Some high-profile players in the data centre world have received column inches of late not least because of their ‘green’ credentials. Facebook, Google and Yahoo are all using innovative and environmentally-friendly cooling systems, building on brownfield sites and investing in renewable energy.

Colocation players have the same desire to be green but are somewhat constrained by the needs and demands of the customer.

Bourne out of the realisation that computer equipment can withstand hotter temperatures, a recent initiative by collocation data centres is to run warm in an attempt to lessen the need for cooling and use less electricity. Ambient temperatures of around 21 degrees Celsius (70 Fahrenheit) – often as high as 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) are now acceptable. The lower the temperature, the more cooling is required to maintain it, thus more energy is being consumed and the whole system is less efficient. However, there are two major problems with running data centres at higher temperatures.

Firstly, customer comfort: colocation customers need to visit their servers and do so regularly. They are used to data centres being a certain temperature and comfortable. However, what’s comfortable for machines is not always pleasant for humans.

The second problem with running data centres or server rooms at higher temperatures is how it affects UPS batteries. The batteries will continue to work effectively but the higher temperatures (above 20/21 Celsius) will compromise their design life and they will need to be replaced more often. This necessity will significantly increase the lifetime costs of the facility and UPS system.

Flywheel UPS is ideal for this type of application as it is not temperature sensitive like batteries. It will quite happily operate at 10 Celsius as it will at 40 Celsius. It can also offer high efficiency, low running and maintenance costs, the lowest possible PUE ratios and highest operational resilience. Riello’s Master MHF VDC 100-500kVA Flywheel UPS has been designed specifically for critical environments such as data centres, hospitals and large industrial installations. It is a scaleable system, incorporating a VDC or VDC-XE flywheel, which requires 50% less floor space than a similarly rated, traditional UPS and batteries. Flywheels have a much longer design life (20 years) than traditional UPS batteries and a far lower total cost of ownership (TCO). It also offers an instantaneous recharge time. To find out more, visit our website.

With low PuE scores the aim of many data centre operators, they are always on the look out for greener alternatives to UPS batteries. There are a number of different technologies receiving attention right now but so far none has risen up as a real commercial competitor to traditional UPS batteries or flywheels.

When you’re talking about components of an electrical back-up system – the cornerstone of a data centre’s livelihood – any alternative has to be the real deal and proven, not just a pretender. Some of the technologies being talked about now include: Ultracapacitors (or Ultracaps as they are colloquially known), flow batteries, superconducting magnetic energy storage and lithium-ion batteries but none has yet managed to gain a foothold in the UPS market place.

Here at Riello we are keen market watchers of new and alternative technologies so we keep a constant eye on developments. Here’s an overview of where some of these up-and-coming technologies are:

Ultracapacitors

Ultracaps are electric double layer capacitors, a promising technology that at some point may give orthodox energy storage a run for its money. The way they work is that they store energy at the surface of two carbon plates with opposite charges, separated by a sheet of paper dipped in a liquid electrolyte.

The advantages for the data centre environment are that they require less floor space than their UPS battery equivalents; their maintenance needs are low; they can operate in higher temperatures (and therefore need less cooling) and they use more environmentally-friendly materials in their manufacture.

However, the disadvantages are that the capital cost of buying an Ultracap at today’s prices means that they are not a cost-effective alternative. They also have a short ride-through time (less than 10 seconds), which is not enough for critical data centre environments. Also, as they are a new technology, they may require specialist engineering and not many engineers will be familiar (or experienced) at working on Ultracaps.

Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage

Or SME as they are known; is only just in research and development so is nowhere near ready for the open market but it uses a coil made of superconducting material, which is cryogenically cooled below its critical temperature, thus giving it zero resistance. A dc current is applied to the coil, which creates a magnetic field. The coil’s lack of resistance prevents the energy from dissipating as heat and allows for energy to be stored in magnetic form until required.

The advantages of SMEs include an absence of harmful materials and mechanical simplicity, which makes it more reliable. However, as with Ultracaps they currently carry a high capital cost and short back up time (again, only around 10 seconds). Also, their requirement for a cryogenic cooling system to keep them at below critical temperature would render their lifetime costs hugely expensive.

