Data consumption has been capturing global headlines. From running ChatGPT and mining cryptocurrencies to bingeing on TV shows and spending countless hours connected to our devices, we’re using more data than ever before. Estimates suggest that the data centres that store, process and distribute it all will see demand double over the next few years, to 1,000 terrawatt hours (TWh) by 2026 – the equivalent of more than three times annual UK energy consumption.
This exponential growth in demand for data has a huge impact on energy usage and carbon emissions. Data centres require digital security and onsite surveillance, cooling and ventilation systems, and an uninterrupted power supply with back-up generators. In short, they are round-the-clock consumers of energy. Not only does this have a significant environmental impact, it’s also expensive. That’s why we’ve made it a priority to put innovation at the heart of our data centres, saving on costs and drastically reducing carbon emissions at the same time.
Within Liberty Global, our legacy data centres spanned nine sites across Europe. In 2019, we asked ourselves the following question: how do we design and right-size these estates for the long-term, preparing them for a future of ever-increasing digital demand?
The process was complex and came in several parts, through a multi-year, interdisciplinary collaboration. But the outcome was simple: by consolidating nine legacy sites into two state-of-the-art data centres, we reduced our energy consumption by 7.5 million kWh annually in one of our biggest sites alone – the equivalent of powering 1,500 homes for a year. And for our bottom line, it prepares us for the future and has meant substantial cost savings.
Emphasizing efficiency and agility in data centre design
So how did we do it? Like many forward-thinking businesses, we adopted a cloud-first strategy, reducing on-premise capacity requirements by shifting some of our storage needs to leading cloud providers.
These hyperscalers – think Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud – have purpose-built sites that are far more energy efficient than enterprises’ traditional on-premise infrastructure.
This was the result of an in-depth review of our storage and computing utilization, which led to decommissioning 70 percent of older, low-performing hardware. At their end-of-life cycle, where possible, assets were professionally recycled.
In the remaining sites, we accelerated our IT server replacement programme, ushering in next-gen equipment that’s more efficient and, in turn, reducing the number of assets we need on premise.
And we began an innovative pilot, trialling a new liquid cooling technology to reduce cooling energy demand. This precision technique reduces electricity use by up to 40 percent compared to traditional cooling technology. We’ve found it’s highly scalable and because it doesn’t rely on fans for cooling, it significantly reduces onsite noise levels, making it a powerful solution for sustainable cooling.
A project of this magnitude involved heavy-lifting and the efforts of our data scientists, network engineers, software engineers, and cybersecurity specialists, who safely and securely migrated data application-by-application, phase-by-phase over a number of years.
We’re also investing in the world’s digital future through our ventures portfolio. Recognising the new markets emerging from exponential data growth, we’re joint owners of AtlasEdge, a digital infrastructure provider with state-of-the-art data centres across Europe. It’s meeting the growing data demand through strategically positioned, next-gen centres in 18 cities.
Innovating for sustainable connectivity
What we’re doing at Liberty Global is an important case study, shedding light on how the telco industry is rising to the challenge of sustainably scaling up as data traffic and demand soars.
Between 2015 and 2021 internet traffic skyrocketed by 440 percent, according to estimates from the International Energy Association. While data centres’ workloads have more than doubled, their energy usage has remained relatively flat. This is in large part due to our industry embracing innovative technologies, conducting careful capacity planning with efficient IT, and pairing strategically with hyperscalers.
There’s more to come in this space – from using on-site solar panels to incorporating artificial intelligence to curb energy consumption in our mobile networks, our teams are at the forefront of innovating in the new era of more sustainable connectivity.