Keeping data centres up-to-date to meet ever-evolving challenges

No organisation can afford downtime for the renewal of its critical infrastructure. With the lifespan of servers being as short as 5 years, technical advancements in new servers drive new capacities from existing data centre installations. While installations within data centres reach the end of their functional lifespan within just 20 years, the building itself lasts 50 or more. With the constant demand to upgrade and expand data capacity, it’s essential to have specialist support.

In addition, there are the additional challenges of sustainability regulations, the exponential growth in demand for information, AI capability and the relentless progression of data processing methods.This makes it inevitable that your data centre, at one point, will need a strategic assessment of its current operations and potential needed upgrades to remain futureproof. Expansion opportunities with stranded power or stranded data hall space are topics for a healthy business case.

Our team of 200 specialists works with clients to assess their existing data centre operations and identify the most cost-effective, sustainable and efficient route to revitalisation.

An ever-growing demand for infallible processing power

The demand for processing power continues to grow at an exponential rate. As organisations compete to maximise new AI-led opportunities, efficient data centre operations are more important than ever. In addition, servers have undergone major technical changes in the last few years. Operators, therefore, need higher density IT power per square metre (kW/m2), improved cooling capacity and, in some cases, more data centre floor space.

Coupled with this is the expectation of constant uptime. A data centre is a mission-critical facility that is crucial for operations. Any disruption could be catastrophic, financially and reputationally.

Data centre sustainability requirements

For operational data centres, the facility's efficiency is based on technology and best engineering practices when these facilities were built. Today, there are new market requirements and diverse expectations, along with new energy efficiency markers that focus on the efficiency of IT devices within data centres for more comprehensive evaluations.

In addition, new legislative requirements may cause the need to reassess existing operations. Following the EU’s new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), data centres must collect reporting data and share disclosures in company reports. Moreover, impending Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) regulations and the need to align with the Energy Efficiency Directive are prompting data centres to consider significant operational upgrades and redesigns.

Upgrading can be a powerful option

Capacity, density, availability, security, energy efficiency and sustainability challenges all may cause a reevaluation of your current operations. Every data centre site is different and requires thorough, specific evaluation to determine its current and future viability – including structural, environmental, mechanical and electrical assessments.

At Royal HaskoningDHV we deliver comprehensive, end-to-end expertise, and offer detailed insights due to our extensive knowledge of the data centre market. From switching outdated UPS systems to redesigning and modernising the entire facility, we provide detailed insights and guide you through feasibility studies, technical analysis, risk assessment as part of the business case. Then, we can move to the design, procurement, construction, and ongoing management stages, depending on your needs.

The route to success is collaboration – by immersing our specialists into operations and building relationships within management, IT, and facilities teams, we gain a 360 degree view of requirements, opportunities and challenges.

Considering a brownfield approach

When upgrading your current legacy data centre is not feasible, consider a brownfield approach, where an existing site can be redeveloped to be a data centre site. Organisations today cannot often justify the construction of an all-new, greenfield data centre. With the right expertise, it can be more cost-effective, faster and more sustainable to focus on brownfield development to create new, future-proof facilities.
Our team collaborates with you to identify suitable sites, leveraging existing power supplies and data connections. This approach reduces time-to-market and offers sustainability and cost advantages. With our digital capabilities and sector knowledge, whatever building solution is right for you, we will ensure your data infrastructure is robust and future-proof.

Design and engineering expertise, with consultancy insight

Our established, multidisciplinary data centre team has decades of expertise at our fingertips. Applying advanced techniques to deliver bespoke consultancy to achieve clients’ objectives.

3D scanning and exploration help us achieve a shared vision of the finished expansion. We confirm spatial coordination, refurbishment phases and end-of-life planning as required. Our team is highly experienced in reporting for LEED, BREEAM and EED audits and, increasingly, we advise on the asset management of data centres. This includes establishing and reviewing Building Management Systems (BMS) and Data Centre Infrastructure Management (DCIM) replacement services and re-permitting.

From relatively small upgrade projects to a major data centre refurbishment, from redesigning legacy data centres to edge data centres, our team is empowered to achieve successful design, delivery and day-to-day efficiency. Our long-term relationships with clients allow us to maximise value at every stage in the data centre lifecycle.