Adapting to climate change is necessary for data centers

Data centers in the Netherlands are already experiencing the consequences of climate change. How can computer centers properly prepare for this? Freya Macke, Sr Climate Adaptation Advisor at Arcadis, will provide answers to this during the IT Infra event on November 16.

By: Dimitri Reijerman

The climate issue has only become higher on the agenda in the Netherlands in recent years, says Macke: “The first conference on heat was in 2015. We have all noticed in recent summers that it is becoming necessary to properly equip buildings for higher temperatures, because they are often not yet. In the Netherlands we have always built against cold and when building data centers you could assume a cool outside temperature and cool surface water for cooling. That is not always the case anymore. Data centers will therefore clearly notice climate change and this will increase significantly in the future.”

The business community is already partly responding to this, the climate advisor believes: “There are companies that make buildings waterproof, sealing every cable. All against the dangers of incoming rainwater, groundwater, the threat of sea level rise and flooding. So there is a serious problem there and the market is coming up with answers.” But more than that is needed.

Macke has an advisory role in her work: “The work that I and my colleagues do at Arcadis, for example, is choosing the right location for a data center. Is it a flood-prone place? Or do you choose a location where you can properly arrange cooling? And where does the water flow to during heavy rainfall? We investigate this with model simulations. We also advise many existing companies, including data centers, on adjustments to buildings and plots that fit within the business strategy.”

She continues: “I also help municipalities, provinces, water boards and the government with these issues. We not only advise on suitable locations and how to build climate-proof, but there is also a whole process story: how do you discuss this theme with companies? And what will it take to get them into action? Furthermore, I am affiliated with Climate-proof together. This is a national organization that has been established to connect parties, share knowledge and jointly make the Netherlands more resilient to the changing climate.

Things will be interesting in the near future, because new legislation is coming, the Environmental Act. There are now discussions at all levels about what we will regulate in legislation for the changing climate.

Passive cooling and greening

Macke briefly describes how she wants to approach the subject in her IT Infrastructure session: “The attendees are clearly technical, so I can go into depth about expectations for climate change. The most important thing, of course, is to take them to feasible measures. What I now see is that the sector is already investing heavily in active cooling that is as efficient as possible. The step for this is often still missing: avoiding the need for mechanical cooling through passive cooling. That already starts on the outside. During the presentation she shows practical feasible measures.”

The fact remains that there are numerous challenges in making data centers climate-proof. Moreover, the Netherlands risks losing its position as an ideal business location as a result of climate change: “Half of the Netherlands is below sea level. The long-term question is whether the dikes will hold up. And there are already voices that the lower Netherlands is in danger of losing its triple-A status. Major investors abroad are already having doubts about building a new building here. And from 2023, investors must also carry out a climate stress test. Flood-prone areas may therefore attract fewer investors. The challenge is to also show them that we can build for the future.”