Webaxys - a host and telecoms operator, has always pursued an innovation strategy based on strong values of social commitment and respect for the environment ever since it was established in Normandy, France back in 2003.
“In addition to relying on electricity generated entirely using renewable sources and the optimisation of energy efficient technologies already used in our first data centre, we wanted to go further and commit to reducing our energy dependency using all the innovations at our disposal to minimise our environmental impact,” said Emmanuel Assi?, CEO of Webaxys. “We are also developing a local strategy by promoting the establishment of data centres designed on a human scale that are fully integrated into the local economy and closer to the customers who trust their data to us.”
St?phane Egros, Marketing Director at Eaton Industries France, said: “We are delighted to work with Webaxys on this project which has really motivated our teams to make these new technologies operational on a production site.”
“Webaxys is a pilot site in Europe and highlights the importance of our battery energy storage solution developed in partnership with Nissan, the world leader in electric vehicle sales. This system combines the cutting-edge technological know-how of Nissan, which produces its own batteries, and the excellence of our associated electricity management systems.”
Incorporating renewable energies such as solar power, which is, by its nature, intermittent into the operation of data centres, where power cuts cannot be tolerated, means that this energy has to be stored. Eaton rose to the challenge and, in 2013, helped launch the GreenDataNet consortium which was financed by the European Community. Led by Eaton, the project aims to develop new technologies enabling the creation of smarter, more energy efficient urban data centres.
In late 2015, Eaton entered into a partnership with Nissan to deploy energy storage and management solutions in a commercial environment. Nissan batteries, which are used at full capacity in the Leaf saloon, the world’s best-selling fully electric car, are given a new lease of life in this application. This eco-responsible approach helps to maximise the use of batteries before they are recycled, minimising the use of natural resources.
This if the first time that the technology being implemented at Webaxys has ever been used at a computer production site to comprehensively manage the power grid, renewable energy contributions and battery storage, by optimising their use and ensuring maximum operating quality.
The new Webaxys data centre incorporates solar power and an optimised air-to-air cooling system. All the infrastructure equipment for the data centre has been supplied by Eaton.
Enhanced by these new smart storage features, Eaton's product portfolio can now meet all the energy management needs of a data centre, with uninterruptible power supplies, surge protectors, electric power distribution products, energy management software, communication interfaces, computer rack solutions and solutions for the management of airflow, lighting, security systems and associated customer services.
