Greenergy Uses AI to Reduce Energy Consumption in Baltic Data Centers

Industrial manufacturing giant Siemens has showcased the power of AI to lower energy consumption in data centers with a new project in the Baltics.

The company's building management software (BMS), energy and power management software (EPMS), and white space cooling optimization (WSCO) systems were deployed in a data center in Tallinn, Estonia, operated by Greenergy.

According to Siemens, the combo enabled Greenergy to use a 'single pane of glass' to monitor and control power distribution systems, and use machine learning software to optimize cooling.

The industry average Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) for a data center is around 1.6. By using its solutions, Siemens said Greenergy was able to achieve a PUE value of 1.2.

Some of the AI technologies used in the project are likely to have been developed a small American company called Vigilent (formerly Federspiel Controls), which partnered with Siemens on AI for data center cooling in 2018. Major data center software brands that integrate Vigilent tech also include Schneider Electric's StruxureWare for Data Centers, and Hitachi Vantara's Smart Data Center.

“This new complex conforms to all of the highest international security standards and aims to operate at 25% higher energy efficiency than the market’s average,” said Kert Evert, chief development officer at Greenergy Data Centers.

Dynamic cooling

The new 15,600-square-foot data center in Tallinn is being promoted as "the largest in the Baltics." It runs on renewable energy and is the first of three facilities to be built on the campus.

For energy performance monitoring, Siemens supplied the project with customized power distribution systems natively integrated into its Desigo CC building management platform.

The electrical kit included low-voltage Sivacon S8 switchgear and Sivacon 8PS busbars, Simosec medium voltage switchgear for the entire data center, and a high-voltage system from Siemens Energy. 

“As demand for data center services continues to rise globally, digital tools will play a key role in mitigating the environmental impact of data,” said Dave Hopping, CEO for solutions and services at Siemens Smart Infrastructure.