If we look at the evolution of data centers, especially since the end of the last century, we have witnessed unprecedented acceleration and unstoppable spread.
Today, it is not possible to contemplate a data center that does not guarantee the security and stability of the service it provides. It must also ensure business continuity and, given its energy requirements, be resilient and efficient. For those designing a data center in Italy, Europe or the world, these conditions are imperative: security, continuity of operation, and sustainability.
A high-efficiency solution
NOVA by Cefla is the energy of the future, a reality created between two partners that combine fuel cell technology developed by Bloom Energy with the consolidated experience of Cefla, a company that has built entire data centers; most recently the one in the Tecnopolo of Bologna that houses the Leonardo supercomputer managed by CINECA. Given the enormous energy requirements of a data center, it is crucial to ensure maximum efficiency.
Fuel cell technology exceeds the efficiency of an endothermic source by 25 percent for the same power output. It guarantees an electrical efficiency rating of 54 percent throughout its life cycle. It is a stable and secure technology that operates continuously 365 days a year, 24/7 - like a data center. It requires very little maintenance as the fuel cell module 'core' is simply replaced once every five years. Simply put, fuel cells meet the needs of data centers in terms of stability, continuity and efficiency. All that is needed now is the expertise of the provider of the integrated solution for a new data center or for the efficiency upgrading of an existing CED.
For more than 90 years Cefla has been building complex civil and industrial plant systems, creating functional and innovative solutions that serve the environment and quality of life. These projects include La Scala Theater, the Uffizi Gallery, and numerous office towers in major Italian urban centers. It has been building cogeneration, trigeneration, and energy recovery plants for 40 years, and takes care of the management of factories, production lines, and energy plants of large industries. Today it is the partner for the realization and distribution of new Fuel Cell Energy Server™ plants by Bloom Energy.
Flexible, sustainable and tailored
The NOVA by Ceflasolution is modular and will always be sized according to the electrical baseload. It ensures seamless integration with the existing supply system, such as the national grid, and with refrigeration units. In case a new data center is planned, NOVA by Cefla is the key element of a grid-independent micro-grid, offering security of supply, stability and continuity.
From the perspective of theenergy transition, NOVA by Cefla is at the heart of the matter, capable of adapting to any primary source. This astute flexibility makes it attractive to those using 100% natural gas, RNG and biogas, a blend of natural gas and hydrogen, or 100% hydrogen when this solution becomes a competitive and available alternative. In addition, the evolution from one source to another requires no modifications whatsoever, except the transition to 100% hydrogen, which requires replacement of the fuel cell module core.
NOVA by Cefla stands for clean energy and reliability within everyone's reach, and it is with this approach to environmental sustainability that Cefla and Bloom Energy are promoting this solution. In Italian they are called fuel cells, but the beauty of fuel cells is that they do not generate combustion.
That is why they are a huge benefit to the environment. Zero unburned, zero NOx, SOx and CO, and CO2 emissions are lower than those produced by an endothermic engine in the range of 25-30%. But sustainability does not stop there. Through fuel cell management, which is independent of the national power grid, the NOVA by Cefla solution iseconomically sustainable and allows greater control over the data center's income statement.
Designing together to optimize performance over time
The data center is designed to perform over time, and NOVA by Cefla is a key, but not unique, part of the whole structure.
The added value, in addition to the merits of the technology, the flexibility of this solution and the economic advantages, comes from the team of experts that accompanies the customer from the preliminary analysis of energy needs to advanced maintenance.
The latter consists of continuous monitoring of the systems that results in constant improvement of plant operation to strive for increasing efficiency over time. Among the activities carried out by Cefla are the design and implementation of technological systems in data centers, construction and maintenance service throughout the country.
Cefla and Bloom Energy are partners in the Italian market and represent a unique opportunity to build the data center of tomorrow, efficient, resilient and sustainable, and thanks to the modular concept, highly customizable.