The Data Centre Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Summit – UK & Ireland took place on 8-9 May in London. It converged industry pioneers, decision-makers, and subject-matter specialists committed to extending the limits of leading-edge solutions for operating data centers sustainably. With digital infrastructure expanding increasingly, energy efficiency and sustainability have become a requirement for data center operators. The conference provided a platform for the identification of new solutions and the exchange of ideal practices/ strategies. This is in carbon footprint mitigation, energy efficiency, and the achievement of global sustainability objectives. This article highlights the key sessions and sponsors that enabled this vital industry conference.
Sessions at the Data Centre Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Summit – UK & Ireland
Industry experts delivered the sessions across every aspect of data center sustainability. From carbon-negative building materials to AI-based cooling technologies, the presentations addressed a broad range of innovative solutions. This is to improve energy efficiency and environmental performance. So, this section highlights the insights of each session, reflecting the latest innovation in sustainable data center operations:
Optimizing Data Center Cooling with AI: Opportunities & Impact
Speaker: Dr. Thomas Weber, Co-Founder and Managing Director, etalytics
The presentation at the Data Centre Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Summit – UK & Ireland emphasized the revolutionary impact of AI on data center cooling systems. The speaker spoke about the transition from static to smart, adaptive cooling systems using digital twins to drive greater efficiency. Furthermore, the presentation highlighted how AI-based solutions can help in maintaining goal realization towards sustainability, as well as regulatory requirements by PUE and WUE optimization. Additionally, the talk explained how AI can counteract staff shortages through autonomous equipment monitoring and drive SLAs towards enhanced performance without compromise. It also covered AI dependency issues in mission-critical DC operations.
Sustainable Data Centres – Redefining Energy Efficiency Using AI
Speaker: Justin Nesbitt, Director, nLighten
The presentation gave an in-depth look at how AI influences sustainable data center design. The presenter explained how artificial intelligence optimizes energy utilization and efficiency in data center facilities. Moreover, the presentation briefly mentioned the particular role of AI in energy management and cooling systems, where predictive analytics could optimize energy efficiency. Additionally, the session ended with the sharing of trends in AI solutions towards more energy efficiency in green data centers. So, this gave the audience valuable insights into the technological developments.
Carbon-Negative Concrete Technology for Sustainable Data Centers
Speaker: Artjoms Smirnovs, Head of Marketing and Strategic Accounts, PRIMX
The presentation revealed PRIMX PURE, also known as the world’s first carbon-negative concrete floor solution. The presenter detailed how the new technology not only conserves CO2 emissions, but it also enables quicker construction, removes shrinkage, and offers jointless, precision-flat floors designed to ensure data center performance. Moreover, the presentation detailed how the solution is capitalizing on existing technology and engineering expertise. This is to design and manufacture floors tailored to suit the needs of sustainable data centers today. Furthermore, with pilot projects already underway, the session provided an update to attendees of a revolution that’s set to transform data center design.
Docklands Energy Efficiency Projects
Speaker: Ozgur Duzgunoglu, Senior Design and Engineering Director, Telehouse Europe
The presentation described the Telehouse South Project, highlighting the importance of retrofitting within data center operations in the current era. In addition, the speaker briefly addressed major issues faced while implementing the project. It includes working in a live environment, encountering supply chain disruption, and experiencing market inflation. Moreover, the presentation gave examples of success with sustainability. It includes choosing to retrofit rather than rebuild, having aggressive recycling rates, and implementing green technology that reduces carbon emissions by significant levels. Community outreach initiatives were also noted in the presentation, as well as some of the means through which the project set new industry standards for retrofitting aging facilities.
A Case Study of a Sustainable High-Density Data Center Cooling System
Speaker: Shabarish Nunna, Application Manager, BAC
This session addressed the challenge of cooling due to increasing computing density driven by Moore’s law and AI technology. The presenter covered some of the cooling methods for inside and outside data centers. It outlined the need for new solutions for next-generation IT hardware. A real-life case study showing practical applications of cutting-edge cooling technologies was part of the presentation. Additionally, the session provided sustainable data centers having growing heat loads in dense computer environments with realistic solutions.
AI & ESG – Can We Find Common Ground for Sustainable Growth?
