Data centres; future-proofing the power behind the data economy

Data Centres have become a part of our lives in a way that most of us don’t realise, but with 259 colocation data centres in the UK alone, they are a crucial part of our infrastructure. 

For businesses, data centres are integral to their operations. In a world where 30 minutes of data downtime can equate to thousands of pounds in lost revenue, they demand reliability and resilience from the data centre providers they entrust.

On an individual basis, we are also inherently reliant on datacentres. From contactless payments to managing our heating remotely, if the data was suddenly unavailable we’d certainly know about it! And with the IDC predicting a two-fold increase in wearable tech by 2021, the demand placed on data centres is only set to escalate.

On a wider scale, global infrastructure itself places huge reliance on data centres; transport, lighting, security, television. You name it, a data centre probably supports it.

So while they say that money makes the world go round, in the age of IoT, is it perhaps Data Centres that drive global commerce?

Bridging the gap between tech and ethics

While much of this infrastructure exists covertly, there are elements of data centres which remain very much in the public eye. Connectivity, economy and sustainability are ideas which most of us think about; and with new legislation such as the GDPR coming into play, the security of public data is definitely at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

So, when these huge, energy-consuming data centres exist, holding the key to both our connectivity and our personal data, the focus on a data centre’s sustainability, security and resilience becomes much more of a public issue.

For Bouygues Energies & Services, transforming data centres into energy efficient, resilient, secure facilities with zero downtime, is at the heart of what we do.

The BYES approach:

Rather than relying on traditional data centre build methods or patterns, we think differently to offer our clients alternative solutions with innovative design methodologies focused on energy efficiency. We’ve been able to demonstrate how rethinking the need for Greenfield data centres could be a step in the right direction, reducing impact on the environment and cost to our clients.

Through collaboration with our clients, we can deliver efficient solutions that suit both parties. This approach means we can offer more versatile facilities and flexibility in design. Offering refurbishment, upgrade and fit-out solutions, as well as the traditional design & build offer, we create solutions which fit our clients’ business needs.

How do we do it?

Our team of in house, Uptime accredited designers is highly experienced in creating personalised solutions for every business type. Adopting an ‘intelligent by design’ attitude, the team embraces innovative practices for air-cooling, power and connectivity into each build. Installation of fresh-air, evaporative cooling technology, solar panels and chimney racks for heat extraction ensures each data centre is not only greener, but also cost effective.

Alongside considerations for sustainability, our teams think about the whole project lifecycle. That means that from design, to electrical installation, all the way through to final project handover, BYES work with the client all the way. We even provide Integrated System Testing (IST) to ensure that all software is functioning correctly and data integrity is maintained before we handover to the client.

Jamie Hughes and Phil Johnson, two of our in-house experts, summarise the benefits of our data centre approach;

“Our data centre resilience is demonstrated by a number of considerations across power and security. For example, in addition to simple A + B deployment, we also offer a distributive redundant system which is more space and expenditure efficient. We have highly reliable end plant equipment to reduce mean time between failures (MTBF) and Uptime Institute Accredited Tier Designers in house, to enable verification of the Tier certification scheme requirements at each design stage.

Our in-house security systems and integration team ensures these critical resilience systems are integrated into design concepts at the earliest stage possible.

Knowing that our data centre offering is as green as possible matters to both BYES UK’s team and our end clients.  Our credentials include high-end equipment which boasts market-leading energy efficiency, such as Eaton UPSs which can be run in VMMS mode (by suspending modules that are not required for optimum efficiency), oversize underfloor cable runouts to reduce cooling requirements, and a distributive distribution system to reduce standby equipment, for less plant space and reduced carbon footprint.

We also take an extendable approach to equipment, allowing plant to be scaled up to match load as required, reducing losses and costs. We integrate the latest fan and pump technologies, coupled with high efficiency cooling systems (direct and indirect air, evaporative cooling and CHW systems). A key to this approach is our strong relationship with specialist equipment suppliers who can correctly install equipment and ensure integration.“

Utilising our unique process and the expertise of our team, we have seen the successful completion of several, different tier data centre projects (seen here). Our turnkey offering allows clients to begin using their fully equipped data centres immediately after completion, saving valuable time and money.