Iceland launches IceCloud for eco-friendly cloud solutions

A new data centre proof-of-concept solution has been launched in Iceland, powered entirely by renewable energy.

Named IceCloud Integrated Services, the collaboration between Vespertec, Sardina Systems, and Borealis Data Center aims to offer sustainable and cost-efficient cloud solutions for enterprise workloads.

Vespertec, a Stockport-based data centre infrastructure specialist, joined forces with Sardina Systems, a software developer, and Borealis Data Center to create this highly customisable private cloud solution. The cloud services are primarily hosted at Borealis Data Center, which operates using 100% renewable energy.

Kristofer Andri Kristinsson, Product Manager and Business Development Manager at Borealis Data Center, stated, "The launch of IceCloud Integrated Services represents a significant step forward in sustainable computing. As economic pressures and environmental challenges pose conflicting demands on businesses, IceCloud eliminates this dilemma. By leveraging Iceland's 100% renewable energy, we are not only reducing the environmental impact of intensive workloads but also offering a cost-effective solution for enterprises looking to scale their operations responsibly."

IceCloud Integrated Services promises a 38% overall reduction in energy usage and up to a 50% reduction in energy consumption during off-peak hours. The cloud environment is built using FishOS, Sardina Systems' OpenStack distribution, incorporating both block and object storage with Ceph technology. The proof-of-concept environment is fully operational and available for customers to test drive.

Kenneth Tan, Executive Director at Sardina Systems, commented, "With active digitalization in industries such as finance and media, sustainable development options are limited. The IceCloud Integrated Services project, with its innovative way of packaging workloads, allows medium-sized and large enterprises with systems of 1-2 racks of 80-90 nodes each to achieve significant savings. These include up to a 50% reduction in energy consumption during off-peak hours and a 38% overall reduction, translating to substantial operational cost savings."

The consortium maintains that their approach ensures reliability and operational efficiency while dramatically reducing environmental impact. This initiative aims to help medium and large enterprises meet their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) obligations while providing a lower-cost cloud solution for new workloads such as artificial intelligence (AI).

Philip Kaye, Co-Founder and Director at Vespertec, explained, "Partnering with Sardina Systems and Borealis Data Center allows us to deliver a truly bespoke and robust cloud solution. IceCloud Integrated Services combines top-tier hardware, cutting-edge software, and renewable energy to provide enterprises with a reliable, high-performance platform tailored to their specific needs."

The launch of IceCloud Integrated Services comes at a crucial time, given the European Commission's adoption of an EU-wide scheme to rate the sustainability of data centres. With data centres expected to account for nearly 3% of EU electricity demand in the coming years, initiatives like this could play a significant role in reducing the environmental impact of the technology sector.

IceCloud Integrated Services is designed to support various needs, including disaster recovery, batch processing, simulations, development and testing, and other data operations and computations. The solution features a single point of contact for management simplicity, seamless integration of hardware and software, and a commitment to sustainability by leveraging Iceland’s natural cooling and renewable energy resources.

The launch of IceCloud Integrated Services also includes a risk-free trial, where customers can explore the solution with a complimentary, pre-configured system at Borealis Data Center. This allows enterprises to evaluate the system's capabilities before fully committing.