Aggreko addresses grid outage concerns

Photo: Aggreko

Aggreko has called for more flexible energy solutions to address grid outage and resilience concerns among operators in data centres.

Commenting on Uptime Institute’s Global Data Center Survey, the company said flexible energy solutions are needed to maintain site resilience and mitigate unavoidable grid issues.

The survey found that 55% of operators have experienced outages in the past three years. Aggreko said decentralised energy solutions can play an important role when looking to reduce reliance on under-strain national power grids.

Billy Durie, global sector head – data centres at Aggreko, said that although the survey revealed a reduction in outage rates, more needs to be done; “55% is still a very high figure for a sector where unplanned downtime is something that must be avoided at all costs.

“Yet to an extent, these figures are not surprising – factors outside the sector’s control, including extreme weather conditions, supply chain degradation, strained national grid infrastructure and volatile energy pricing are threatening server halls more than ever before.

“If facilities are to maintain an uptime rate of 99.999%, new strategies will be needed for operators to manage the acute challenges posed by strained power infrastructure.”

The survey from Uptime comes just months after Aggreko released its Uptime on the Line whitepaper, which found that of 700 centre professionals from the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, many echoed the findings of Uptime’s report. 

In particular, a lack of qualified staff, improving energy efficiency and procuring equipment to meet rising demand were all highlighted as prominent sector concerns.

Durie said the industry must “take a long-term view when it comes to mitigating ongoing pressures around supply chains, expert availability and power provision” when looking to overcome these issues.

He said, “Considering the obstacles posed by under-strain grid infrastructure, a paradigm shift is required when it comes to powering sites, with decentralised energy solutions offering a potential solution to ongoing concerns.

“However, integrating these technologies can pose unique challenges – including whether to opt for permanent or hired installations, and how they factor into data centre decarbonisation plans – that require supplier expertise and input.

“Given the uncertainty demonstrated in the Uptime Institute’s latest survey, I would encourage data centre stakeholders to read the Uptime on the Line series and explore how dynamic equipment hire strategies can help address pressures facilities are currently facing.”