Reducing Energy Consumption in Data Centers
THE CHALLENGE
H1 Systems leads a 12-member international consortium whose HEATWISE project aims to minimize waste heat and maximize energy efficiency in service buildings with significant IT loads. The company is continuously seeking the latest solutions for efficient data center operations. Its goal was to ensure that as many companies as possible received the message that, due to newer-generation servers with ever-increasing power density, substantial transformations will be required in all data centers. This is because heat emissions in such facilities will rise to a level that cannot be handled safely and energy-efficiently with the technologies used to date. Efficiency may be further improved by an emerging technological approach—the secondary use of generated heat—which is also being examined within the HEATWISE project.
THE SOLUTION
We proposed a communication-driven research project to H1 Systems. The presentation of the research findings was linked to the new data reporting deadline set by the European Union’s Energy Efficiency Directive, which focuses on curbing the energy consumption of data centers. In a press release, H1 Systems drew attention to the fact that owners and operators of data centers with IT equipment requiring at least 500 kW of power must report on their energy efficiency. On the other hand, to the finding of its research that the surveyed companies subject to reporting obligations have already been working on improving energy use in recent years, while the utilization of waste heat is only now coming into focus.
RESULTS
The press release presenting the research results—timed to coincide with the European Union’s new data reporting deadline—was also covered by the Hungarian News Agency. Nearly 20 media coverage resulted from our release: in addition to technology-focused portals, outlets dealing with green energy and economic topics also published it. As a result, we successfully engaged a significant portion of the relevant trade and professional press in the communication.
