Climate protection needs energy efficient data centers - Stulz GmbH

7 Energy ContractingCooling and power supply management constitutechallenging tasks for data center operators. One way inwhich the burden on the organisation can be relievedwith respect to this task is energy contracting. Purchasingenergy via a third party (contractor) can offer variousadvantages for suitable clients (contractees). For example,clients don’t need to invest in the energy system, and thisreleases funds for investment elsewhere.The contracting company’s services usually includeconsultancy, planning, financing and the operation ofenergy systems. In addition they take over the purchaseof electric power, as well as gas, oil, district heating ordistrict cooling at favourable market conditions on thebasis of negotiated mid and long term supply contracts.The contractor offers professional energy managementservices and is in a position to guarantee the availabilitylevels required by a modern data center. The contractoris also able to utilize the available potential to reduceenergy consumption and operational pollutant emissions.Comprehensive maintenance and repair guaranteesare also often included in an energy contractor’s serviceportfolio.To sum up we can identify the following potentialadvantages for contractees:• Less pressure for facility management and IT departments.The contractor assumes responsibility forcoordination and execution of the tasks.• No investment expenditure: results in a freeing up offinancial capital for other projects; increased liquidity.• Increased supply security.• Application of efficient and energy-savingtechnologies.• Effective energy monitoring.• Support for internal and external cost allocation.• Regular maintenance and servicing of the system.• Cost benefits and synergy effects arise when the contractorhandles purchase, planning and installation ofthe system. These effects can also occur to a certainextent through in-house production of electricity,heat, cooling and the efficient utilization of wasteheat.• In some cases, the value of the property may even beincreased by the implementation of state-of-the-arttechnologies.Thanks to its size, experience and specialist competence,the contracting company is able to take measures toexploit the available ecological and economic potential– a task for which the data center operator often has noavailable human or financial resources.36