Embodied carbon

Datum Datacentres operates a network of environmentally efficient, carrier neutral data centers. Below is a snapshot of what the company is doing to assess the emissions in the production and construction phase of its new datacenter as part of its environmental management plan.

Background

The whole life cycle emissions of a building consist of operational and embodied carbon emissions. Operational emissions are the emissions associated with the ongoing use of a building, whilst embodied carbon emissions are those associated with the construction, maintenance and demolition of buildings.

Typically, around one third of a building’s total emissions are created before they are used, in the upfront construction stage. Building material choice is critical in assessing the embodied carbon of a building, as materials have varying levels of carbon intensity.

Actions

Datum has two sites: one in Farnborough and one in Manchester. Datum is constructing a brand new data center on its Manchester site, bringing vital investment into the Wythenshawe area.

As part of Datum’s environmental management plan, an embodied carbon assessment was commissioned, to assess the emissions in the production and construction phase.

Outcomes

The embodied carbon study found that 42% of emissions are from the superstructure, 18% from building services and 18% from internal finishes. The superstructure contributes the majority of emissions due to the structural steel frame. Three main components: steel, concrete and services (including cooling equipment), contribute just 23.7% of the total building mass, but make up 69.3% of total embodied carbon of the building.

The suspended ceiling had a very high carbon intensity. Aluminum was the most carbon intense material. Other materials and components that had a higher carbon impact were the windows and doors, insulation, paint, carpet and flooring. The services associated with the project are also carbon intense, mainly due to the cooling equipment required for data centers.

As part of Datum’s carbon management strategy, the team will explore whether the design of future buildouts can be optimized to reduce the carbon impact of the construction phase.