36 n ENERGY EFFICIENCY September 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com organisations to quantify, report and verify their GHG emissions and removals. In particular, ISO 14064-1 provides clear instructions for transparent and consistent GHG inventory reporting. A widely used method of calculating GHG emissions of products and services is the Carbon Footprint tool, based on ISO 14067. This measures GHG emissions and removals expressed as CO2 equivalents for specific products or services, covering activities such as manufacturing, energy consumption, and both upstream and downstream transportation. These standards and tools enable businesses to measure their environmental impact accurately, report transparently, and implement effective strategies for reducing their carbon footprints. It’s common to confuse the terms “calculation”, “validation” and “verification”. They, in fact, refer to distinct steps in the process of assessing and ensuring the accuracy and reliability of GHG information: n GHG emissions calculation refers to the process of determining the total amount of emissions of carbon dioxide, and other greenhouse gases emissions associated with a particular activity, product, organisation or individual, in terms of CO2 equivalents. n Validation is the confirmation of a claim through the provision of objective evidence, that the requirements for a specific intended future use or application have been fulfilled (confirmation of plausibility). It helps ensure that the calculation is based on sound and credible information. n Verification is an independent assessment to confirm whether the reported impacts accurately represent the actual emissions. A third-party verifier reviews the emission calculations and documentation to confirm their accuracy. This adds an additional layer of credibility and trust to the reported figures. Understanding the standards used to calculate GHG emissions is crucial for businesses striving for sustainability. Selecting the appropriate standard depends on a company’s business goals, the sector of industry involved, and stakeholders’ expectations. Standards provide a structured framework for accurate measurement and reporting. Customised industry-specific standards enhance transparency further and help businesses to align with sector-specific goals. By embracing the right standard, businesses can measure their environmental impact effectively, set meaningful targets, and pave the way for a greener future. Consulting with sustainability experts can help you navigate this decision and ensure accurate measurement, reporting, and reduction strategies. n Helping data centres to keep their cool The data centres that keep our digital world running are voracious consumers of energy. VSDs and high-efficiency motors are proving essential to rein in data centre running costs and to extend equipment lives, as this article from Nidec explains. Today’s digital world is built on data. From search engines and streaming services to AI and cloud computing, almost everything we use to work and relax relies on the smooth, secure operation of data centres. The sheer processing power needed to run these applications generates an immense amount of heat. To keep servers operating at peak performance, effective cooling isn’t just important – it’s critical. Cooling a data centre is no small task. It demands a blend of high-efficiency technologies that can balance energy use, system reliability, operational agility, and longterm cost management. An astonishing 40% of a data centre’s total power consumption is used for cooling , and as sites expand in both size and processing capacity, the need for smarter, more sustainable cooling methods is becoming more urgent. At the heart of these advanced cooling systems are drives paired with high-performance motors, fans, compressors and pumps. In the past, data centres cooled their server rooms using conventional air conditioning systems which drew heat away from the server racks, expelled the heat outdoors, and cycled cooler air back in. While effective for smaller loads, this approach has struggled to keep pace with the explosive growth of computing power, especially with the rise of AI and big data. Today's servers are densely packed and perform far more calculations per second than ever before, leading to dramatically higher power consumption and thus heat generation. Immersive cooling Modern cooling strategies combine air and water cooling. Water cooling, particularly through cold plates attached directly to processors, offers much higher thermal transfer rates than air alone. Some technologies are even embracing the concept of immersion cooling, where the server components are submerged in non-conductive cooling fluids such as specially engineered dielectric liquids that offer exceptional heat transfer. No matter the method, moving heat efficiently still depends on the drives and controls of the data centres’ pumps, compressors and fans. Fixed-speed motors, the traditional workhorses of cooling systems, can appear to offer several advantages, including low upfront costs. However, they are inherently inefficient. They run at full capacity regardless of the actual cooling demand, leading to excessive energy consumption, especially during off-peak periods when cooling needs are much lower. VSDs (variable-speed drives) change that equation. By adjusting motor speeds to match real-time cooling demands, they reduce power consumption dramatically. Pumps only move as much water as needed, and fans only run fast enough to maintain optimal temperatures. This dynamic control has several critical advantages: n Energy savings Reducing motor speeds even slightly can slash energy consumption by 30-50%. n Extended equipment lives Motors and mechanical components experience less wear and tear. n Precision cooling Fine-tuned systems can maintain ideal server conditions, boosting performance and uptime. n Lower operating costs Reduced energy use and fewer repairs result in bottom-line savings. For data centres where thousands of motors might be running 24/7, the impact is massive. Every percentage point of efficiency gained translates into significant financial and environmental returns. Data centre cooling isn't about relying on a single piece of technology, but the synergy between multiple components. Motors, pumps, compressors, drives and control systems all need to work in perfect harmony to deliver precise, efficient cooling. The cooling needs of data centres will only grow as computing power and demand continue to rise. Water cooling will become standard. Immersion cooling will shift from early adoption to an everyday application. And cooling towers – already critical in large-scale operations – will continue to evolve for even higher efficiency. Controlling the energy consumed by roof-mounted cooling systems can help to reduce data centre running costs
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