Interxion Brick Lane Data Centre To Use Green Energy

A data centre in London’s East End has opted for 100 percent renewable energy to meet carbon targets

Colocation data centre services provider Interxion has revealed that its data centre, located in London’s Brick Lane, is to be powered using 100 percent renewable energy. Interxion operates 28 data centres in 11 countries across Europe, and the decision to move its Brick Lane facility to 100 percent renewable energy is part of its efforts to provide a clear and transparent audit trail for its customers. The decision will see Interxion source its renewable power from UK provider SmartestEnergy. The renewable energy comes from a combination of wind, hydropower and biomass, as well as Good Quality CHP (combined heat and power).

Efficiency Drive

“We are passionate about making our extensive European network of data centres as sustainable as possible, and the changes to our UK energy supply simply reinforce our commitment to the green agenda,” said Greg McCulloch, Interxion’s UK MD. “We take energy efficiency very seriously and recognise that our customers also do, and we aim to stay ahead of the game when it comes to ongoing political discussions around the reduction of CO2 emissions – working with groups like the Green Grid and the Uptime Institute to set clear standards and best practice within the industry,” he added. Interxion has already converted some of its other data centres to renewable energy, and a key factor for the company is that the renewable energy supplier, in this case SmartestEnergy, can provide a clear audit trail and also records relevant renewable energy certificates for Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO).

Renewable Energy

Interxion_London040Interxion is not the only organisation powering its data centres from renewable or sustainable power sources. In June last year Next Generation Data (NGD) Europe, based in Newport, Wales, said it was the only provider in Europe at that time that could offer its customers data centres facilities

Interxion is not the only organisation powering its data centres from renewable or sustainable power source

running on purely renewable energy. Telehouse also opened its flagship green data centre in London’s Docklands in March 2010, but that uses a combination of conventional and renewable power. Meanwhile it is clear that London remains one of the top destinations for locating European data centres, despite the high cost of real estate within the M25. Tariff Consultancy Ltd said last year that London continues to host the largest single data centre market in Europe, with total raised floor space in London forecast to increase to 300,000 square metres by 2015

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