Sodium Nickel Chloride Batteries

There are a few companies planning to launch such batteries on to the market within the next few years, such as GE, for example, which is planning to bring to the data centre UPS market an energy storage solution with zero cooling requirements. As you know, UPS batteries do not respond well to temperatures outside of a constant 21-25 degrees centigrade and so the ambient temperature around them has to be controlled.

GE’s battery (it claims) will also offer a design life of 20 years, long discharge rates and will serve both ac and dc loads.

It has always been hard to compete with standard VRLA or Sealed Lead Acid batteries but then flywheel UPS started offering a real, commercial alternative some years ago and has gained real ground in the data centre market. Compared with the alternatives outlined above, flywheel UPS offers low initial and lifetime costs, a long lifecycle, high storage density, wide operating energy range, and environmental advantages. Flywheel UPS is also highly efficient and offers a compact footprint.

In July 2011, Riello AROS UPS unveiled details of a new range of flywheel UPS. Master MHF series is a modular, scalable, power protection system incorporating flywheel UPS technology. It is ideal for eco-targeted data centres looking to get the most out of their UPS investment.

The new Master MHF series offers 99% efficiency and is Smart-grid ready. It also boasts a 20-year design life. More details can be found on our website.

According to a report published by CRN.com earlier this month, data centre power consumption is not as high as it was expected to be. Rather than attributing this to better data centre design and the work by data centre managers (DCMs) that has gone into implementing strategic efficiency measures, the slow-down is being accredited to the fact that the installed server base seems to have levelled off.

How unfair is that?

Nowhere do we see energy efficiency being placed higher on the list of priorities than amongst our data centre customers! Alongside TCO (total cost of ownership), energy efficiency ratings and PuE scores are top of the agenda for DCMs.

The European Union issued an analogous document in 2007 with regard to UPS devices, prepared in collaboration with the CEMEP, the European Committee of Manufacturers of Electrical Machines and Power Electronics, of which Riello UPS is a member. Towards the end of 2008, the Union disseminated a Code of Conduct for improving the energy efficiency of Data Centers. Riello has set itself the target of being the most environmentally friendly power protection company in Europe. We are at the forefront of UPS research and development in terms of finding ways to improve UPS operating efficiencies and reduce their dependence on and usage of consumables such as batteries. To that end, Riello UPS developed the unique ECO Energy rating system – a clear method of identifying how Riello UPS products comply with and exceed the European Code of Conduct.

Findings in CRN’s report suggest the total consumption within data centres from servers, communications, storage, cooling and power distribution equipment accounts for between 1.7 and 2.2 percent of the total electricity used in the USA in 2010. A year prior, it was anticipated that it would be 3.5%.

I think the emphasis should be on decreasing power consumption, alongside increasing efficiency. UPS and cooling equipment perform at their most efficient at full load and this is not something data centres should do. Superbikes are designed for maximum performance and optimum efficiency but operating at maximum cannot be sustained indefinitely. A UPS is a critical piece of equipment and so reliability must take top priority. So, therefore, using efficiency on its own as a measure of success in reducing energy consumption, although important, is misleading. If you decrease load, efficiency will drop but then you will also be consuming less electricity.

In terms of lowering costs and energy consumption, the key to data centre design is to ensure you build flexibility in from the start. In terms of UPS, that might include installing flywheel UPS instead of battery banks to reduce the use of floor space and preserve it for revenue-earning servers. Flywheel UPS also offers greater efficiency and lower lifetime costs than battery equivalents. Instead of ripping out and replacing your UPS system every five years as your requirements outgrow it, you may also want to look at installing modular UPS, which gives you the option of increasing system capacity by bringing in additional UPS modules as you need them and simply slotting them into the system.

There are many ways you can reduce energy consumption in data centres and I think this report is testament to that fact. That’s what DCMs have been doing. Efficiency is but one way of doing that.

I read an interesting article in the trade press last week about the potential of Lithium Ion (Li-ion) batteries for UPS applications. It seems Li-ion battery manufacturers have done much to improve the design and manufacture of these batteries and addressed some of the design flaws that have so far struck them off as a serious contender in UPS applications. Could it be that they are at last taking the potential growth in the UPS market seriously?

Reports so far focussed on the USA market suggests the market for Li-ion batteries will grow 23% per annum until 2016.

