Digital tools, automating design, PRiSM app & MMC for housing, Built Environment Matters podcast with our Creative Technologies Director, Jami Cresser-Brown

These may sound like very different clients with very different problems, but what we have found is that their challenges are very similar: they all need a solution to a problem that is difficult to articulate because a lot of people are involved, with different values and different perspectives..

The convergence of energy and data centre sectors.A major theme of the conversation is the convergence of different industries, particularly energy and data centres.

Lincoln highlights how Edged, supported by its parent company., is integrating sustainable energy solutions into their data centre designs.This approach not only reduces the carbon footprint of data centres but also addresses the increasing power demands posed by the growing reliance on AI and cloud computing.

The use of microgrids, energy storage, and renewable energy sources is critical to achieving energy security and sustainability.. 3.Adapting to the rise of AI and increasing power demands.

The rise of AI is transforming the data centre landscape, leading to a significant increase in power consumption and the need for more efficient cooling solutions.

Lincoln explains how data centres are adapting to these changes by exploring advanced cooling technologies, such as liquid cooling, to handle the higher heat loads generated by AI applications.Firstly, modelling the data hall in 3D with the restart times of all equipment inputted into the model.

And secondly, constructing a 'Flow Network' to represent the chilled water system, which interfaces with the 3D model to provide mutual feedback during the simulation.Through this comprehensive analysis, we can evaluate the performance of both the data hall and chilled water system at every stage of the outage and subsequent restart, thereby validating the resilience of the design and providing a level of assurance..

This analysis allows for the optimisation of design elements, such as UPS, to ensure inclusion only where necessary, leading to significant cost savings and a reduction in embodied carbon.Accurate determination of buffer vessel sizing through this analysis helps prevent oversizing, thereby saving costs and plant space, and minimising the need for structural reinforcement..