In March this year, we attended Data Centre World (DCW) in London to meet with leading data centre experts. David Lloyd, Johnson Controls’ Head of Connected Energy Performance, talks to us about how the company is helping to deliver the next generation of building technologies while remaining proactive about sustainability.
How is Johnson Controls delivering the next generation of building technologies and life cycle services?
Johnson Controls is a product business as well as a service and delivery business. A large proportion (90%) of our R&D is focused on sustainable product development. This ranges from our software services that bring energy benefits through to our products and the materials they’re made from. Our full portfolio is driven by both security protection and detection on a physical and energy performance basis.
How does your unique portfolio of integrated solutions help to support hundreds of data centres and other critical facilities around the world?
Data centres are unique facilities, demanding a high level of physical security, consuming a great deal of energy and requiring a high degree of energy control.
We deliver across the globe. Our product portfolio ranges from chillers and air handling units within facilities, to mechanical protection, suppression and physical security. Our fire detection and protection products work closely to ensure facilities are safe. Our fire detection combined with our physical security ensures that there are safe means of access and egress.
What key trends and developments have you witnessed in the data centre space over the last couple of years?
Energy efficiency is a key area for data centres. These facilities consume a large amount of power and there’s a lot of work being done to ensure they meet net zero goals. Everything we put in must be energy efficient. Our OpenBlue software solution, Central Utility Plant, has been deployed into a data centre in the north of England, where our plant takes over the building controls with AI inputs to optimise energy.
What should data centre organisations consider when it comes to sustainability and technical design when building the modern data centre?
Data centres are global which means they are spread out. What’s unique about data centres is their ability to rinse and repeat every centre. Businesses like ours, with its central design functions and technical ability, can build playbooks for clients and their requirements which allows us to take that rinse and repeat process and bring it to different countries and regions. This gives us a foothold in that space, then add to that our product ability where we’re able to tweak the product to the client’s needs. In terms of life cycle, we make sure our technologies last a lifetime as they are built with low sustainability impact.
Why was it important for Johnson Controls to have a presence at DCW and how will you continue powering the data centres of tomorrow?
Our brand is well known, but it’s still important to meet our clients at shows and take the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge about demands and business progression opportunities. It’s important the feedback we receive from clients is integrated into the business to ensure we develop and succeed.
