive companies to consider the sustainability of their compute. As digitalization continues, enterprise businesses are increasingly trying to balance their technological needs whilst mitigating their environmental impact. One way to do this is to consider a responsible data center partner.
atNorth promotes a data center ‘ecosystem’ philosophy whereby giving proper consideration to the natural environment and taking a responsible approach to community engagement, data centers can fuel thriving economies and actively benefit the societies in which they operate. There are several factors to consider:
Responsible Location and Design
The location and design of a data center are imperative to both its scalability and its sustainability and should be considered in the planning phase.
AI ready data centers in particular are often built and scaled at speed in line with client requirements and therefore necessitate build locations that have an abundance of available land. Similarly, utilizing a simple, modular design promotes agility, enabling the buildings to be adapted to ever-changing developments in hardware and cooling technologies.
By taking this modular approach to data center design it is also often possible to utilize more sustainable materials. Data centers, as with many modern buildings, are often built from concrete and steel which carry a significant carbon footprint. Yet, there are often local, sustainable alternatives such as cross-laminated wood products that are available in the Nordics where timber construction is prevalent.
One of the biggest barriers to data center development at present is the availability of sustainable power and connectivity infrastructure suitable for high performance computing such as AI. The Nordic region is an example of an area that has an availability of land that benefits from an abundance of natural and renewable energy, a cool climate that enables energy efficient cooling techniques and excellent connectivity, making it the ideal location for data center development.
The presence of data centers can benefit the areas in which they are located by promoting investment in local connectivity and telecommunications networks. The location of atNorth’s ICE03 data center in Akureyri, Iceland, for example, has facilitated a new point of presence (POP) in the area – that is a location where telecommunications networks interconnect to enable data transmission. The POP has been established by telecommunications business Farice, who operate 3 submarine cables connecting Iceland to mainland Europe. It will serve as an access point to the larger network and enable international traffic to be routed directly to mainland Europe, greatly enhancing telecommunications security and reliability of service in the country.
Data center operators can also support local power infrastructure and ensure sustainability of power long term for the benefit of local communities. By incorporating grid balancing services as part of data center design, power consumption or generation can be adjusted in response to fluctuations in grid frequency and excess energy can also be stored in data center backup battery systems when the grid is abundant and feed it back during high-demand periods.
Decarbonization Partnerships
With high density digital infrastructure requiring such a huge amount of energy for power and cooling it is essential that data center operators commit to lowering the carbon footprint of their operations and engaging in collaborative partnerships can be key to this. Working with experts in the latest infrastructure cooling equipment can ensure highly energy efficient sites and help reduce a data center’s Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), essentially enabling clients to decarbonize their IT workloads.
Another critical factor in carbon reduction is the issue of waste heat from the data center cooling processes. atNorth believes that all new data centers should be fitted with heat capture technology as standard to lower the carbon footprint of their operations, to enable other local businesses to benefit from waste heat and to reduce the amount of energy needed from the local grid.
The Nordic countries, well known for their circular economy principles, actively support initiatives that recycle waste heat from data centers and atNorth has made this an integral part of its blueprint design. The business has formed a collaboration with Wa3rm – a leader in the development of circular and bio-based operations for waste streams – to reuse excess heat to grow vegetables close to its DEN02 data center in Denmark. The business has also partnered with one of Finland’s leading retailers, Kesko Corporation to utilize waste heat from its FIN02 data center as heating for the neighboring Kesko store.
Collaboration and Engagement
In addition to the positive impact data centers can have in terms of heat reuse opportunities and the support of power and network connectivity within the countries they operate, it is also imperative that data center operators engage with industry peers and local communities alike in order to ensure the future success of the industry.
By joining industry associations or organizations such as the Climate Neutral Data Center Pact, innovation can be shared to fuel the research and development of new processes and technologies for the benefit of the industry as a whole. Additionally, initiatives such as the United Nation’s Global Compact offers guidance and opportunity to align with globally recognized standards of sustainability.
Data centers provide excellent employment opportunities throughout the building, operational and development stages, and have a positive knock-on effect in terms of an increase in local amenities such as restaurants, hotels and leisure facilities that contribute to the local economy. atNorth goes one step further to hire locally where possible and supports community, education and charitable initiatives to foster integration and support from local people and businesses alike.
As the huge demand for high performance digital infrastructure continues to increase, so does the awareness of its environmental impact. Data intensive businesses looking to mitigate this risk would do well to engage with data center operators that show a commitment to environmental responsibility, energy efficiency, and community integration. These data center ‘ecosystems’ sit at the very heart of society and are essential for the long term sustainability of digital industries and our planet.
