By Ben Selier, Vice President, Secure Power, Anglophone Africa at Schneider Electric
23 October 2024,
A key challenge facing data centres today is balancing operational efficiency with limited energy availability. In fact, a recent survey revealed that a third of IT and data centre managers are concerned about improving energy performance.
In addition to energy challenges, operators are under pressure to expand data centres at unprecedented rates. This involves navigating complex design processes, adhering to compliance regulations, managing efficiency, and ensuring uptime.
Despite the above challenges there also exciting solutions; integrated Building Management Systems (BMS) and Electrical Power Management Systems (EPMS) are revolutionising energy efficiency and reducing operational costs in data centres.
Over time, EPMS and BMS software have become essential tools for data centres. While each system offers benefits individually, its real potential is unlocked when integrated into a cohesive platform, especially when combined with smart technology and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
This integration streamlines data management, allowing users to monitor various processes, such as power usage and cooling, from a single interface. The seamless exchange of data between EPMS and BMS systems enables operators to identify energy usage efficiencies and discover opportunities for performance improvement that would be challenging to achieve otherwise.
The financial benefits
The combination of EPMS and BMS allows real-time monitoring, visibility, and control of critical infrastructure, leading to improved efficiency, reduced downtime, and lower operational costs. Here are five key financial benefits of integrating these systems:
- Accelerated time to revenue by reducing design cycles
Integrated systems streamline and accelerate the design process. By reusing design templates and reducing iterations between teams, project managers can shorten building phases and optimise ordering processes. This speeds up time to market, allowing data centres to meet customer demands faster and generate revenue sooner.
- Reduced downtime to avoid costly SLA penalties
Integrated EPMS and BMS solutions allow data centre managers to identify and address issues before they lead to downtime or service level agreement (SLA) penalties.
With real-time visibility into power consumption, cooling efficiency, and equipment health, operators can swiftly detect and resolve risks. Every minute of downtime costs money, so having access to critical data that ensures smooth operations is invaluable.
- Improved operational efficiency for data centre teams
Without integrated systems, teams often face labour-intensive tasks such as manually reading meters or logging incidents. EPMS and BMS automate these routine tasks, freeing teams to focus on more strategic projects. This increase in efficiency can save millions over time, and integrated systems also improve coordination between stakeholders, reducing delays in the construction of new facilities.
- Utility cost savings
According to the International Energy Agency’s report, global data centre electricity usage is expected to double by 2026, depending on factors such as the pace of deployment and trends in AI and cryptocurrency.
Advanced EPMS and BMS solutions optimise power usage and cooling, reducing overall energy consumption. Intelligent monitoring and analytics allow operators to identify inefficiencies, implement energy-saving measures, and better manage power distribution, leading to significant savings.
- Optimised costs for EPMS and BMS systems
By investing in the latest technology, data centres can reduce downtime, improve energy management, and enhance overall efficiency. This ensures sustainable growth and profitability in a competitive market.
Beyond financial gains
Adopting integrated EPMS and BMS solutions also offers several other benefits, including streamlined processes, standardised system designs, and enhanced security through optimised data management.
A Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study from Forrester Consulting on Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure suite of integrated hardware and software solutions found numerous benefits, including improved time to revenue, reduced downtime, improved operational efficiency, and optimised costs.
As demand for faster computing continues to rise, integrated systems will enable data centres to deploy new, high-capacity facilities more quickly and ensure reliable operations. By optimising energy usage and reducing costs, intelligent infrastructure management paves the way for a more efficient and sustainable future for data centres.
