Data centers that boast advanced environmental performance

At data centers owned and operated by NRI, we are promoting efforts to reduce our impact on the global environment by taking a dual approach of converting the electricity we use to renewable energy and reducing power consumption. NRI has established an environmental management system at all of its data centers in Japan and obtained ISO14001 international standard certification concerning its environmental management system.

NRI's "double-deck system" is the shape of data centers to come

With each passing year, the densification and performance of equipment installed at data centers to handle the flow from sources such as virtualization and the transition to cloud computing are increasing. This change has been accompanied by increased amounts of heat produced by the equipment, and how to cool devices to ensure stable operation has become an ever greater challenge. On the other hand, problems such as the increase in energy consumption resulting from excessive cooling are also having an adverse effect on the environment.
The "double deck" system is a system that completely separates the floor where the server equipment is placed and the floor where facilities-related equipment such as the air-conditioning and power supplies are installed.
Separating heat-generating sources from the cooling system makes it possible to achieve highly efficient and flexible air conditioning, and greatly reduce power consumption.

double-deck system

NRI is working to improve air-conditioning efficiency by combining task air-conditioning to provide zone cooling for high-temperature spaces with ambient air-conditioning, which cools an entire computer room to an average temperature.We're also striving to eliminate unnecessary power consumption by introducing motion sensors and lighting sensors in computer rooms and office spaces. In addition, we have introduced various energy-saving facilities, such as a “cold water vertical thermal storage tank” that stores cold water for efficient air conditioning.In addition to facility initiatives, on the operational side, we are working to optimize air conditioning settings using machine learning. Air conditioners, which were previously controlled individually, are now being optimized as a whole by utilizing air flow simulation data.

Use of natural energy

NRI has introduced free cooling or high-temperature chilled water* to achieve a substantial reduction in power consumption for air-conditioning by using the low external air temperatures during winter and mid-season operations to produce chilled water without the use of refrigeration units.
NRI is also working to reduce its environmental impact to the maximum extent possible through the use of natural energy, including solar power systems and geothermal heating systems.

*Water temperature of around 14 ~ 15℃. Electricity consumption can be kept in check more efficiently than with the cold water of around 7℃ that is normally used.

In addition to these efforts, we have achieved 100% utilization of renewable energy in our data centers in FY2023.

Maintenance of landscapes and coexistence of with neighborhood areas

We have sought to harmonize Tokyo Data Center I with the surrounding area by setting the entire building into sloping land to maintain the landscape and utilizing exterior wall greening and a rooftop gardening.

 

 

Tokyo Data Center I's Environmental Performance

The Tokyo Data Center I, which opened in November 2012, employs the aforementioned “double deck system” and, by combining multiple energy-saving technologies based on this system, has achieved a significant reduction in power consumption. In recognition of its advanced environmental performance, the center received the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at the Green IT Awards 2013.
The "Green IT Awards" are commendations for excellent products, technologies and activities that contribute to the achievement of a low carbon society and are presented by the Green IT Promotion Council in two categories for "savings in IT-related energy consumption" and "energy conservation through the use of IT" as part of its efforts to accelerate the Green IT Initiative.

In March 2023, the Tokyo Data Center I was certified as a top-level facility^* for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Tokyo Cap-and-Trade Program.

• ^*  

  The Tokyo Cap-and-Trade Program of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government certifies business operators making outstanding efforts to tackle global warming as either top-level facilities or near-top-level facilities.

Tokyo Data Center I PUE^*: 1.28 (design value), the highest level in the industry

• ^*  

  PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) is an indicator to show how efficiently a data center uses energy; the value is calculated by dividing the total amount of energy used by a data center facility by the energy delivered to computing equipment.
  The standard data center PUE is said to be about 2.0.