Bisnow’s 3-Day DICE Event In May To Explore Renewable Power Options For Data Centers

While diesel generators are the main source of backup power for data centers, owners and operators are adopting cleaner and more energy-efficient alternatives like natural gas to reduce runtime and increase sustainability.

To meet the growing demand, Kohler, a company providing energy solutions, is using its renewable energy generators to add more resiliency to data center operations.

“With data centers demanding so much energy, we're doing our part to create engines that will lower fuel usage and help reduce carbon emissions,” Kohler Engineering Systems Manager Michael Hafner said. 

Hafner will be at Bisnow’s DICE East Event at the Hyatt Regency Reston and join other speakers on the panel titled Power Management and Energy Storage: The Evolution of Backup Solutions and What to Apply in Your Data Center. Register here to attend the event May 21-23. 

Bisnow spoke with Hafner about the state of data centers today, how the industry is pivoting toward more renewable energy sources and how artificial intelligence and machine learning will play a bigger role in daily operations.

Bisnow: What data center trends are you seeing today?

Hafner: We’re still seeing cloud-based systems as a main driver today. However, machine learning and augmented reality AI are growing in the market, which, from a power backup perspective, will change the amount of data center power required moving forward. 

Bisnow: What are some backup solutions you're implementing for better data center power management and energy storage?

Hafner: As far as backup power, I believe diesel engines are still the king. At the moment, cloud-based data centers still require large diesel generators for the amount of backup power needed for the size of facilities that are online today. However, we at Kohler know that other technologies are coming into play, especially to counteract emissions and environmental concerns. 

Machine learning and AI won't always need to be connected to the internet or backed up like a cloud-based data center. If these systems go down, they can pick up right where they left off as they go back online. Also, they’ll need fewer engineers per megawatt of power with these types of facilities.

It’ll open up a slew of opportunities, such as hydrogen fuel cells, as a newer technology. We believe hydrogen fuel cells will be a part of the solution to lower carbon emissions, but it may take five or more years before this makes a scalable impact. Also, transitioning to more natural gas engines will be another alternative.

For renewable diesel, hydrotreated vegetable oil, or HVO, will be a player. Kohler already has HVO systems in place that provide more renewable and sustainable fuel. We're going to continue to test and define newer technology that will come into play in the future. 

Bisnow: As new infrastructure gets introduced in data centers, does Kohler have a plan to help with these higher power requirements? Do you think it'll be more AI-driven?

Hafner: Cloud is not going anywhere, but AI will certainly be the major growth factor in the next five years. It remains to be seen what strategies we will use until that comes to fruition. From our perspective, natural gas and smaller engines might be a current solution, especially as the demand for large diesel engines continues to grow and the supply chain may not be keeping up. 

However, a counterstrategy would be going with natural gas 600-watt engines instead of using diesel. This would work best with smaller facilities with smaller power needs where we could use backup power and come up with creative solutions. Kohler has dual-fuel generators that can convert natural gas into diesel to help meet data center power needs. 

Bisnow: What do you see for the future of data center management, and how will Kohler continue to be a leader to help adapt to these challenges in the market?

Hafner: I think it starts with the existing installed base with diesel engines. There's a ton out there that needs to be maintained throughout the next 10 years as we transition to newer technologies. We’ve been monitoring our field services and evaluating how much maintenance is needed throughout the life of a diesel engine.   

Runtime is the big factor there, and there are levels you have to stay under, but runtime costs money. If operators can do testing without full load, it’s going to eliminate fuel and uptime for the actual generator. As a result, it’ll keep generators running longer, which is more cost-effective. This type of attention to maintenance and energy efficiency will be key for better management. 

As the industry continues to evolve into AI and machine learning and the stakeholders make those decisions and we see those start to get deployed, it's going to be important for companies like Kohler to adapt with a variety of solutions such as diesel, natural gas and hydrogen. This is something we’re preparing for in the next five to 10 years. 

Bisnow: What inspired you to attend Bisnow’s DICE East event?

Hafner: I started going to Bisnow’s DICE events a few years ago. What shocked me was the diversity of people that were there. It's a great social event with a national reach to speak with and learn from a variety of owners, operators and other business professionals. 

Click here for more details on the event. 

This article was produced in collaboration between Studio B and Kohler. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com