02 September 2020

Data centres in Europe face major challenges as climate change affects the continent's weather, according to a survey of data centre consultants from the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway.

The report, commissioned by temporary power, cooling and heating provider Aggreko, found that countries are not confident in the grid’s ability to power their facilities and believe they may not be ill-equipped to deal with temperature rises linked to climate change.

Third-party research group, Censuswide, compiled the report from 700 questionnaires filled in by respondents who “provide specific consultancy to data centre operators, with regards to design, energy and engineering".

It found that 55% of respondents said they felt unsure that the grid could comfortably cope with data centers’ current energy requirements, and for many the logical conclusion has been to seek alternative means of energy procurement: solar, wind, battery storage and combined heat and power systems - in line with the EU’s ambition of making data centres carbon neutral by 2030.

However, faced with issues of resilience - due, according to respondents and in the following order, to unreliable battery storage technology, high costs, changing technologies and a lack of skilled workforce to install and tend to them - operators appear concerned for the ability of first generation data centers to cope. Furthermore, as summers grow hotter and longer, a mere 40% of respondents said they felt comfortable that their facilities had the necessary infrastructure in place to brave the heat should energy transmission from the grid lapse.