The world used to run on oil – now it runs on data. Data centres are one of the fastest-growing and most important components of the global economy, and as new technologies emerge such as AI, the Internet of Things, cryptocurrencies and self-driving vehicles, this growth will accelerate and data centres still need diesel.
Although data centres have become much more efficient in the past decade, the growth in data has been so spectacular that the centres have inevitably become some of the biggest energy consumers, using 1 per cent of total electricity demand, says the International Energy Agency. That has been projected to rise to 8 per cent by the end of the decade.
Today, much of that electricity is generated using fossil fuels, while almost half of global GDP is now covered by net zero targets such as the UK’s Net Zero Law and the EU’s Green Deal, while consumers and investors are also demanding action.
As a Data Centre operator, you and your customers rely heavily on continuous power. However not many data centres realise they are risking their reputation and their business by not ensuring their back-up generator will run in an emergency. No power equals no data and in an emergency the ability to provide continuous power makes the fuel a critical component.
Data centre power outages have knock on impacts to all there tenants and those who are reliant on the services they provide.
Almost every operator and owner would like to eliminate generators and replace them with cleaner technology.
But to date, no other technology so effectively combines low operating costs, energy density, reliability, local control and, as long as fuel can be delivered, open-ended continuous power.
Diesel generators emit both Carbon Dioxide(CO2) and particulates, which means regulation and operating restrictions; they are expensive to buy; they are idle most of the time; and they have an operational overhead in terms of testing, regulatory conformity and fuel management.
ElimiNOX Eco™ is proven to reduce Particulate Matter, Carbon Dioxide and other GHG emissions.
If the backup fuel hasn’t been used in a while and the generators are needed in an emergency, the fuel may have degraded over time which will cause serious problems to your backup generators. Not only could this cause damage to your equipment but the generators will not power your data centre, which in turn may come with devastating consequences.
Many generators are only used sporadically for standby power, and consequently the same fuel can sit in the tank for a long period of time if not years. Fluctuations in the outside temperature can cause condensation to form in the tank, resulting in water entering the fuel. Even fuel deliveries can be contaminated with water. Fuel in backup power supplies could be stored for years without being used. In that time fuel can become contaminated with bacteria (Diesel Bug) that bread in the water contamination. This blocks the back up generator, stopping it from working and causing damage to the system. When a power cut does happen, the back up system fails to work.
Most diesel now has a bio-diesel component, dependent upon specification, this can be up to 7% by volume. The downside of biodiesel is that it absorbs water from the atmosphere, which can lead to the growth of Diesel Bug in your fuel tanks, it is also prone to oxidation; this reaction can cause the formation of acids and filter blocking gums and resins within the fuel.
ElimiNOX Eco™ scavenges all free water within the fuel and binds in in an emulsion removing the growth medium the bacteria needs preventing diesel bug.