Securing energy from renewable sources both on and off-site.
Usage & Avoidance
Across our office locations and Integration Centers, we have implemented measures to reduce the energy consumed without impacting our operations. This includes:
- Installation of high-efficiency LED lighting in key environments
- Motion-sensing lighting throughout office locations
- Smart heating and air-flow systems (in sympathy with COVID-19 regulations)
- Usage of high-efficiency monitors, docking, and peripheral solutions
- IP telephony to remove ‘always-on’ devices from desktops
- SD-WAN solutions for employees to ensure efficient routing and lower data center demand
- Data Center air conditioning upgrades that use passive cooling to do more with less
‘The cleanest energy is the energy we don’t use.’
Energy Mix
Across the Computacenter Group, over 78% of the energy we purchase comes from renewable sources. This includes a majority of wind, wave, and hydro power, primarily in the UK and Germany. Sourcing energy responsibly goes hand-in-hand with reducing what we use.
Over the past four years, we have committed to transitioning toward green power at all of our sites where it is feasible and available. We look forward to growing our share of renewable energy purchasing and reducing what we use whilst exploring new self-generation opportunities.
Digital Efficiency
General data center estate
From the beginning of 2018, our data center technical teams have conducted several energy saving projects and have achieved outstanding results. In 2017/18 we enlisted the services of industry experts, Operation Intelligence, to partner with us and enhance our skills to operate the data centers more efficiently. With this increased knowledge and several key projects, we have successfully reduced our consumption at all our UK Data Centers. We have seen a 14% reduction in our energy consumption over the whole data center estate in 2020, compared with 2018.
Manchester Data Center cooling system upgrade
Computacenter completed a £1.6m air conditioning unit refresh, replacing the existing units with energy efficient equipment. These new units are state-of-the-art dual cool air conditioning units, which make use of ‘free’ cooling from the environment when the external temperature is low. We are also upgrading the chilled water system to take full advantage of the free cooling from the water chillers. A new ACIS building management system has been installed that will control the Data Center environment to ASHRAE guidelines, whilst making it more energy efficient by reducing electrical consumption by 12.5% and thus improving the PUE Data Center efficiency metric to 1.68. The combined energy consumption reduction should be 16%.
Buildings & Facilities
The physical premises where we deliver for our customers and conduct our business provide unique opportunities for us to reduce our wider environmental footprint. Computacenter’s investment in on-site Solar capabilities has proven success in multiple locations with new opportunities under strategic consideration. At the time of installation, the solar array at Hatfield was the largest commercial system in the United Kingdom. Our on-site electricity generation is just the beginning of the many ways we reduce our footprint down the line including:
- EV charging points that provide renewable energy for our employees and fleet Lower
- Reduced carbon from our EV powered logistics
- Improved air quality in-and-around our Integration Centers
- Increased visibility and awareness of energy usage by activity area
- Transparent accounting for professional services related carbon
At our Hatfield Integration Center and Headquarters, 25% of the energy that we use comes from our own on-site solar array. Installation was completed in early 2020 and has proved to be a remarkable success. This model is now being rolled out to other locations across the Computacenter Group.