The issue of data center power consumption, which is predicted to account for 8.5% of global electricity usage in 2023, has been a hot topic for several years. At an event held by Schneider to discuss 'sustainable data center' strategies, experts suggested that 'sustainability' should become the new standard for data center construction.

Schneider Electric Korea held the 'Innovation Day: Sustainable Data Center' event on the 6th to explore ways to build and operate sustainable data centers. This event, held through online and offline channels, was attended by approximately 1,000 customers and partner companies.

The event was held both online and offline, consisting of a keynote speech – Sustainable Data Center (Choi Seong-hwan, Head of Secure Power Business Unit, Schneider Electric Korea) △Strategy Talk – Sustainability: A New Standard for the Data Center Industry (Kim Jae-won, Country Manager, Digital Realty Korea) △Panel Discussion – Strategies for Promoting the Implementation of Sustainable Data Centers.

In the current climate where the importance of collecting and analyzing unstructured data is emerging, data centers are serving as the heart for gaining insights into new businesses and applying them through data.

Data centers, where vast amounts of data are generated, require massive amounts of power. In particular, a significant amount of electricity is consumed to cool the intense heat generated by equipment such as servers and storage, making the resulting power waste and pollution issues a critical challenge that must be addressed.

■ Investment in sustainability enhances data center competitiveness

In his keynote speech, Choi Seong-hwan, Head of Schneider Secure Power, cited the prediction that data center capacity will double by 2041 and argued that data centers must prioritize 'sustainability' throughout their design, construction, operation, and entire lifecycle.

Chief Director Choi cited the demand for energy efficiency, government regulations, and investments for ESG as factors necessitating sustainable data centers.

The global trend of mandating sustainability is continuing. Singapore is developing seawater cooling systems under government leadership, while China requires a reduction of up to 90 percent in carbon emissions by 2060 to receive approval. Global big tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Facebook have also pledged to achieve carbon-negative zero waste by 2030.

“Investing in sustainability enhances the competitiveness of data centers. Companies that have spared no investment in ESG have generated high returns on business operations and grown into sustainable enterprises,” said General Manager Choi, adding that it has also become an essential element for differentiating business value.

In addition, stating that “Schneider aims to achieve carbon zero by 2030,” the company pledged to provide solutions for achieving net zero across the entire supply chain, including strategically efficient design, improved operational efficiency, and renewable energy.

■ Green Data Center Investment... Partnership with Schneider 'Friendly'

In a presentation on the theme of 'New Standards for the Data Center Industry,' Kim Jae-won, General Manager of Digital Realty Korea, covered global trends in data centers, sustainable development policy plans, actual data center establishments, and collaborations with partner Schneider.

Schneider's partner, Digital Realty, conducts business in over 170 offices worldwide. It entered the Korean market in 2020, opened its first data center in Sangam earlier this year, and is preparing to establish a second data center in Gimpo with a target of the first quarter of 2023.

Branch Manager Kim stated, "Policies such as climate change and carbon neutrality have raised the need to make data centers sustainable, and companies are striving to invest in 'green data centers,' utilize renewable energy resources, and secure carbon credits," adding that ultimately, "'sustainability' has now become the industry standard."

In addition, Digital Realty continues its efforts for industrial resource efficiency and stated, "Sustainability is at the core of Realty and is ultimately the key to the future." Regarding the partnership with Schneider, they stated, "Although there is a gap in settling into Korea, we are efficiently overcoming it, and Schneider is providing assistance as a partner."
■ Experts from various fields discuss future data centers and ESG management strategies

In the subsequent panel discussion, Song Jun-hwa, Secretary General of the Korea Data Center Energy Efficiency Association, served as the moderator, and Yeon Chang-geun, President of Hanil MEC and Chairman of the DC Committee of the Korea Association of Conveying, Equipment & Heating Engineers, Kim Jae-won, General Manager of Digital Realty Korea, Yoon Dae-jung, CEO of YDC Holdings, and Kwon Ji-woong, Head of the Power Systems Business Unit at Schneider Electric Korea, participated to discuss strategies for future data centers, including Schneider Electric, operators, and construction companies, regarding the establishment of sustainable data centers and ESG management in Korea.

During the discussion, Branch Manager Kim Jae-won cited the advantages of Korea's "connectivity excellence" and "submarine fiber optic cables" as reasons for global data center companies entering the Korean market, stating that 15 out of approximately 60 global data center companies have already entered Korea and are planning further expansion.

Division Head Kwon Ji-woong stated 'LIFE IS ON' as the direction for Schneider's envisioned data center.Referring to this, he stated that carbon emissions from data centers, which are the core of the data industry society, amount to up to 3%, causing serious environmental problems, and that they would overcome this through measures such as renewable energy, energy conservation, and energy recycling.

CEO Yoon Dae-jung addressed the topic of data center development. He argued that location is the top priority when considering a data center during the business development phase. CEO Yoon asserted that we must view sustainability with a clear perspective, adding, “The inability to expand beyond the metropolitan area, despite recognizing geographical importance, goes beyond a matter of sustainability,” and “A data center that customers do not visit is meaningless.”

He also stated that to improve efficiency in the metropolitan area, it is necessary to overcome the lack of collaboration capabilities among domestic companies and consider the entire data center design process.

Meanwhile, at the event, Schneider Electric showcased its products and solutions, including centralized integrated monitoring systems, IT infrastructure operation management, and smart power facilities. We showcased the latest solutions and products for data center construction and operation, and provided technical consulting with Schneider Electric experts to visiting customers.