27.3.2014

The new ‘Green Data Center – ColocationIX’ Consultix data centre in Bremen was awarded the German Data Centre Award in the ‘ventilation and cooling’ category for its intelligent energy concept, which won the jury over with its energy efficiency, performance and cost effectiveness. The idea: Instead of traditional air conditioning to take away the heat produced by the servers, highly efficient compact integral wells ensure a decentralised and fail-safe method of cooling in the summer. The system is extremely energy-efficient, environmentally friendly and reduces the burden on the electricity grid. Drilling work for the project is currently being carried out at the site in the city centre of Bremen.

Energy consumption has already become one of the biggest cost factors when operating a data centre. Cooling the servers can result in energy cost savings of up to a third. The project is proof that it is possible to create environmentally friendly and cost-effective data centres. “The energy concept satisfies all of the requirements of a modern data centre, such as availability, security and scalability. At the same time, the investment costs are so low that the facility will have paid for itself within five years, and we will save more than 60 per cent on our energy costs,” confirms Andres Dickehut, CEO of Consultix.

The patented compact integral wells use the principle of groundwater circulation. Four independently operating circuits ensure supply, delivering 200 kW of continuous output with a peak output of 800 kW. This means that neither compression cooling units nor a heat pump is needed at all, which leads to additional energy savings. The system is rounded off with adiabatic heat exchangers, which are installed on the roof.

Compact integral wells harness geothermal energy at depths of up to 400 m. The ground is both a regenerative source of heat and a seasonal storage unit in one: the heat which is transferred to the ground during the summer can be used in winter to heat buildings. Another advantage is that a geothermal facility does not produce any CO2 emissions locally. In order to be able to meet the growing energy needs of data centres in an environmentally friendly way, intelligent energy concepts using a high degree of renewable energies are required.