Virgin Media O2 works with EkkoSense to unlock datacentre cooling energy savings

EkkoSense, a global leader in the provision of AI-powered data centre optimisation software, has worked with Virgin Media O2 to help the company make data centre cooling energy savings worth in excess of £1 million per year.

This represents an average 15% saving in data centre cooling energy, with EkkoSense’s software helping to secure savings equivalent to 760 tonnes of carbon dioxide using location-based scope 2 accounting.

Virgin Media O2 engaged EkkoSense to help its operations teams gain a real-time view of thermal, power and capacity performance across 20 key UK data centre sites. EkkoSense offers a distinctive, light-touch AI-enabled software-driven approach that enables organisations such as Virgin Media O2 to optimise their data centre performance while simultaneously securing quantifiable sustainability results.

Virgin Media O2 is working to reduce its energy usage across its operations by using technology and innovation to become more energy efficient, and sources renewable energy to minimise its impact on the planet. It’s a key element of its sustainability strategy, the Better Connections Plan, where Virgin Media O2 is also working to achieve net zero carbon emissions across Scopes 1,2 and 3 by the end of 2040.

Adrian Lazenby, Head of Technical Site Engineering and Delivery at Virgin Media O2, said:

“Virgin Media O2 is committed to reducing its impact on the planet by cutting carbon emissions and rolling out energy saving measures across the business.

“In partnership with EkkoSense, we’ve optimised our data centres so they operate efficiently, using real-time data so we can make airflow and cooling improvements, resulting in significant cooling energy savings.”

The EkkoSense solution brings together an exclusive mix of technology and capabilities. Low-cost Internet of Things (IoT) sensors provide the innovative SaaS platform with valuable data and, using machine learning, provides AI analytics, gaming-class 3D visualisation and Digital Twin capabilities. The technology is backed by embedded advisory support including EkkoSense’s PhD-level thermal and engineering experts and deep rooted sector expertise.

“With our software collecting thousands of data points every five minutes – adding to the millions of data points already collected, we’re able to continually refine the effectiveness of our machine learning algorithms for Virgin Media O2,” added Dean Boyle, EkkoSense’s CEO. “Having access to this level of real-time insight means that Virgin Media O2’s operations team are able to track how their data centres are performing from a cooling, power and capacity perspective. They are also able to identify further energy optimisation opportunities in terms of cooling energy usage and overall savings.”

The success of Virgin Media O2’s project with EkkoSense has been widely recognised across the data centre and sustainability sectors, with industry awards this year including:

• DataCloud Global Awards 2024 – Most Sustainable Data Center Project of the Year
• DCS Awards 2024 – Data Center Sustainability Project of the Year
• UK Green Business Awards 2024 – Low Carbon Industrial Project of the Year

The Virgin Media O2 data centre project with EkkoSense was also a nominated finalist at the DCW 2024 Awards, the National Tech Awards, the 2024 Energy Awards, and Platform Global’s Celebration of Peers Awards for 2024.

EkkoSoft Critical, the 3D visualisation and analytics software, enables data centre operations teams and co-location providers to remove thermal and power risk, minimise cooling energy usage and costs, and support corporate ESG and sustainability programmes through quantifiable carbon savings. Customers see results in just weeks, with project ROI timescales of under 12 months in many regions.