A large number of data centres across Europe are currently underperforming, according to a new AECOM white paper. Refurbishing and upgrading these legacy data centres could improve their security, efficiency and environmental impact, as well as avoid the expense of outsourcing or building a new asset. Upgrading an existing data centre could cost 50 percent less than a new build project and deliver the same benefits.

Many companies in mature markets such as Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK rely on data centres that were installed more than ten years ago and that are now inefficient and expensive to run. With data increasingly critical to business operations, replacing older assets or outsourcing data centre provision are often seen as the only solutions. Today’s paper identifies substantial scope for companies to run legacy data centres more efficiently to lower operational costs and bring significant other benefits to their business.

Existing data centres are often dismissed from future data centre strategies, yet understanding and addressing why they are underperforming could allow companies to continue using them. The majority of data centres are also running below capacity, and an upgrade or refurbishment would allow them to cool and power much more equipment than they currently house.

Upgrades to existing data centre estates may not be the only required solution, but they should be considered as part of a holistic assessment of data centre provision. Certain measures can be introduced at very little cost, and can have a significant impact on efficiency, as well as provide scope for expansion. These include adjustments to airflow, fresh air supply, lighting and electrical plant cooling.

Luke Kubicki, Data Centre Engineering Lead at AECOM, said: “Europe’s older data centres are already under pressure, and the demands placed upon them will only intensify in the years ahead. AECOM has explored how businesses can future-proof their data centre provision in the most cost-effective way. Although often overlooked, a properly executed upgrade can result in a lower total cost of ownership than the alternatives and bring many other business benefits in both the short and long term.”

The paper is part of AECOM’s See Further series, which explores a range of topical industry drivers.