Are wooden data centres sustainable?

A new solution aims to help make data centres more sustainable by using prefabricated solid wood modules instead of steel. The proposal from Vertiv, a provider of digital infrastructures, comes in the form of the Vertiv TimberMod product, which reflects the company’s commitment to helping fulfil customers’ sustainability goals by using a more environmentally friendly material that helps reduce CO2 emissions.

In Vertiv’s view, solid wood is a sustainably grown material with the potential to minimise resource depletion and reduce the carbon footprint by up to three times compared to steel, based on the reduction of emissions associated with the entire product cycle, from extraction to manufacturing.

According to Vertiv, TimberMod meets the structural requirements of buildings, performing very well in cases of seismic activity, windstorms and structural demands. In addition to its robustness, the innovative solution adds an aesthetic dimension to data centre architecture, integrating perfectly into different environments with an elegant design.

“We are committed to finding innovative solutions that help reduce the carbon footprint of data centres through the use of environmentally friendly materials and construction processes,” says Viktor Petik, vice president and head of Vertiv’s Integrated Modular Solutions business. “By incorporating materials from renewable sources, Vertiv TimberMod not only provides a greener option, but does so without compromising the bottom line, generating positive impacts both environmentally and in terms of operational efficiency.”

According to Vlad Galabov, research director for the cloud and data centre areas at Omdia, although they are not new, wooden data centres have become much more accessible now that a major supplier of prefabricated modular solutions offers this option with the guarantee that they are reliable.

TimberMod is the latest addition to Vertiv’s portfolio of prefabricated modular solutions. It is available in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Advantages of modular data centres

Unlike conventional data centres that are built on the target site itself, modular versions are designed, manufactured and tested on another site while the preparation of the final location takes place in parallel. Prefabricated modules are plug-and-play within the scope of what can be done, reducing labour demands and logistical complexity.

What’s more, modular data centres are easily expandable and their designs can be replicated in other locations. This speed of deployment has become increasingly essential to keep up with the growing demand for data centre capacity.

According to Omdia’s 2022 survey, more than half (52%) of respondents had already deployed prefabricated data centre modules. And adoption is likely to grow significantly over the next few years – 99% said that prefabricated modular data centres were part of their future strategy, and 93% said they would use modular data centres as standard in their construction processes.

When asked about the situations for which prefabricated modular data centres are best suited, decision-makers interviewed by Omdia’s study answered ease of expansion, followed by upgrades/retrofits and new data centre deployments.

Whether expanding or upgrading a facility or building a new one, prefabricated data centre solutions simplify processes. For example, in conventional data centre construction, there will be phases of engineering, site preparation, construction, installation and start-up, with the need to deal with different teams of contractors and suppliers. The prefabricated solution, on the other hand, can unify the processes under the management of a single partner, reducing the time to deliver a new facility by up to 30 per cent, according to Omdia.

Another advantage of prefabricated modular solutions for data centres is the ability to more easily integrate new technologies into the design and manufacturing processes. Specifically, Omdia’s survey highlighted a strong link between prefabricated data centre solutions and liquid cooling – 23% of respondents said that liquid cooling is the ideal approach for modular data centres, and 39% chose hybrid air/liquid cooling as the ideal approach.

Another highlight of the study points to the ability of prefabricated modular data centres to meet the demand for greater efficiency and lower emissions – 25% of respondents said that sustainability is the most important factor affecting data centre decisions today, and 59% report that it has been one of their top five considerations.

Prefabricated modular solutions for data centres can be classified into two categories: all-in-one solutions and system-level modules. The former include the entire infrastructure, support and IT systems and are generally used for new data centre deployments. Modular system-level solutions include IT modules, auxiliary modules for physical space expansion and mechanical modules designed to upgrade or expand existing power and cooling systems.