iomart × Katrick Technologies

Test results show that a new heat removal system could have a significant impact on the carbon footprint of the data centre industry. With initial feedback from one of iomart’s data centres showing encouraging results after the first stage of testing. Although iomart already committed to certified renewable electricity across its UK data centre estate from July 2021, these initial figures indicate the potential for up to a 50% reduction in electrical power consumption by the site’s cooling system.

The latest findings come thanks to a partnership between green energy start-up, Katrick Technologies, and iomart, the cloud computing and IT managed services business. The patented technology was installed at iomart’s Glasgow data centre in October 2021 and could help the data centre industry on its way to carbon neutrality.

Glaswegian start-up, Katrick Technologies, has designed and patented a system that transforms heat energy, in this case a by-product of a data centre’s day to day operations, to drive the essential cooling system for the centre’s servers. The technology captures heat energy and, through the use of bi-fluids, converts it into fluid vibrations which, in turn, move specially designed fins that remove the heat, creating the desired cooling effect. The system aims to replace the energy intensive condensers that account for around 45 per cent of a data centres’ electricity consumption,

Tests were performed on the passive cooling system on 29th October 2021, three weeks after installation at iomart’s Glasgow data centre. Results showed that the system is performing better than expected.

“These tests show Katrick’s passive cooling system could reduce a data centre’s total energy consumption by up to 25%,” explained Vijay Madlani, Co-CEO of Katrick Technologies. “Innovation is essential in the fight against climate change, and these test results clearly show a major step forward in reducing the environmental impact of not just one data centre, but of the whole industry.”

Reece Donovan, chief executive officer of iomart said: “Data centres are essential to a more connected, digital future, but the environmental impact of the sector is something the industry has to come to terms with. Through projects like this, we are able to play an active role in taking steps towards a greener future for the tech industry.

“We have already seen the potential impact of this technology at our Glasgow data centre and will now look at what next steps are open to us.”

Katrick Technologies is also developing wind panels which use oscillating aerofoils to convert wind energy into carbon-free electricity. Smaller and more efficient than their predecessors, these panels can be installed in urban or commercial locations where traditional turbines cannot.

For more information on Katrick Technologies’ zero-carbon energy generation solutions, click here. Or, to learn about how iomart’s services can help you connect, secure and scale from anywhere, visit www.iomart.com.

How we tested new tech to reduce our carbon footprint

In the lead up to COP26 (October 2021) iomart supported green energy start up, Katrick Technologies, to test its innovative cooling systems in a live data centre environment. Watch the video to find out how it works, along with initial findings.