Li-ion batteries have been slow to penetrate the UPS market. They are more readily employed in portable consumer electronics, primarily because of safety concerns. Lithium is highly flammable so if the batteries are exposed to over charging or over currents, it can present a fire hazard. Cost has also been an issue (they can be 5-8 times more expensive than VRLA equivalents). Many countries do not allow Li-ion batteries to be transported by air, only overland or by sea. They are more expensive to produce than Sealed Lead Acid batteries, more commonly found in UPS systems. Due to their chemical make up and design, Li-ion batteries can present a significant fire hazard if not carefully monitored.

On the plus side, however, Li-ion batteries display rather better ‘green’ credentials than their VRLA counterparts. They are also lighter in weight and take up less space than comparably-rated VRLA battery sets (some reports suggest by as much as 50%). Li-ion batteries can offer longer back up times at higher discharge currents and are said to be less temperature sensitive (VRLA batteries require a constant ambient temperature to preserve battery life). Li-ion batteries can tolerate more and faster discharge cycles. They have no gas emissions and can operate in a totally sealed environment.

Some Lithium Ion manufacturers are now designing batteries with charging and monitoring circuits built in, which control battery charging and protect against hazardous situations from developing.

I can see the potential of Li-ion batteries and will be watching with interest how the market develops. However, VRLA batteries have been in use in UPS systems for a long time, the technology is stable and they are cost-effective. There are battery alternatives (such as flywheels and fuel cells) that are much more exciting and in my view offer a more significant alternative to batteries but a I cannot see VRLAs being replaced in UPS installations by any other battery technology anytime soon.

A flywheel is a rotating mechanical device that employs a spinning mechanism to store energy that can be used as an alternative to mains electricity to power equipment. Its history dates back to Neolithic man and ultimately the invention of the wheel itself.

The wheel provided a means of transport, a way to spin wool and make textiles and a way (via a water wheel) of grinding crops for food production.

In the Industrial Revolution, James Watt contributed to the development of the flywheel in the steam engine, and his contemporary James Pickard used a flywheel combined with a crank to transform reciprocating motion into rotary motion.

Flywheel energy storage systems store kinetic energy (energy produced by motion) by constantly spinning a compact rotor in a low-friction environment. When short-term back-up power is required when utility power fluctuates or is lost, the rotor’s inertia allows it to continue spinning and the resulting kinetic energy is converted to electricity.

Flywheel UPS offer many advantages for certain applications over traditional battery-based UPS, although it’s important to point out that there is a distinct market for both. Flywheel UPS offers increased efficiency, greater environmental credentials (no emissions, no battery disposal), compact footprint (up to 50% less space requirements than battery-based systems), lower TCO (total cost of ownership) and almost instantaneous recharge.

In July we unveiled details of our new Master MHF series, which is a modular, scalable, power protection system incorporating flywheel UPS technology. It is ideal for eco-targeted data centres looking to get the most out of their investment in UPS.

The new Master MHF series offers 99% efficiency and is Smart-grid ready. It also boasts a 20-year design life. More details can be found on our website.

The Confederation of British Industry worries the proposed Carbon Price Floor will drive big business out of the UK

On 12^th July, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne delivered his much-anticipated white paper on Electricity Market Reform (EMR). Setting out coalition measures to keep the lights on, consumer bills down and shift the economy away from a high-risk, high-carbon future.

Here at Riello, we feel it’s our duty to comment on energy market issues.

Key elements of the reform package, as we understand it, include:

• The introduction of a Carbon Price Floor (essentially a regulatory/taxation policy demanding polluters pay a minimum amount of money to pollute). The aim is to reduce investor uncertainty, put a fair price on carbon and provide a stronger incentive to invest in low-carbon generation.

• The introduction of new long-term contracts to provide stable, financial incentives to invest in all forms of low-carbon electricity generation.

• Introduction of an emissions performance standard (EPS) set at 450g CO2/kWh to reinforce the requirement that no new coal-fired power stations are built and to ensure the necessary investment in gas.

• Development of a capacity mechanism, which will safeguard future security of energy supply.

The Government intends to legislate for the key elements of the EMR in 2012 and for it to reach the statue book by spring 2013.