Panel Discussion with Anna Dowson, Senior Director of Sustainability, GreenScale Data Centers; Christopher Hayes, Divisional ESG Director, CBRE Data Centre Solutions; Martina Therese Kiehas, Head of ESG, maincubes
This panel discussion examined the nexus between AI and ESG objectives. It also addressed whether they can be brought into harmony to ensure sustainable growth. Furthermore, presenters discussed how AI enters the picture to enhance ESG data analysis, transparency, and responsible decision-making. Algorithmic bias, data privacy, and energy usage were some of the issues that were also discussed. Additionally, the session provided real-life insight into the incorporation of AI into ESG strategies to deliver measurable, long-term impact across industries.
EED and the Challenges of Developing a Rating Scheme for Data Centres
Speaker: Emma Fryer, Director, Public Policy Europe, CyrusOne
The session at the Data Centre Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Summit – UK & Ireland discussed the implications of the Energy Efficiency Directive on data centres. The presenter explained how the directive places certain requirements on the industry and spoke about the reasons why policymakers require more certainty regarding energy consumption. The speech referred to prominent implementation problems of the law, both in scope, design, as well as reporting. Moreover, despite having such pending matters, the presentation described how the Commission is continuing with a system of ratings that will classify the facilities based on their sustainability record. Industry perspectives and several associated issues with taking this regulatory action were also discussed in the session.
Building and Operating AI-ready Data Centres
Speaker: Kenneth Dalton, Director of Operations, Global Switch
This session dealt with the revolutionary effect of AI on data center operations and design. In addition, the speaker presented the key features of AI-ready facilities and highlighted the need for quality monitoring systems. The session also covered infrastructure requirements unique to AI workloads and covered future trends that will drive future data center build-outs. Additionally, the session provided actionable guidance for operators who need to prepare their facilities for the increasing demands of artificial intelligence applications, looking ahead to current best practices as well as future-proofing measures.
Sustainability Strategies for Data Center Facilities
Speaker: Anita Goyal-Eames, Director of Sustainability, STACK Infrastructure EMEA
The session aimed at developing effective sustainability plans that deliver value to people and the environment. The speaker went through the practice of minimizing carbon footprints during the design, construction, and operations phases. In addition, the presentation led the attendees through the complexity of European regulation with a focus on the critical role of quality reporting and monitoring compliance. Also, the session ended by restating the long-term benefit of involving communities and exchanging value in the communities where the sustainable data centers are located. This is indicative of how sustainability goes beyond the environment into social responsibility.
Future-proofing Data Centres for Climate Resilience and Sustainability
Speaker: Gaelle Mogabure, Head of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), VIRTUS Data Centres
This presentation discussed new approaches to climate-proofing critical data center infrastructure. Moreover, the presenter explained how to minimize the effects on the environment while increasing resilience as climate change strains conventional sources of power and water. The presentation also highlighted the adoption of sustainable energy models to address these issues. Additionally, the presentation concluded by exploring strategies of resilience for future-proofing digital infrastructure for climate emergencies in the future. This gave practical guidelines for long-term planning efforts to the attendees.
Green Electricity Procurement: Effective Strategies for Achieving Clean Energy Across UK & Ireland Data Centres
Speaker: Connor Barry, European Director, K2 Data Centers
The presentation explored practical solutions in procuring green electricity for Ireland and UK data centers. The speaker addressed leveraging low-carbon technology in reaching clean energy targets and investing in power transmission and distribution infrastructure. Furthermore, the presentation addressed methods to improve clean energy accessibility and weighed the challenges against the opportunities of energy transition. Additionally, the discussion provided the attendees with strategic learning to respond to the complexities of renewable energy procurement in a shifting market.
The Value Proposition of Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Modular Data Centres
Speaker: Clive Deakin, Principal Architect, Iron Mountain
This talk at the Data Centre Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Summit – UK & Ireland addressed how modular data centers can address the evolving needs of the technology landscape. The presenter explored the cost of impact advantages that modular solutions provide to data center building and design. Furthermore, the talk addressed the part modular data centers have played in the issue of sustainability as well as ESG performance metrics. So, the presentation showcased interesting insights about how modular solutions are cost-saving and environmentally conscious. It also gave attendees practical information about an increasingly significant approach to the sustainable development of data centers.
