The climate crisis has been a topic of discussion for quite some time. At the same time, rising electricity prices are placing a significant burden on Germany as a business location. The impact on future life is a particular focus. As a result, environmentally friendly measures to combat the crisis are becoming increasingly important—above all, the switch to renewable energy. “Operating data centers requires a high demand for electricity to power the IT infrastructure,” explains Jerome Evans, founder and Managing Director of firstcolo GmbH.
For more than 20 years, firstcolo has operated data centers and therefore places great importance on the efficiency of the respective areas. “We use 100% electricity from renewable energy,” says Evans.
He also points to a PUE value (Power Usage Effectiveness) of 1.25, which compares the data center’s total energy consumption with that of the IT infrastructure. In 2020, the average PUE value in Germany was 1.631. “Specifically, this means that we only require 25% additional energy to operate the necessary data center infrastructure. This can include, for example, emergency power systems or air-conditioning units, which play an essential role in operations.”
Climate neutrality for data centers by 2030: this is the EU Commission’s demand within the European Green Deal. For green data centers, one possible lever is therefore adjusting energy demand. “This can be achieved, for example, through air conditioning or cooling of the data center, as these have a major impact on the total electricity consumption of the respective data center,” Evans explains. “That is why we rely on modern cooling concepts with direct or indirect free cooling.”
For cooling technology within the data centers, firstcolo relies on cold aisle containment to direct effectively and efficiently cooled air to the respective server systems. “We ensure that the supply air temperature within the cold aisles of our data centers reaches a value between 21 and 24 degrees,” the expert explains. This ensures the hardware receives sufficient cooling and avoids unnecessary use of cooling capacity that would be required for a lower temperature.
To assess energy consumption and carry out necessary optimizations, the PUE value alone is not sufficient. Instead, it requires a comprehensive view of all aspects of electricity consumption and regular review of all relevant metrics. “Data center operators should therefore, in addition to the already high quality requirements, not lose sight of the focus on sustainability in the future,” Evans warns. New findings should always be taken into account and adjustments made continuously. “With this approach, firstcolo aims to guarantee efficient colocation operations while also contributing to the fight against the climate crisis,” the expert concludes.
