ST ANDREWS University has won a top award for the green design and performance of a new computer data centre, which is helping to reduce the institution’s carbon footprint and saving £65k a year on its electricity bills.
St Andrews is the first UK public-sector organisation to achieve a gold award from the British Computer Society under the Certified Energy Efficient Datacentre Award (CEEDA) scheme, an international assessment-based awards programme, which recognises a commitment to energy efficiency and the reduction of carbon emissions.
Built at a cost of£2.4 million, St Andrews’ new data centre was opened last year on the site of former squash courts in Butts Wynd in a conservation area in central St Andrews.
A joint project by the university’s IT Services and Estates units, the centre had to adhere to strict planning and noise restrictions
It is fitted with a special acoustic shield and was designed with a traditional style slate roof to blend in with its historic surroundings.
