The energy storage solution incorporates renewable energy sources and will be developed for cloud and IT services hosting company Webaxys which operates a new ‘eco-responsible’ data centre based at the Saint-Romain de Colbosc Eco Park in Normandy. The energy storage solution enables Nissan electric vehicle (EV) batteries to be reused, providing, in combination with Eaton’s uninterruptible power supply capabilities, an industrialised energy control and storage solution for managing data centres. It not only enables integration with local renewable sources but also allows companies to draw down from and provide energy back to the grid, ensuring stable and cost-efficient energy management systems.
Data centres already account for 1.5 percent to 2 percent of worldwide electricity consumption, rising sharply each year. However, the energy demands of data centres, which cannot tolerate the slightest power outage, makes the application of renewable energy sources particularly difficult. This new Eaton and Nissan energy control and storage system will mean firms like Webaxys can store energy once produced so that it can be used on demand to power the business. This overcomes risks associated with renewable energy sources which are more susceptible to interruptions in supply and ensures the supply of pure, quality power.
“This installation at Webaxys marks an important historical moment for data centres in their quest to become energy autonomous in the near future” said Gareth Dunsmore, Director of Electric Vehicles, Nissan Europe. “By combining Nissan’s expertise in vehicle design and reliable battery technology with Eaton’s leadership in power quality and electronics, we hope to demonstrate that data centre energy management can be stable, sustainable and cost efficient in the near future.”
During the COP21 Paris Climate Change Summit last year, Eaton and Nissan announced a partnership that was designed to bring energy storage solutions to market. The ambition was to combine powerful electronics and ordering software with renewable energy production and storage in one system. As a global leader in the electric vehicle market, Nissan’s EV batteries will be given a second life and will be reused within the system. This eco-responsible approach maximises the usage of these batteries before the end of their life, minimising the use of natural resources.
Following the opening of the site at Saint-Romain de Colbosc in Normandy, Webaxys plans to open a series of regional data centres that harness this same technology and integrate into the local economy, minimising environmental impact and energy consumption.
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