As the world scrambles to identify ways to operate more sustainably, experts are raising concerns about how much energy will be required to run the data-intensive, AI-powered global economy unfolding before us. Much work has been put into addressing the environmental footprint of one of IT’s worst offenders: the power-hungry data centre.
Singapore, for its part, introduced new regulations in 2022 that require a 1.3 PUE for new data centres, and issued a new standard in 2023 that supports data centre operators to gradually increase operating temperatures to 26°C and above, up from 22°C or below temperatures commonly used. Recent high-profile outages linked to cooling system failures impacting DBS and Citibank in Singapore and Google Cloud services London serve as stark reminders of how quickly things can go wrong when data centres heat up. Rising outdoor temperatures due to climate change-induced heatwaves, combined with rising inside temperatures adjusted to combat climate change, add a nuanced complexity to cooling system analysis and disaster planning that we have not seen before.
To update their BCPs, enterprises should first ensure they have conducted their disaster simulations assuming increased baseline operating temperatures to properly understand system response and recovery nuances. Furthermore, enterprises need to stay abreast of rapidly evolving advancements in data centre Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing solutions, so as not to overlook opportunities to benefit from new technologies like direct or immersion cooling.
As more IT teams find themselves with less buffer for disaster recovery, closer alignment is needed with data centre facility experts to ensure BCPs are realistic. Getting disaster recovery planning right in a carbon-constrained world turns out to be an incredibly difficult balancing act, with experts striving for lower environmental footprints while still needing to protect vital IT.