Today, data is one of the most abundant resources available. Data on almost everything we do is collected and stored somewhere, yet that somewhere often remains a mystery, leaving the potential of this data unmet and opportunities missed.

As the world becomes increasingly dependent on data centers – and data – rising power demands clash with the depletion of natural resources, making data collection and monitoring more crucial than ever.

In a recent discussion with DCD, Green Building Initiative’s (GBI’s) VP of engagement, Megan Baker, and EkkoSense’s technical sales lead, Travis Talcott, drove home the importance of data collection in data centers, especially as sustainability takes center stage in the industry.

Data center sustainability in focus

As awareness and emphasis on resource efficiency grows, more people are recognizing the impact of increasing energy demand on infrastructure and supply. For the data center industry, finding a way to scale operations sustainably – minimizing strain on the grid while optimizing energy and water usage – is of the essence.

Data centers, often criticized for their high energy consumption, sometimes fail to communicate the critical role they play. As Baker explains:

“Data centers have a significant PR problem – they’re represented completely wrong. Headlines focus on massive energy use instead of showcasing innovation in sourcing clean and renewable energy, and community contributions, such as strengthening local grid infrastructure.” She continues:

“These facilities could resonate better with the public by highlighting their purpose. People don’t often consider that when they call 911, visit a hospital, or access essential services, that data needs to be stored somewhere.”

To close this awareness gap, the industry must prioritize more effective engagement with the public to shift perceptions and emphasize the indispensable services that data centers support.

Internally, data center operators are making meaningful strides toward efficiency. Dedicated roles, like chief innovation officers, are driving progress while companies review legacy portfolios, identify underperforming assets, and optimize operations for sustainability.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” Baker notes. “Yes, the industry consumes significant power, but at the same time, companies are actively working to reduce their energy use. Even small improvements can have a monumental impact – every kilowatt saved matters.”

Looking inside

In today’s tech-driven society, we interact with data centers almost every second of the day. Whether for work, home, or leisure, chances are you’re interacting with a facility that, as a mission-critical resource, must operate 24/7.

Improving efficiency and reducing power consumption starts with knowing exactly what’s happening inside the white space – the heart of the data center – where critical environmental data collection is essential. As Talcott explains:

“From a financial standpoint, the white space is where most of the important things are – that’s the IT equipment, one of the largest continuous investments a company will make. That’s one of your biggest expenditures but also your most critical failure point.”

As Talcott points out, understanding and controlling white space operations enables optimizations in the grey space: without visibility at the rack level, meaningful changes at the room level, where real energy savings happen, aren’t possible as it will increase the risk of downtime.

You cannot manage what you don’t monitor

As the name suggests, data centers host a vast amount of data. The challenge is not the ability to accumulate data, but in understanding how to use it effectively.

Talcott emphasizes that, from a sustainability standpoint, having granular environmental data is essential to understanding the cooling dynamics within the room – one of the biggest power draws from a data center. This helps determine how power is being used and where it’s going. As he explains:

“Most data centers will have traditional monitoring and management systems, like BMS, that are effective at collecting power data, alerting and controlling several aspects of the facility, but in most data centers there are fundamental gaps in environmental monitoring especially.”

Tracking sustainability metrics holistically, GBI – an international nonprofit – offers the Green Globes certification, showcasing an owner or occupant’s commitment to sustainability and ESG goals.

Green Globes encourages the use of energy modeling and lifecycle analyses (LCA) to help data center operators better understand their resource consumption. This collaborative process assesses key metrics such as water usage, air quality, material selection, and electricity use. By monitoring this data, operators can conduct in-depth assessments, like energy modeling and lifecycle analyses, to gain a clearer picture of their overall sustainability.

Numbers don’t lie

Talcott stresses that to truly harness the sustainable power of your data center, data must be collected from all areas. Historically, key sustainability metrics were overlooked due to overriding business priorities. However, as the focus has shifted from financial performance to sustainability, whether driven by internal concerns or regulatory requirements, sustainability metrics have gained renewed recognition.

In Europe, ISO standards for baseline ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting now go beyond just PUE. The ISO/IEC 30134 series includes a cooling efficiency ratio (CER), a carbon usage effectiveness measure (CUE), and a water usage effectiveness (WUE) metric. Other relevant elements include an energy reuse factor (ERF) and a renewable energy factor (REF). He recalls:

“When I talk to a data center today, they usually mention PUE as a measure of how efficient their site is, but the industry is now catching on to how shallow that metric really is, giving only a partial view of what’s really happening.”

Sense and sustainability

With the actions that we can take being driven by the quality and relevance of the data we collect, solutions exist today to ensure accurate, real-time data to enable positive change.

Introducing EkkoSense’s suite of monitoring platforms, Talcott explains that the process begins by outfitting the data center with environmental sensors, to gather data from systems across both the white space and grey space. Yet, it’s the analytics applied to these data sets that truly provide operators with valuable insights.