Myth Busting and a Whole Systems Approach to Data Centre Sustainability
Speaker: Deborah Andrews, Professor of Design for Sustainability and Circularity, London South Bank University
The session busted some of the myths in data center sustainability through evidence-based thinking. The presenter argued that successful hardware influence analysis must extend beyond carbon footprints and include other environmental factors. Moreover, the presentation pointed out how design choices come into play in developing a truly circular economy for the data center sector. The session concluded by highlighting that standardized approaches are not adequate. It promoted customized sustainability strategies that are responsive to the specific characteristics/ needs of various data center environments.
Who Were The Sponsors For The Data Centre Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Summit – UK & Ireland?
The Data Centre Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Summit – UK & Ireland featured impactful industry sponsors, each contributing their knowledge/solutions to the event. The organizations contributed valuable insights and appropriate technologies related to data center sustainability. This section identifies the sponsors and how they contributed to the summit, demonstrating how their presence added value to participants at the event:
FläktGroup – Silver Sponsor
FläktGroup was formed in 2016 by the merger of Fläkt Woods and DencoHappel. It is currently a top European player in energy-efficient Indoor Air Comfort & Critical Air solutions. Furthermore, having a history spanning over a century, with origins dating to 1909, the company aims to guard the air while taking good care of the environment. FläktGroup offers full end-to-end solutions from design through delivery and service after sales for all the applications where energy-efficient, high-performance ventilation is demanded. Additionally, their solutions include air handling, movement, management, conditioning, filtration, diffusion, and controls. These are designed to offer maximum performance at minimum lifecycle cost. So, this enables their customers to achieve their sustainability targets while providing indoor air comfort and mission-critical air solutions.
Etalytics – Bronze Sponsor
Etalytics was established in 2020 and spun out of the “ETA | Energy Technologies and Applications in Production” research team at the Technical University of Darmstadt. The business is an expert in AI-powered solutions to assist organizations globally in optimizing energy usage, minimizing cost, and minimizing carbon footprints. Additionally, their key product, etaONE, provides real-time insight and predictive analytics. This helps data centers and other industries drive cost-saving control strategies and make energy-proactive decisions. At the Data Centre Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Summit – UK & Ireland, attendees learned practical insights regarding the shift from static to intelligent cooling solutions, observing how digital twins enhance energy efficiency and how AI helps in maintaining targets.
BAC – Bronze Sponsor
Baltimore Aircoil Company (BAC) is a worldwide technology leader in evaporative cooling and thermal storage technology across several different markets. It includes data centers, air conditioning for commercial use, heating, ventilation, power generation plants, manufacturing, and food processing. In addition to this, their diversified product line includes evaporative condensers, closed-loop cooling towers, hybrid coolers, and ice thermal storage systems. They save water and energy while providing effective cooling performance. Since 1938, BAC has combined innovation and customer collaboration, delivering lifecycle service from design through maintenance. At the summit, attendees benefited from their real-world case study addressing computing density challenges, gaining hands-on knowledge regarding various cooling methods for future hardware.
PRIMX – Presenting Partner
PRIMX Concrete Technology offers engineered concrete solutions with ultra-low CO₂ emissions, zero-joint floors, and high-performance structural systems. Moreover, with a worldwide presence on four continents and operations in top global markets, PRIMX reduces construction timelines and minimizes maintenance costs for data centers, logistics centers, and automated environments. Additionally, their end-to-end solution integrates in-house research and development, design capabilities, and on-site management. It helps to consistently deliver improved outcomes. At the summit, attendees gained considerable insights into groundbreaking carbon-negative concrete technology, not only reducing the impact on the environment but also offering operational benefits of faster construction time, zero shrinkage, and smooth, accurate floors.
To Sum Up
The Data Centre Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Summit – UK & Ireland was a high-level forum for industry stakeholders to engage with innovative solutions for sustainability and regulatory developments shaping the data center transformation. The conference provided real-world solutions to achieving energy efficiency and reducing environmental footprints. As operations in data centers become more sustainability-driven, gatherings such as this summit are needed to stay current with new technologies and best practices. Industry experts must attend such events as a priority to stay competitive in an increasingly environmentally aware marketplace and to make sure that their facilities are ready for both environmental threats and regulatory compliance.
