Building a green data centre in Singapore

There is no doubting the growing awareness and emphasis given to green IT round the world. The theme is of special pertinence considering Singapore’s position as a data centre hub in the region. The consumption of electricity by data centres stands at around 7% of all power generated in the country, which is an incredibly high number when compared to an average of just 1-2% globally.

Ultimately, the theme of sustainability will only increase in relevance as organisations pay closer attention to the environmental footprint of their operations as part of corporate responsibility, and consumers become more discerning about the impact of the services and products that they are consuming.

With this in mind, we examine some of the key facades of green IT in Singapore, and look at how data centres can be designed and built with a greater emphasis towards the environment.

A hard reality that quickly becomes obvious to observers is how land-scarce Singapore does not have any sources of renewable energy. The high density of population and relatively flat topography renders it devoid of the usual green sources of energy such as wind and hydroelectricity. Solar works, but the use of large swathes for water catchment and much of the rest for infrastructure such as roads further reduces its practical use.

This is not to say that the country is a dead-end where green IT is concerned. Indeed, there are still many strategies in which organisations employ to minimise their environmental impact, though this would predominantly be focused on efficient use rather than renewable sources.

For example, Singapore has invested substantially in NEWater, which is recycled wastewater that is treated to a grade suitable for drinking. Certain niches, such as semiconductor fabrication plants and data centres that necessitate the use of large amounts of water, have tapped into it to satiate their demand for water to reduce the local impact of their operations.

Another strategy entails the more efficient use of energy. For buildings in general, the BCA Green Mark Scheme has gained much traction since it was first introduced in 2005. Among other objectives, the scheme is focused on the practical task of helping building owners gain a reduction in water and energy bills for their facilities, as well as to reduce their potential environmental impact.

The use of NEWater for its cooling plants aside, a less obvious way of reducing the environmental impact of data centres would be to install diesel rotary uninterruptible power supply devices (DRUPS) over a static battery system. While costlier, the former essentially uses kinetic energy as a buffer against electrical outages, reducing the use of batteries and environmentally damaging chemicals found in them such as lead, nickel or cadmium.

Beyond that, the Building & Construction Authority (BCA) and Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) have also released a standard known as the Green Data Centre Green Mark that pertains specifically to data centres under its Green Mark Scheme. This gives data centre operators an incentive to keep an eye on various best practices and designs that encourage efficient use of power and water.

You will be glad to learn that DC West, our latest data centre that is due to be completed in 2016, will play its part for the environment. DC West will utilise NEWater for cooling, and will be equipped with redundant DRUPS. In addition, we are building it for accreditation to Green Mark Platinum, the highest tier offered under the BCA-IDA scheme.