Project Overview
Verizon Communications Inc. is an American Multinational telecommunications conglomerate and a corporate component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is based at 1095 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
Verizon Communications is the second-largest telephone operating company by total revenue ($131.8 B USD). With over 150 locations, Verizon is a global leader delivering innovative communications and technology solutions that improve the way our customers live, work, learn and play.
Since 2018 E-Sine has been employed by Verizon to undertake a detailed Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) services review, at a number of European data centres including Heathrow. The aim is to significantly reduce the energy consumption of the data centre and to replace/upgrade any M&E plant and equipment, that were found to be obsolete and/or past their operational life cycle.
Our Brief
Our brief was to survey the existing M&E services & produce a detailed report with recommendations on the condition of the existing M&E Services. Leading on from our recommendations, we were retained as principal designers to prepare a full M&E design specification, with detailed phased programmes of works, over two phases, to manage the tender processes with the client’s approved vendors, attend site meeting and supervise construction on site
Specific Design & Project Requirements
As this data centre operates 27/4 we were required to ensure that there was no down time of services, hence we developed a two phase programme. Phase one involved the replacement of the existing chillers, with new energy efficient chillers with outdoor dry coolers. Phase two involved the replacement of the existing low voltage switchboard to make the power infrastructure more resilient.
Key Challenges
The main challenge on this project was that the data centre operates 24/7 and all works had to be carried out to allow the data centre to continue operating with no disruption. This required careful planning and phasing of the chiller replacement works to ensure there was never more than one chiller unit out of action at any one time and hence ensure that there was always sufficient cooling capacity available for the data halls. We also had to install the new LV switchgear in a new switch room, before we could change over the existing supplies.
Added Value to the Project
E-Sine Ltd were principal designers on this project. As part of our design, we specified the building energy management controls system (BEMS) to utilise free air-cooling when outside ambient temperatures are less than 20°C. This reduced the cooling load on the chillers whilst still keeping the data halls within their temperature parameters.
