Hospital data centre upgrades to boost energy efficiency

Secure I.T. Environments, a UK-based data centre designer and builder, has announced the completion of a series of infrastructure upgrades aimed at enhancing energy efficiency at St Marys Hospital, Isle of Wight NHS Trust's primary data centre. Due to reduced running costs, the project is expected to achieve a return on investment (ROI) in under 1.8 years.

The data centre, originally designed and installed by Secure I.T. Environments in 2008, serves an offshore population of more than 140,000 residents. The latest upgrades were implemented to take advantage of emerging energy-efficient technologies and to accommodate a new rack layout capable of supporting 14 racks with a maximum data centre load of 80kW. According to the company, the enhancements are expected to help the trust achieve a data centre target cooling Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.15 or lower.

The scope of the upgrades included the design of a new rack layout to support future load requirements, the implementation of Cold Aisle Containment for both new and existing racks and the installation of four DMA030D GEA Multi-DENCO Energy Efficient DX air conditioning units with external condensers. Other improvements encompassed replacing the existing uninterruptible power supply (UPS) with a new energy-efficient Riello MPW PWC 300 Multipower UPS solution, capable of 40 minutes of autonomy at an 80kW load. The fire suppression system was also updated to the environmentally friendly Novec system, and various electrical and raised flooring works were completed to support the new data centre configuration. Removed equipment was disposed of responsibly.

Jake Gully, Digital Operations Technical Architect at Isle of Wight NHS Trust, commented on the project's successful completion. "This has been a very successful project delivered on time and in budget, which will enable us to achieve our energy efficiency goals and set the stage for our future technology aspirations. SITE cares about the quality of their work, and it has been a real team effort from design to completion," he said.

Chris Wellfair, Projects Director at Secure I.T. Environments, highlighted the importance of continuous innovation in data centre technology. "As the original designers of the data centre at St Marys Hospital, this project has been a clear reminder, if one were needed, that the pace of development in data centre technology to improve energy efficiency shows no signs of slowing. We look forward to continuing to support the fantastic IT team at St Marys Hospital with the ongoing maintenance of the upgraded data centre," he remarked.