SUSTAINABLE DATA CENTER SELLS EXCESS HEAT TO THE GRID
SUSTAINABLE CLOUD SERVICES
KIO Networks is opening a brand-new 1,000 sqm data center in Valencia, Spain. The company is firmly committed to sustainability and going beyond standard obligations, and it is therefore also the first data center in Spain to use 100% natural refrigerants. The goal is to be Spain's most sustainable provider of cloud services and solutions.
The cooling and air-conditioning solution is based purely on the natural refrigerant CO2. Natural refrigerants like CO2 are the only refrigerants that are non-toxic, do not destroy the ozone layer, do not harm our drinking water, and have a global warming potential of 1. It was therefore the perfect choice for KIO Networks' new data center.
FACTS
End-user: KIO Networks
Segment: Data Center
Background: New sustainable data centre
Products: 2 x SteelXL (MT only) and 3 x MiniBooster
Specifications:
- 1,3 MW cooling capacity
- 150 kW air-conditioning capacity
- Heat Recovery for selling excess heat to the grid
- Permanent Magnets Motors for extra energy efficiency
- Emergency Cooling Unit for extra safety
REUSE OF EXCESS HEAT
Data centres are significant producers of excess heat. Servers within a data centre generate a lot of heat, requiring a lot of cooling. The cooling process in turn also generates a lot of excess heat.
The solution for the new data centre therefore includes heat recovery to reuse the excess heat generated from the cooling process. The excess heat is reused to heat nearby buildings through the district heating network.
WHEN FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION
The new KIO Network’s data centre is a Tier 4, meaning a data centre operating at the highest level with fully fault-tolerant components and independent distribution paths for power and cooling.
To ensure resilience, we therefore provided a fully redundant solution with back-up controllers and extra capacity. In addition, the solution also includes the Advansor Emergency Cooling Unit preventing the cooling system from loosing the refrigerant as it keeps pressure on the system in case the rack stops due to an emergency or power outage.
HIGH ENERGY EFFICIENCY
The first step towards more energy-efficient solutions is always reducing waste. In this case combining cooling, air-conditioning, and heating was the first step.
Furthermore, Permanent Magnet Motors on all 12 compressors were added ensuring 7-8% extra energy savings.
ONSITE COMMISSIONING AND TECHNICAL TRAINING
To make sure the solution is perfectly adjusted to the climate and surroundings, onsite commissioning was also included.
In addition, a group of technicians from KIO Networks received technical training at our factory in Denmark in our state-of-the-art training center.
The training was conducted in Spanish by our highly experienced after sales engineers. The training guided the technicians through real working situations and provided the know-how of the functions and structure of the solution for the new data center.