Innovating with Schneider Electric from Singapore’s Green Data Centre Standards to modern sustainability reporting

Author: Schneider Electric

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Today we hear so much about sustainability and Schneider Electric recently announced new sustainability features for our EcoStruxure IT portfolio. These features are oriented to support customers to meet the EU Energy Efficiency Directive coming into force this year. I remember when the team first faced the challenge of supporting customers to meet new sustainability regulations for data centres.

I was fortunate to work on Green Data Centre (Green DC) consulting and develop software tools to read key metrics and generate reports. The Green DC Standards helped organizations to establish systems and processes necessary to improve the energy efficiency of their data centres. It all started in 2011, when the Singapore Government introduced SS564 (Singapore Standard 564), guidelines to upgrade existing data centres to Green DC, and SS564 Guidelines for new construction of data centres.

In 2013, the Singapore Government released a revised version of SS564 Part-1 & Part-2. Many customers were compelled to transform data centres into Green DC by applying SS564 standards. The standards provided a recognized framework and a logical and consistent methodology to achieve continuous improvement in facilities. These standards were established for implementation consequent to the ISO 50001 standards on energy management, but they were tailored to meet the needs of data centres in Singapore.

Expert guidance on the Green DC transition

As a result of the new standards, existing and new customers approached Schneider Electric for Green DC Consulting, seeking expert guidance to implement SS564 Green DC transition. As part of our Critical Power & Cooling Services Software Sales Overlay team, my role was Software Business Development Manager for Asia, Pacific, and Japan. I saw a huge opportunity for DCIM (Data Centre Infrastructure Management) Software as a management tool to capture Green DC metrics, analyze, and present the readings to customers with simplified dashboard and reports. Schneider Electric established a team of experts to develop a new Green DC Offer with both technical and commercial solutions.

Data Centre Energy Assessment & Audit

In my position, I have seen first-hand how times have changed, and with them, attitudes toward sustainability.

Fast forward to 2020 when Schneider Electric Critical Power & Cooling Services Singapore introduced Data Centre Energy Assessment & Audit. This assessment services covers the scope of site visit, walkthrough to understand environment conditions and collect SLD (Single Line Drawing), Layout, Mechanical Layout, Infrastructure Design, Maintenance Report. Prepare and conduct on site measurement and capture the existing Data logs through BMS and DCIM. Measured data are uploaded to our Energy Assessment software tools, compute data collected against the energy performance metrics defined in Singapore Standard SS564. Generate and present the Audit Report with Detail Data Captures, Analysis, Mitigation and Energy Improvement Recommendations.

Schneider Electric approach to data centre sustainability objectives

My colleagues and I began with the humble start of Singapore Green DC consulting, assessment, and reporting to our customers in Singapore and expanded to a few countries in East Asia region. To promote SE Green DC consulting, I met with interested customers to transform their data centres to Green DC and presented SS564 guidelines and requirements. As things progressed, we had to comply to wider standards, codes, and ratings. A bigger team was required to take it forward. Schneider Electric’s Sustainability Business stepped in and continued to expand to wider geography by establishing a professional services team and updating offers to meet new requirements of modern sustainability reporting.

Helping customers improve sustainability

I am pleased to have a front-row seat to how the industry has changed when it comes to sustainability, and I wanted to share an example of how Professional Data Centre Services has helped customers.

• The team helped a top university in Singapore obtain the BCA Green Mark for Data Centres certification, a performance-based rating system similar to LEED Green Building Certification and the SS564 Certification Standard on Sustainable Data Centre Management system. The team provided the Detailed Assessment and Gap Analysis to meet the Platinum Rating requirements of BCA Green Mark. The customer chose Schneider Electric for implementing UPS with e-Conversion, cooling, BCPM, temp sensors, integrated data centre, energy, power monitoring and building operations and improving air management along with indoor air quality sensing. Presently under execution, these solutions will help achieve both BCA Green Mark and SS564 for the customer.

In 2023, Schneider Electric Singapore, Secure Power, Professional Data Centre Services team introduced an offer on full scale Sustainable Data Centre Consulting Services and Assessment Services, such as planning, design, and assessment services that are linked to sustainability.

It’s been a pleasure to share how our Professional DC Services is helping customers improve sustainability. Ready to improve your data centre’s sustainability? Learn more about our DCIM solution EcoStruxure IT and new sustainability features and how they could help your organization, by visiting our EcoStruxure IT website. And check out Alison Matte’s new blog on the growing web of sustainability regulations facing the data centre industry.

Tags: data center, DC Professional, DCIM, IT Professional, Pattabhi Rajan, Sustainability