Since the reforms were announced, there has been a backlash of criticism (unsurprisingly) from the Labour party but also from the UK business sector. Research by the Federation of Small Businesses highlights that 81% of small firms are worried about the rising cost of energy and are concerned that electricity generators will pass on to them the extra costs associated with EMR.

Small businesses consume similar amounts of energy as do domestic energy users but they do not receive the same regulatory safeguards and are unable to negotiate contracts the way larger companies can.

Any investment in new technology in electricity generation and distribution infrastructure is bound to result in price increases, especially as electricity is such a necessary commodity. Some of this is unfair i.e: generators hiking up prices to capitalise on market demand, but some is necessary: we desperately need new investment in what is essentially an outdated national grid. So, in my view, businesses large and small need to put their focus on using less energy rather than hoping for prices to fall in the fulness of time.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of British Industry, which represents 240,000 businesses, is worried that the Carbon Floor Price (which puts £16 per tonne of carbon dioxide emitted on to large businesses) will drive manufacturing, engineering and industry out of the UK.

There is still a lot to be decided before the new reforms start to bite but one thing is clear; energy costs will continue to rise, which is why many companies are now taking measures to reduce energy consumption and install new energy efficient technologies. Today’s UPS are highly efficient. Check out our energy efficiency figures.

But has the Government put the breaks on too soon?

I’m a great believer in the fact that there is so much potential for Solar technology in helping the UK reach its carbon targets and provide a huge boost to the economy but like many in the industry, I fear the coalition’s recent turnaround on the FiTs (Feed in Tariff Scheme) may have inadvertently put the breaks on and undermined investor confidence. I also think it could be damaging to the wider UK renewables market.

Ernst and Young recently published a report: The UK Solar PV Industry Outlook for 50kW+, which claims:

• Non-domestic solar could thrive in the UK without subsidy from 2017.
• UK solar projects are expected to be economic under 2 ROC support between 2012 and 2013.
• The UK solar industry has the potential to create 15,000 jobs by 2015.
• Solar can help large businesses to decarbonise.

The sun shines on the righteous

Meanwhile, I am gladdened (and amused) to read that Coventry Cathedral has become the first in the UK to install solar panels on its roof. The flagship project is part of the city’s efforts to get into good shape for the 2012 Olympics – and the many thousands of visitors expected at the football games scheduled to take part at the Ricoh Arena.

Coventry Cathedral’s solar installation consists of an array of 178, 50kW photovoltaic panels due to be installed anytime soon. Unlike many other cathedrals that have steep, pitched roofs and shady parapets, the Grade-1 listed St. Michael’s Cathedral (the third one in Coventry’s history) has a fairly flat roof, which means the panels can be fixed and tilted to maximise their solar energy generation potential.

This goes to show the true versatility of solar installations. Solar cells can be adapted to pretty much any situation, provided there is the space and direct sunlight – whether or not you have ‘friends in high places’.

Smart meters are the UK Government’s first step towards a smart grid for all homes and businesses by 2020.

Declining natural reserves and increases in energy use have made it necessary to fully understand energy requirements, manage power demands, increase energy efficiency and reduce waste. Smart meters will enable a host of information to be collected by users and energy suppliers in order to streamline supply.

But a smart grid will also give energy suppliers more control and there are growing fears for how this will affect the vulnerable. If users are late paying their bill, in effect, the supplier could cut off their supply with the flick of a switch (or more likely, click on a computer screen) at central control. This could happen to businesses suffering a temporary cashflow crisis too. But it could also happen by mistake or deliberately if a hacker manages to crack the system and bring down supply.

Mistakes can happen. But currently users (vulnerable or not) have at least some control over supply. Outside of a disaster or unforeseen circumstances, energy supplies cannot be cut off that easily. What if the survival of the business depended upon it? Most businesses would suffer greatly without a continuous supply of clean electricity.

The smart grid will come, not doubt about that, and it is a necessary and good thing in delivering a more optimised and efficient energy supply but how rules of supply (whether suppliers will be able to cut you off by mistake or not and the consequences of doing so) and security issues (how systems will be protected against hacking) are currently up in the air.

