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Incorporating living walls into data centres increases their aesthetic appeal and significantly contributes to meeting sustainability regulations set by the EU.
Incorporating living walls into data centres increases their aesthetic appeal and significantly contributes to meeting sustainability regulations set by the EU.
Living walls act as natural air filters, removing pollutants and providing cleaner air. This can be particularly beneficial in data centres, where improved air quality can contribute to better equipment performance and employee well-being.
By providing natural insulation, living walls help regulate building temperatures, reducing the need for artificial heating and cooling. This contributes to lower energy consumption and supports compliance with EED standards.
Beyond their functional benefits, living walls enhance the visual appeal of data centres, creating a more pleasant environment for employees and visitors.
Integrating green spaces into urban environments promotes biodiversity and offers psychological benefits, fostering a connection with nature even in highly technical settings.
Data centres must comply with the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) by gathering detailed sustainability data. While Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) has been the standard for efficiency, it fails to address the actual energy consumption of IT equipment inside data centres.
The CSRD takes a deeper approach, asking data centres to measure and report on areas of resource use, equipment efficiency and sustainability measures.
Living walls contribute significantly to these goals by naturally insulating to improve energy efficiency, filtering air to reduce CO2 levels, and promoting renewable energy usage.
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The project involved creating a landscape feasibility report for a new data centre in London to soften the building's appearance, enhance local ecology using native plants, and engage the community with green infrastructure.
The use of living walls can help disperse of excess heat generated by data centre operations. This natural cooling effect can complement mechanical systems designed for heat recovery and reuse, helping data centres adhere to EED standards regarding heat utilisation and energy reuse.
Living walls act as natural air filters, improving air quality by removing pollutants and reducing CO2 levels. This improvement in air quality can contribute to the efficient operation of cooling systems, ensuring optimal temperature control and cooling efficiency ratios as required by the EED.
Living walls contribute to the energy efficiency of data centres by providing natural insulation. This insulation helps regulate the internal temperature of the building, reducing the need for artificial heating and cooling systems. By lowering the demand for HVAC systems, living walls help data centres decrease their overall energy consumption, a key requirement under both the CSRD and EED.
Living walls support the use of renewable energy by potentially integrating with solar panel systems. The combination of green walls and renewable energy sources can create a self-sustaining environment, reducing the reliance on non-renewable energy. This aligns with the CSRD's focus on more nuanced sustainability measurements and helps data centres in their journey towards net zero emissions.
Site survey with value analysis
Concepts and indicative plant palettes
Planting and establishment at the nursery
Pre-grown modules installed with drainage and irrigation
Fortnightly or monthly, with a full horticultural husbandry visit annually