evolving data centers amaze with their capabilities

Not only state companies, but also business – from small companies or start-ups to solid companies, are increasingly abandoning server office premises and moving forward – choosing to become part of data centers in order to make their operations more efficient. If, when choosing the first data centers, less attention was paid to their advancement and the quality of the services provided, recently not only their technical capabilities, but also their sustainability have become important.

Important to the market

The services provided by data centers are used by especially different companies: Internet portals for which it is important to be available 24/7 from any country in the world, a factory, a pharmaceutical company, a gas station or a financial institution. For a long time, a few IT cabinets in company premises where servers are installed, or server rooms, have been called a data center for a long time, but as technologies change, large data centers are becoming more popular.

The growth of the data center market is driven by several factors: the continued expansion of data-intensive industries, which is fueled by the widespread adoption of cloud computing in organizations worldwide. Another important factor is the innovative new Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies.

According to technology market research company TIRIAS Research, the data demand of artificial intelligence applications such as ChatGPT will increase by 2028. the amount of data volume processed worldwide can increase by 50 times.

Many countries currently have restrictions in place that prohibit large new loads from being connected to the grid. Building or development permits are increasingly difficult to obtain. If until now data centers were mainly concentrated in large cities such as Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin, where company headquarters are located and reliable telecommunications infrastructure is created, the tendency to withdraw from these traditional centers and establish data centers in smaller cities is emerging.

Of course, in this case there are certain difficulties, for example, there may be a lack of qualified workers. However, interest is expected to grow this year in other cities such as Warsaw, Vienna, Vilnius, Istanbul, Nairobi, Lagos and Dubai, which until now have not been known as data center clusters.

There are quite a few challenges

When designing and equipping data centers, priority is given to the pursuit of state-of-the-art equipment. As Egidijus Ropė, director of the Technology Department of AB Lithuanian Radio and Television Center (“Telecentro”) explained, no matter what the size of the data center, uninterrupted, high-quality and efficient electricity supply is especially important in it, ensuring their smooth operation, cooling and security, and in recent years – and sustainability.

“The perspective of the last five years is obvious: the climate is changing, natural phenomena are increasing. Hailstorms, temperature fluctuations, and wind gusts are becoming more frequent. In Lithuania, overhead lines still prevail, in contrast to Europe, where mostly underground electric cables are used, so a bigger storm, hail or stronger wind affects the stability of the electricity supply. Various interruptions in electricity supply, such as short-term voltage spikes, affect the operation of servers and other IT equipment, there is a threat of damaging them”, commented E. Ropė.

As the specialist explained, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) help ensure stable electricity supply. The work of modern data centers largely depends on their efficiency and reliability.

“When designing data centers, one of the most important priorities is the most advanced equipment that works efficiently, helps save electricity costs and protects the environment as much as possible. During operation, the UPS provides efficient load regulation, and the advanced battery management system provides intelligent battery charge management, extends battery life and provides adequate energy supply in the event of a main power failure.

The design of the equipment makes it possible to replace or install additional power modules, duplicate systems and carry out repairs without interrupting the power supply to the load. Together, these solutions ensure the safe operation of devices. Uninterruptible power supplies also have a mode that ensures device efficiency of up to 99 percent. This means that much smaller losses are incurred, and due to more efficient consumption of electricity, nature and customer costs are saved”, commented Edmondas Daukšas, the expert for Lithuania of the energy management company “Eaton”.

One of the priorities is sustainability

When setting up data centers, equipment cooling is as important as uninterrupted power supply. After installing advanced equipment, outdoor air is used for cooling, thus efficiently using electricity. Special cooling and conditioning systems that maintain the required temperature are no longer a novelty in data centers.

The operational efficiency of data centers is shown by the energy efficiency coefficient (PUE). It is used to measure how much electricity a data center consumes compared to how much technological equipment is installed in it. The more populated the data center is, the more efficient it is.

When installing data centers, they are increasingly supplied with energy by solar power plants, and the heat generated by the equipment is used to heat the premises or prepare hot water.

Another issue is that from January 1, 2026, it will be prohibited to manufacture and supply to the market medium voltage electrical distribution devices up to 24kV, which use SF6 gas, which is harmful to the environment and human health. Data centers are particularly energy intensive, so SF6-free facilities can also help data centers reduce their CO2 footprint.

“Customers’ needs are changing, technologies are improving, more and more attention is being paid to saving energy resources, contributing to lower consumption and preserving the environment,” said E. Ropė.

For example, modular data centers operate in Lithuania – they are also popular in foreign countries, because if necessary, the capacity of one modular center can be expanded by balancing the activities of other data centers. Modular data centers typically consist of standard components that can be added, integrated, or modified by incorporating them into an existing data center, or by combining them into a modular system.