Data centers urged to cut power consumption

This photo shows Meralco electric technicians fixing a power line.

MANILA, Philippines — Energy management and digital automation firm Schneider Electric is urging Philippine data centers to use the “green approach” as part of smart and sustainable solutions to lessen energy consumption.

Schneider Electric business development and marketing director Carlos Leviste said data centers have become integral to the country’s rapidly growing internet economy.

“The need to transition to sustainable operations has become more pronounced,” Leviste said.

According to Leviste, data centers have previously utilized fuel to run its operations, marking the facilities as “energy-intensive.”

Schneider Electric said data centers should shift to electricity and digital, specifically energy management systems and digital tools, which promote sustainability and operational efficiency.

“Data centers, equipped with smarter operations, can optimize costs, speed and capital to prepare them for future technological integrations and risk mitigation,” the firm said.

Schneider Electric offers solutions for data centers to improve efficiency and sustainability through American Power Conversion, which offers high-efficiency uninterruptible power supplies, cooling units and monitoring systems.

It said the oil-free cooling centrifugal compressors with magnetic bearings chiller systems allows data centers to consume power more efficiently and sustainably.

“Through these solutions, data center facilities can reduce operational costs in design and engineering, function using grid-compliant assets and software with reduced cybersecurity risks and ensure proactive maintenance of assets to maintain optimum uninterrupted performance,” Schneider Electric power and grid sales leader for Asia Pacific Sara El Fanidi said.

More energy companies are also launching data center solutions for sustainability.

Singapore-based Enercon Asia is supporting rapidly growing industries such as microgrids and data centers.

Enercon’s Remote Energy Monitoring System, alongside the Data Center Power System solutions will support businesses in adapting to the “ever-changing landscape of energy consumption efficiency.”

“Through site verification, measurement, monitoring, and analysis with state-of-the-art smart energy monitoring equipment, our teams ensure that clients have a thorough understanding of their energy consumption patterns, on top of meeting compliance requirements,” Enercon CEO Roland Lim said.

The CEO said on Thursday that Enercon’s solution furnishes businesses with insights into their energy consumption patterns.

“Moreover, it facilitates remote monitoring of facilities’ energy usage, empowering businesses with enhanced control and efficiency in overseeing their energy resources,” Lim said.

International research organization on global data centers Uptime Institute sees a 500-percent growth in data generated globally from 2019 to 2025.

The operations of data centers are energy-intensive accounting for about one percentof global electricity consumption.