Sustainable digital infrastructure needed to safeguard planet

DIGITALISATION is an integral part of our lives; when we access our email, watch an online movie, send an instant message, or renew our passport, a digital infrastructure - that brings together and connects physical and virtual technologies - is needed.

The International Data Corporation (IDC) has predicted that at least 65 per cent of the Asia-Pacific’s gross domestic product (GDP) will be digitalised by 2022, with 1 in 3 companies generating more than 30 per cent of their revenues from digital products and services by 2023. It is clear that no country can grow its economy without digitalisation.  

And yet, as fundamental as a digital infrastructure is when it comes to enabling a digital economy, it is also necessary for that infrastructure to have as little negative impact as possible on the environment and our planet. 

Data centres are where the demands of digitalisation and climate change collide. The only solution for growing the digital economy without compromising the sustainability of our planet is to build sustainable digital infrastructures.

The Singapore government earlier in the year announced a plan to lift a 2019 moratorium on new data-centre construction - this means it will once again allow the construction of new facilities, if they meet more stringent criteria for energy efficiency. In line with the Singapore Green Plan 2030, the lifting of the said moratorium puts a spotlight on data centres’ green agenda and how they can operate and grow more sustainably to continue contributing to Singapore’s aspirations of becoming a smart and flourishing digital economy.

With some 70 per cent of new value over the next decade coming from digitally-enabled platforms, long-term success is going to depend upon having vendor-neutral data-centre or digital-infrastructure providers that are committed to protecting, connecting, and powering a more sustainable digital world. 

To be sustainable, data centres should be green from the start - sustainability should be integrated into its design, building, and operation, with the end goal being the reduction of its consumption of energy and other resources. Considering sustainability in the design phase allows features such as modular construction, standardised mechanical and electrical engineering, higher energy-efficiency installations and less space redundancy to be incorporated directly into the data centre.

Complemented by external design considerations such as green landscaping and natural water features, data centres can further increase resource efficiency through circularity. With siting and integration within urban communities being a growing concern for the data-centre industry, this approach could minimise the impact on surrounding communities and residential areas.

At Equinix, for example, we use sustainability-focused solutions such as adaptive control systems, cold/hot aisle containment, energy-efficient lighting systems, temperature-control and leakage systems, innovative surface cooling technology, and the use of recycled water such as Singapore’s NEWater. We believe that, designed and integrated seamlessly, these technologies can work to optimise energy and resource efficiency for operators, as well as reliability, efficiency, and overall data-centre life.  

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In Singapore, specifically, we use 100 per cent high-quality renewable energy, and all our data centres are certified to meet rigorous environmental and energy-management standards. This reflects our support for Singapore’s sustainability agenda, and contributes to our goal of achieving climate neutrality globally by 2030, with science-based targets that align with the goals of the .

The sustainability and energy concerns in the data-centre sphere cannot be fully dealt with, however, without the aid of innovation and industry partnership. Equinix’s Co-Innovation Facility in the US, for example, enables industry partners to collaborate and develop sustainable innovations and solutions together, such as by identifying a path to clean hydrogen-enabled fuel cells or deploying more capable battery solutions.

We believe that using technology and innovation to encourage the commercialisation of solutions and industry best practices for sustainability will be key to long-term success. It will allow existing systems to be continually enhanced through innovation, and enable data centres to continue connecting and powering a more sustainable digital world.

The author is managing director, South Asia, at Equinix.