At the beginning of July 2011, the National Audit Office was reported in Computer Weekly as having said it expected the cost of implementing smart meters across the UK to exceed the current budget (estimated at £11.3bn). To date, the Government has a poor track record with infrastructure and computer systems. The office also questioned how a significant change in consumer behaviour, demanded by the new system, would be stimulated.

In May, the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) issued a notice to IT suppliers telling them to be ready to bid for work under the GB Smart Metering Implementation Programme (SMIP). SMIP is the system that will manage all of the smart meter data, allow users to manage their energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions.

A recent survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit revealed antipathy amongst energy consumers to the Government’s smart meter plans. Consumers fear energy price rises as a result and are unconvinced they will save financially through it. There are also mounting security fears in the light of recent high-profile breaches. The Energy Networks Association is calling for a more coherent and joined up approach to securing the smart grid than is currently in place.

The issue around smart meters for businesses galvanises the point about ensuring security of supply by installing UPS (uninterruptible power supply) and on-site power generation. By so doing, they give themselves complete control over energy security, while still being able to enjoy the benefits of a more optimised and ‘smarter’ national grid system.

Being the keen communicator I am, I was concerned to read an article in PRWeek that reported that the Government has responded to the news that officials approached nuclear companies to draw up a PR strategy to play down the Fukushima nuclear accident, by stating that there is no strategy.

Apparently, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills contacted the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) two days after the disaster, suggesting a consortium on communications material, activities and strategy to address any backlash from the media or concerns, or reduction in confidence from the public over Britain’s nuclear energy industry.

On hearing this news (according to PRWeek), controversial Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith, who sits on the Commons environmental audit committee, got up in arms and fumed that the Government has no business doing PR for the industry.

In answer to his concerns (no doubt), a DECC (Department for Energy and Climate Change) spokesperson informed the magazine that there “was no strategy” and that no document had been produced as a result of a meeting between the Office for Nuclear Development and the Nuclear Industry Association.

I think it’s absolutely right that the communications departments of the various industry bodies and key players got together to discuss what turned out to be one of the most serious incidents in nuclear’s history, its impact and how to handle any backlash. However, I do find it odd that no strategy was produced as a result. A key aspect of dealing with any crisis – even if it is not one of your own – is learning lessons that can be used in the future.

In my view, implementation of a communications strategy on the future of nuclear energy by the consortium (comprising primary industry players) would be an excellent idea at this time. We need nuclear to play a role in the future of energy production; securing public confidence is a key part of that.

According to new research by the Carbon Trust, and reported in MarketingWeek, nearly half of consumers said they would shun brands that aren’t taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint. More than a fifth (21%) said they would pay more for brands that label their products with their carbon impact. 47% of respondents stated that they are likely to choose low carbon labelled goods over non-labelled.

The Carbon Trust says the findings underline the need for corporate leadership on carbon reduction. They also point out that only 59% of FTSE 100 companies have clear targets to cut carbon footprints.

I think it’s great when companies show a real interest in environmental issues but I have to say, I’m a little sceptical about such research. Firstly, the article was in MarketingWeek, which is a magazine dedicated to the marketing industry and focused on marketing messaging.

Actions speak louder than words and to me there’s a vast difference between a company or business purporting, through marketing verbiage, to be taking action on carbon change and actually doing it. Look no further than certain high-street clothing retailers recently claiming to be ‘ethical’ and yet unwittingly buying into child labour. It demonstrates how easy it is to say one thing and yet without proper controls in place to actually be doing another. Marketing messages are shallow but consumers are savvy and less likely to be taken in, in my view. It doesn’t take much to label a product green and broadcast a low carbon footprint without doing much to actually reduce your carbon footprint.

Over the last decade, we’ve invested a great deal in product design with energy efficiency, lowering total cost of ownership, and increasing performance and reliability across all our range. Our UPS use less energy, take up less space and are easier to maintain. We’re also at the forefront of new developments such as renewable energy (solar) and flywheel/rotary UPS that doesn’t require batteries. Equipment is lighter in weight, so cheaper to transport, smaller in size so it doesn’t occupy so much space and contains fewer component parts so over its lifetime it will cost less to run and create less waste. Of course, it gives us some really useful marketing messages but more than that it makes our carbon claims tangible – and it helps our customers in their efforts to minimise their carbon footprints. And that, to me, is what it should be about – not paying lip service to environmental issues.