“What EkkoSense does differently to what is standard in the industry now is offering a single-pane-of-glass view, bridging the gap between traditional monitoring systems, like a BMS, and software that goes into the weeds of IT infrastructure, like DCIM.”

This approach consolidates scattered data from various systems into a unified platform, making it easier and more efficient to understand and report on.

When asked about the potential security risks attached to data collation, Talcott acknowledges that one of the main concerns in the software space is access control. Giving everyone access to a BMS or DCIM system can lead to a loss of oversight, with small changes potentially affecting the entire data center. To this, Talcott highlights EkkoSense’s added value:

“The EkkoSense platform is a passive system, meaning it displays the collated data and provides advanced analytics without providing editing access. So, you can pull in data, and anyone can view that data without altering the system.”

He further explains that while the platform can make recommendations for improved operations, it doesn’t make changes directly, requiring human intervention in order to bolster security.

Of these advisory tools that Talcott mentions, he highlights the “Cooling Advisor,” which uses machine learning to recommend actions that reduce risk and save energy. These tools are available 24/7, offering the added benefit of reducing costs and carbon footprints compared with traditional methods, such as sending an engineer for a survey at their next available time and return visits once those changes have been implemented.

This represents a step forward in data center sustainability, going back to addressing the Scope 3 emissions that are often overlooked due to tracking difficulties.

Green Building Initiative x EkkoSense

Dedicated to improving the built environment’s impact on climate and society, GBI’s mission is to help building owners improve their overall sustainability. They do this by evaluating carbon emissions, water efficiency, occupant well-being, waste minimization, smart technology, and other design and operational strategies through a transparent and collaborative assessment process reporting.

As an education-first organization, GBI administers an assessment and certification program designed to engage clients with the criteria they need to meet through a third-party assessor, Green Globes, the implementation of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard.

Green Globes’s proprietary online software guides users through a self-evaluation where they are prompted with questions and criteria guidance, access to free technical reference manuals, and other external resources.

A third-party assessor for new construction projects will perform a design review, offering early feedback for improvement, and an onsite assessment for both new and existing projects.

The assessor then produces a personalized guidance and findings report, outlining the project and a Green Globes rating projection, highlighting the focus of the onsite assessment, and offering recommendations for improvement. Baker emphasizes the value of continuous monitoring and measurement:

“Once the initial certification is achieved, data center owners are encouraged to reassess and recertify every three to five years to ensure that the building is operating the way it was intended to, and to reduce the risk of performance slippage.”

The collaboration with EkkoSense comes into play, as their platform offers built-in ESG reporting through metrics such as power usage, water usage, and carbon usage effectiveness, as well as the cooling efficiency ratio. This data is matched to Green Globes criteria, creating a seamless process for third-party certification.

For new construction projects, credits are awarded for HVAC systems, controls, metering, performance, and sustainable design. Existing buildings earn credits by reviewing operations, management manuals, training, and risk assessments while making necessary adaptations. Baker accentuates:

“GBI is accelerating the adoption of accessible green building resources and assessment, to improve the sustainability, health, and resilience of all buildings. Every building should be able to take steps toward sustainability through inclusive yet impactful certification systems.”

Collaboration behind the scenes

Like a well-cast supporting role, GBI and its partners work behind the scenes to ensure data centers shine in sustainability efforts. Green Globes certification benefits not only the owner or operator, but also third parties within the data center industry. In the US, many state and local policies now include green building certification requirements. Baker contextualizes:

“Some states will say, ‘You may build data centers, but you must achieve sustainability certification within a few years of operation to ensure responsible development.’ There are also tax abatements across the country that require infrastructure, jobs, and businesses to be locally sourced to generate tax revenue for the community. Achieving sustainability certifications, including Green Globes certification, can also be a requirement for eligibility in some tax abatement programs.”

Certification also adds an element of accountability, ensuring companies don’t rely solely on internal sustainability practices, but are held to account by a third party with official approval.

But it doesn’t stop there – GBI, a member association, collaborates with key partners, is focused on sustainability in the built environment, and aligns with platforms like One Click LCA for life cycle assessments and Q-Flow for tracking construction emissions. It also works with K&N Global Filtration on reusable air filters and Workplace Elemental Technologies to amplify a network for sustainability services for data centers and commercial real estate.

Wrapping up, Baker emphasizes GBI’s role in showcasing the positive impact of data centers, countering misinformation or negative reputation, and facilitating connections between operators to share challenges and opportunities.

When it comes to effective sustainability practices, starting with data-driven insights, energy-intensive facilities like data centers can win the industry’s highest accolades. Even small changes, informed by real-time operational data, can set new standards for green building.

Start your Green Globes free trial to evaluate building design and performance.

See a free demo of EkkoSoft Critical here and experience the future of data center optimization.