THE DATA CENTRE INTERVIEW
She continues:“ If there is a gap today, it is often between the pace of innovation and the pace at which information about those innovations reaches communities and becomes visible in local projects. Many of the concerns communities raise are based on challenges the industry is actively solving through advances in cooling, energy efficiency, noise reduction and facility design.”
Community engagement from day one On timing, Katie argues that the decisions with the greatest bearing on neighbours are taken early and are closely linked to one another.“ Community engagement should begin on day one of the planning and design process, well before construction begins,” she says.“ Many of the decisions that ultimately shape a facility’ s impact on its neighbours, including its cooling architecture, water strategy, equipment placement and noise levels, are interconnected.“ The earlier those considerations are evaluated together, the more flexibility developers have to reduce impacts while maintaining performance, resilience and future growth potential.” On the question of responsibility, Katie draws a distinction between the parties that own the relationship with residents and those that shape the technical choices beneath it.“ The operator and developer ultimately own the community relationship, but the supply chain also plays an important role in shaping the technical decisions behind a project,” she says.
“ As a systems provider, Johnson Controls helps customers evaluate water use, power consumption, noise, safety and economic impact as part of the design process rather than treating them as issues to be addressed later. Johnson Controls is proud of the performance of its operating equipment and has enjoyed engaging directly with communities and legislators answering questions and helping everyone be empowered with the latest facts and figures.” Katie identifies the company’ s reference designs and testing as the point at which it exerts most influence.“ Our influence comes through the technologies and expertise that inform those decisions, from cooling systems and controls to fire protection, security and lifecycle services. Our reference designs and testing capabilities help customers evaluate how different thermal and facility strategies perform under real-world conditions before they are deployed. For example, our reference designs model thermal performance at 1GW-scale AI factories, allowing customers to eliminate water, reduce energy and optimise infrastructure design before construction begins.” She adds that early contact with residents also gives developers the chance to hear local priorities:“ Early engagement also creates an opportunity to listen. Different communities have different priorities. The best design is one that addresses local needs from the outset and establishes clear measures of performance and accountability.”
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