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Custodian Data Centres is constantly striving to drive forward efficiencies and their new lighting system devised and programmed by their team of engineers is designed to combine usability, green credentials and innovative technologies.

During the planning stage for deployment of LED lighting at Custodian Data Centres' flagship site in Kent, the idea was born to control them more intelligently than before. Most other data centres either use regular switches or use a passive infrared (PIR) sensor (based on motion detection) to turn appropriate sections on.

Central lighting switch controls can also result in areas being turned off by clients that still require lighting by other users. The PIR method has increased efficiency, as it senses movement inside appropriate sections of the data centre and turns on the respective lighting segment.

However, PIR is always a compromise between efficiency and convenience, as if someone is standing still in the segment PIRs will go off after a certain adjustable amount of time. If you try to avoid the inconvenience by adjusting the timer to a higher timeout you potentially lose the efficiency itself, especially if triggered inadvertently.

INTELLIGENCE BOOSTED
Consequently, Custodian Data Centres decided to create a more intelligent system. Conceived by senior NOC engineer Pavelas Sokolovas, it has created a system that uses both PIRs and CCTV cameras to detect human presence in areas of the data centre. The system utilises a simple yet effective operating logic. As soon as they detect motion in a certain area they turn the lights on, using PIR technology.

At this point, the CCTV analysis system kicks in. It is specifically coded to analyse the image in the area for human presence and, as soon as it sees the area is empty, it turns off the lights, taking 10-15 seconds to perform this action. Custodian's lights are now on and off for the optimum amount of time, thus solving both efficiency and inconvenience issues.

Initially, two aisles are currently running a beta testing stage, with stable results. Custodian is preparing to roll it out across one of their data centre floors. Sokolovas developed the idea after being constantly frustrated by the lighting waste that data centres can accrue, coupled with a desire to develop a system that supported the work of visiting clients.

He notes that "whilst clients waving to reactivate PIR lighting systems may look initially amusing on CCTV, the reality is that, when focusing on work on their servers, an untimely light black-out can have frustrating consequences and interruptions for engineers".

Technical director Rob Williams agreed to trialling the project as: "the intelligent lighting system…is just one example of how Custodian constantly strives to innovate, in order to maximise what we deliver to our clients, our own operating infrastructure and the environment on a daily basis".