NET ZERO | 2050 BUILDINGS Data centres Paul Scriven, energy and sustainability director, HDR During the pandemic, different commercial building sectors experienced vastly different demand, and have had to adapt their offer accordingly. Hotels were one of the hardest hit in terms of restrictions on movement, but data centres have had pressure of a different kind as the whole world migrated to Zoom, Teams or similar. The commitment by governments to reach net zero carbon by 2050, and a halfway target of 2030, means a race against time for all industries to make sustainable changes. Operators and trade associations have agreed to make data centres climate neutral by 2030, leveraging technology and digitalisation. This is a full 20 years ahead of the European Green Deal, which is aiming to make the continent climate neutral through significant inroads in greenhouse gas reductions by 2050. There are several current and changing requirements impacting refurbishment and new builds, including energy performance certificate ratings, planning policy, and building regulations for conservation of fuel and power. Along with corporate sector concern from investors that environmental, social and governance criteria have been met, its clear a typical data centre in 2050 will look and function differently from one built in 2015, for example. At HDR, we are committed to well-run, secure and sustainable data-centre design and build in terms of efficient heating, cooling and energy management, as well as commissioning. This includes all typologies of centre, from smaller edge computing centres and medium-sized enterprise facilities to hyperscale campuses. Green developments are coming on in leaps and bounds from a data centre powered by fuel cells to the Kolos Data Center in the Arctic region of Norway, which is powered by hydropower and wind. Use of renewable energy of this kind is subject to a data centres location, of course. This is why places such as Scotland are showcasing their geography and weather to position themselves at the helm of this sustainable data-centre revolution. Key to addressing the challenges faced by designers and other stakeholders in the industry in getting to net zero is harnessing technology and data to make the best decisions. Developments in digital twin buildings are at the forefront of this. The ability to invest in such technology enables businesses to assess and plan all areas of their building assets, including resources, energy use, construction, refurbishment, in-use facilities and scenario testing, and determining planned works. Using leading technologies and innovative design, we are helping our clients achieve great strides towards net zero carbon in data centres. Some clients are only a stones throw away from achieving it by 2025, greatly reducing pressure on the National Grid and resulting purchasing need for green energy. A wider concern for centres that require refurbishment is embodied carbon. It is only a matter of time until we see the introduction of whole-life carbon targets for buildings. The move to a circular economy is having a major impact on all sectors, from workplace and hospitality to data centres. Its our role to assist datacentre providers to develop solutions that help them prepare for 2050, and the decades before, in terms of a sustainable future. Hospitality buildings James Warne, co-founding director, WMEboom By 2050, population is estimated to double, with 70% being urban habitation. There will be issues of resource scarcity, and from a changing climate. Solutions are found when we embrace circular design principles, reduce waste and pollution, keep materials in use, and regenerate natural systems. When providing accommodation, food or leisure facilities, market forces are a balance of value for money and the experience of luxury. As markets dictate sustainable solutions, the sector will respond, as demonstrated by increasing offers of wellness and eco resorts, but the chance to be sustainable is rarely at the cost of the experience and that is an area with which the industry will wrestle most. Typically, the hospitality sector has high water consumption and hot-water demands. Addressing these is problematic, especially via an onsite strategy. Decarbonisation of the national power infrastructure is of paramount importance if we are to achieve targets, but the infrastructure will need a significant overhaul to facilitate the future heating and added e-transport loads. Over the next 30 years, large investment in a more robust electrical infrastructure will be required. Water-management systems need to be implemented to preserve and reuse where possible. Similarly, climatic predictions will result in more air conditioning. As cities move to vertical urbanism, mixed-use developments with communal energy systems will benefit from the inclusion of hospitality. Synergy between sharing resources through reuse of waste heat and waste water will create opportunities for shared benefits. Refurbishment will be encouraged over new construction. Repurposing of building materials will result in opportunities to build new, but from salvaged materials, with innovation in how obsolete systems get reused or upcycled. As planning authorities demand increased ecology, it is expected that the roof will be a battleground for habitat, plant space, solar and water collection, leisure space and views something that district cooling and watersupply systems would help alleviate. Areas typically known for hotel provision, such as surrounding airports, may find low carbon solutions such as a hyperloop or electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft providing rapid short-haul journeys to attractive destinations for a hospitality offer, pushing to a more decentralised location for hospitality. Movement in the traditional hospitality model may well be affected by disruptors. For example, decentralised accommodation offering consistency in quality and experience, but spread over a more diverse area, is made feasible through smart technology, with room service replaced by online food deliveries, and hotel gyms being shared with larger gym providers in the form of a day pass. Smart cities will result in the hospitality sector knowing its target audience better, understanding preferences and spending habits from the moment a guest arrives, with the intention of improving satisfaction but, hopefully, encouraging a greener experience as well. We also need to learn lessons from the past 30 years: there is success in simplicity; with complex building services there is a growth in the performance gap; and people are social and will seek out connectivity both to one another and to nature. 26 November 2021 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Nov21 pp22-24, 26 Net zero future COP26.indd 26 22/10/2021 16:28