Cooling upgrade at remote Jersey data centre
21st June 2025
UK: A logistically complex project involving the replacement of cooling units at a data centre in the Channel Islands has been successfully completed by Biggleswade-based Secure IT Environments (SITE).
The project involved the shipment of all equipment for the project, including three air conditioning systems, to the live data centre in Jersey.
In one room, two end-of-life Edenaire IPAC 70-2 AC units were replaced with GEA Multi-Denco DX Freecool air conditioning units. These were partnered with exterior hybrid heat rejection units.
In the second UPS room, two existing cooling units were replaced with a single GEA Multi-Denco indoor unit. To get the best efficiency from this unit, the installation was completed with a GEA Multi-Denco down flow close control direct expansion air handling systems and a Denco ambient air-cooled condenser.
The revisions to the number of air conditioning units and types meant a number of changes to the pipe work runs through the data centre, bringing two circuits of DX pipework and two circuits of free cooling water pipework to meet the new air conditioning units.
Upon completion of the upgrade, SITE completed all commissioning and testing of environmental monitoring systems, before refinishing the raised flooring in both rooms.
Weather can impact any substantial data centre project, especially when groundworks are involved, but even the smallest projects can be hampered when the logistics rely on shipping to an island. For SITE a critical element of the planning of this project was working with the supply chain to ensure the availability of hardware on Jersey.
The project timeline was designed to ensure delays to shipping and deliveries could be accommodated, without impeding the ability for data centre work to continue moving forward and meet deadlines.
