Green Credentials
4D’s Eco Credentials – green at heart
On the basis of eco-credentials, buses are generally much more efficient than cars because they get the job done en masse and efficiently. Data centres like ours are the buses of the internet superhighway (except we have to negotiate larger volumes of traffic).
In the same way that a ‘petrol mini-bus’ may be less efficient than a ‘diesel double-decker’, not all data centre providers can claim to be as eco-friendly as one another. At 4D, we take our environmental responsibilities seriously, which is why you’ll not only find green inspiration at the heart of our logo, but also at the heart of our data centres.
Cutting-Edge Eco-Friendly Cooling Technology
In November 2011 we took our green initiatives a step further and installed a greener form of cooling technology in the form of Eco-Friendly Cooling at 4D Surrey.
As you know, all data centres require cooling to prevent servers from overheating. And most data centres use traditional air conditioning technology which is very effective but not so eco-friendly.
Eco-science
The new technology we've installed sucks in fresh air, filters it for dust and at the same time adds fine droplets of water to the air. As the water evaporates, it cools the air, which in turn cools the servers.
So it's a completely natural way of producing refreshing cool air at exactly the right temperature and with a much reduced carbon footprint.
We've still got our usual air conditioning technology installed on-site, just in case, but we're pretty sure it won't be needed from now on.
Eco-friendly
We're in good company. Facebook and Google have launched similar systems with great success but we're proud to be one of the first to do so in the UK.
EC-friendly
The new units are the only evaporative coolers designed specifically to take into account European health and safety regulations.
So that's a big green tick for the environment and a big blue one for Brussels!
Benefits to us and our clients
So far, we’re pleased to record the following benefits as a result of the new coolers:
- Decreased energy usage of 88% on current cooling load
- Reduced carbon footprint for existing clients. Estimated saving of 440,605 Kg of CO2 per year.
- Better cooling performance on hot days than traditional CRAC units
Reduced PUE
We're also very pleased to announce that we have managed to reduced our PUE to 1.146
PUE stands for Power Usage Effectiveness. It's calculated by dividing the total amount of power a data centre consumes by that which is used by the IT equipment.
A PUE score of around 2 for a data centre would be considered ‘average’, while a PUE of 1.5 is deemed ‘efficient’ and anything below this is difficult to achieve. Just a few facilities are now operating at 1.1 – 1.4 by using very efficient cooling methods so we're very pleased to be in this bracket.
More than recycling cardboard (though we do that too)
Just in the same way that we’re constantly pushing the technical boundaries of our core network, we’re always on the lookout for new technologies which improve the efficiency of our data centres and in turn reduce the carbon footprint of your equipment. Our green initiatives at 4D Surrey include:
- Evaporative cooling technology
- Cold aisle containment
- Installation of a 'Power Factor Correction' (PFC) unit on our mains power supply
- Fresh-air and adiabatic cooling of our UPS and switchgear
- Blanking plates and floor grommets in all racks
- High intensity LED tube lighting throughout the building
- PIR-activated lighting in halls and walkways
All that cardboard
You’d be surprised at how much packaging accompanies a full rack of servers – it’s a lot. Unlike a lot of data centres that force you to take it home with you, as long as you leave your empty packaging in our unpacking area, we’ll sort it, crush it and recycle it for you. Convenient and green.
A few accolades:
