SUSTAINABILITY
The data centre company has also implemented USystems Rear Door Heat Exchangers ( RDHx ) to better cool its high-performance computing ( HPC ) and AI hardware . As a result , Northern Data Group has achieved approximately a 65 % reduction in energy costs for cooling compared to traditional data centre cooling methods .
“ USystems ’ manufacturing site operates on biomass energy and uses repurposed steel in its construction processes , further enhancing sustainability across our supply chain ,” Gary continues .
Likewise , VIRTUS Data Centres also commits itself to engaging with its key suppliers on sustainability topics such as the embodied carbon of products , energy efficiency of key equipment and Environment , Health and Safety ( EHS ) best practices in factories .
“ We already screen and evaluate vendors in our supply chain on management systems and energy efficiency , but we are always looking at embedding further sustainability in our procurement process ,” Gaelle comments . “ In future , we plan to take into consideration the overall sustainability ambitions of the vendor . This includes looking at their net-zero roadmaps , water management and social commitments , among other things .”
One of the strategies VIRTUS has employed is deploying an adiabatic cooling solution at one of its key sites to reduce water consumption . The company is working closely with the cooling manufacturer to develop alternative operating strategies . This has now become the standard operating methodology for the product , which Gaelle hopes will contribute to more optimised water use across other data centres .
She adds : “ VIRTUS is also always investigating innovative sustainability solutions such as low-carbon concrete and green steel to replace some of the traditional options , as well as use of machine learning in operations .”
Sustainability is also a crucial element of supply chain management for Dow , with the company adopting this
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