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GEN's data centres have run entirely on green power since 2020. Each has its own solar arrays, and at times we draw no grid power at all. The rest we buy only as 100% green electricity, paying a premium that goes towards future green generation in the UK.
Our PUE is one of the lowest in the industry, we use almost no water and produce almost no waste, and on some days we already operate carbon neutral. We have pledged to do so every day by 2030. Data centres have a reputation for a heavy footprint, and we intend to show that they do not have to.
Both of our data centres have their own solar arrays, on the buildings above them and now on the ground as well, merged with grid power to feed the site. On a bright day each can generate up to 50 kW, and because a data centre's demand rises and falls with its load, there are times when we use no grid power at all. For the rest we use a number of eco-friendly suppliers, buying only 100% green power, and the premium we pay goes towards future green generation in the UK.
Right now, 50% of the UK's electricity is coming from low-carbon sources: wind, solar, hydro and nuclear. The table below is pulled in near real time from the National Grid. Even though we pay for 100% green power, we, and every other business, still pay the generation cost of the orange rows, which our blog post on the UK business energy market explains.
| Source | Generation | Percentage | |
| Fossil Gas | 12.87 GW | 39.27% | ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉ |
| Wind Offshore | 6.97 GW | 21.27% | ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉ |
| Nuclear | 4.92 GW | 15.01% | ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉ |
| Wind Onshore | 3.30 GW | 10.06% | ▉▉▉▉▉ |
| Biomass | 3.10 GW | 9.46% | ▉▉▉▉▉ |
| Hydro Run-of-river and poundage | 606.00 MW | 1.85% | ▉ |
| Other | 558.00 MW | 1.70% | ▉ |
| Hydro Pumped Storage | 451.00 MW | 1.38% | ▉ |
Cooling is the biggest overhead in most data centres, and it is where we have spent most of our engineering. Ours combines forced outside air with a closed-loop liquid system, run by a computer that watches power use across the data centre, predicts the workload and adjusts before it is needed.
High-capacity blowers draw outside air into the data centre and through heat exchangers, where it takes the heat away from the liquid cooling system.
The heart of the system, transferring heat from the coolant to the incoming air. Only when the outside temperature rises above 16°C do heat pumps join in to help.
Coolant circulates through the racks, absorbs their heat and returns to the exchangers. Nothing is lost or discharged, which is why we use almost no water.
Air and coolant move at a high rate through exchangers designed for the largest possible surface area and turbulent flow, so the air leaving the building is typically only a few degrees warmer than the air coming in.
Flow rates and the heat pumps are controlled automatically by a system that monitors power use across the data centre, predicts the workload and makes changes before they are needed, rather than after.
We have invested heavily in the latest HPE hardware, which uses considerably less power, produces less heat and responds quickly to changes in demand. It also reports its power consumption and load in real time to our central monitoring, so we can see exactly where the energy goes.
Our UPS systems run in passive mode rather than online, and large energy capacitors at the end of each row provide about two seconds of power if the supply fails, plenty of time for the UPS to switch to battery. Once on battery, the generators start automatically, and when they have stabilised the UPS switches over to them. Keeping the UPS capacity deliberately small greatly reduces the amount of lead we use and extends the life of the batteries.
Data centres traditionally have a very poor carbon footprint, with enormous cooling and power demands. Ours is green powered, our buildings are heavily insulated, we use almost no water and produce almost no waste, and the equipment we retire goes to responsible recyclers who return it to the supply chain.
On some days that already makes us carbon neutral. It does not yet make us carbon neutral every day, and we will not claim otherwise. We have committed to that under the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, with 2030 as the deadline. We are a certified service provider of the Green Datacentre Association UK, committed through the SME Climate Hub, members of the Green Web Foundation and supporters of the Green Power Association.
We will keep investing in greener technology across the board, from more energy efficient hardware to more efficient power and cooling. We cannot know what advances the future will bring, but if they are green, GEN will be part of them.
On some days, yes, and we have pledged to be carbon neutral every day by 2030 under the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact. Our power is green, our own solar covers part of it, our buildings are heavily insulated, and we use almost no water and produce almost no waste. We would rather tell you exactly where we are than put a badge on it.
Each of our data centres has its own solar arrays, generating up to 50 kW on a bright day, and at times we use no grid power at all. The rest is bought only as 100% green electricity from eco-friendly suppliers, at a premium that goes towards future green generation in the UK.
Almost none. Cooling combines forced outside air with a closed-loop liquid system, in which the coolant is continuously recirculated rather than evaporated or discharged.
Equipment we retire goes to responsible recyclers who return it to the supply chain, keeping it out of the e-waste stream. UPS batteries last around five years, and at the end of their life we pay for them to be recycled through Clarity.
Every server you host or virtualise with us runs on green power, cooled with almost no water, in a data centre working towards carbon neutral every day. See our UK private cloud and website hosting, or talk to us about moving what you run today.