Schneider Electric and Digital Realty have partnered to deliver an innovative circular economy initiative at its Paris 5 (PAR5) data center.

The project aims to prolong and maintain the life of the mission-critical systems at PAR5. Particularly, in line with Digital Realty’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments. Specifically, including its Schneider Electric Low Voltage (LV) and Medium-Voltage (MV) electrical equipment, switchgear, and three-phase uninterruptible power supplies (UPS).

Moreover, the project also encompasses the ability to reuse key pieces of its electrical infrastructure and components while initiating new take-back, recycle and refurbish programs. Thus, helping reduce the company’s e-waste, its upstream/ downstream Scope 3 emissions and removing the use of harmful Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) such as SF6.

Additionally, this innovative initiative will adhere to key circular economy principles. Overall, the ambition is to create a roadmap that enables Digital Realty to replicate, deploy and scale-up its circularity initiatives across all sites in Europe.

Meet Environmental Goals

Over the next 3-5 years, the circularity project will help Digital Realty save and avoid 50%-70% of the embodied carbon within its LV, MV, and three-phase UPS equipment. Furthermore, the progressive replacement of all its SM6 systems, alongside the recycling of SF6 gas, will help reduce scope 3 emissions across its entire site. While prolonging its equipment lifecycle and enabling Digital Realty to improve its environmental impact.

“We are constantly adapting our strategy and operations to meet the challenges of sustainable development. The circularity of equipment. In this case, electrical equipment is one of the major levers for decarbonizing our activities and our value chain. This is where our collaboration with Schneider Electric comes into its own,” said Fabrice Coquio, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Digital Realty, France.

In addition, Coquio said, “Being a good global citizen isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s good business sense… Our ambition is to help customers meet and exceed their environmental goals, while leveraging our services.”

Partners of the Future

In late 2022, Digital Realty approached Schneider Electric’s Secure Power, Sustainability and Circular Economy divisions. Particularly, commissioning them to undertake a new circularity consulting study on sustainability recommendations and improvements at its PAR5 data center.

Beginning with its electrical distribution and UPS systems, Schneider Electric undertook a detailed analysis of Digital Realty’s PAR5 infrastructure. Specificlaly, compiling baseline data and exploring new ideas that would accelerate its decarbonization commitments.

Following the analysis, Schneider Electric applied each of the different use cases to key circular economy principles including maintain, reuse, refurbish and recycle programs. Thereafter, it provided Digital Realty with a new and improved circularity strategy, which calculated the anticipated business and environmental benefits – including a reduction in costs, CO², harmful gases, and e-waste.

The strategy also detailed a four-step deployment approach which would digitize, prolong, refurbish, and reuse its mission-critical equipment. Particularly, with the help of local partners, and included the take-back, replacement and responsible disposal of its physical infrastructure assets.

This approach allows Digital Realty to modernize, harvest, and reuse parts of its three-phase UPS, while undertaking progressive modernization, condition-based maintenance, and digitization as part of its EcoStruxure Service Plan.

In its first few months, the circularity project has delivered 3.7 tons of CO² savings as a result of modernization, refurbishments, and replacements to its UPS equipment.

-15 April 2024-