Energy efficiency initiatives for network and infrastructure owners

As network and major infrastructure owners look for innovative ways to stand out in competitive business landscapes, reduce costs, and meet their ESG commitments, a timely wave of energy improvements has emerged that provides meaningful advantages for efficiency, cost reduction, and better environmental credentials for attracting eco-conscious customers.

These advancements focus on four key areas:

1. Reducing energy consumption in network and data centre infrastructure
2. Sustainable heat removal for rack-based equipment
3. Enhancing energy efficiency by switching traffic in the optical domain
4. Implementing faster rollout strategies without compromising quality

1, Reducing energy consumption in network and data centre infrastructure

Smarter power management for energy savings

It’s often said, “you can’t manage what you can’t measure.” When it comes to powering network and data centre infrastructure, traditional energy monitoring methods often provide little insight beyond total consumption.

Fortunately, the advent of intelligent power distribution units (iPDUs) is changing this. These devices offer granular visibility and control down to the socket level for switches, routers, servers, and other rack-mounted equipment.

With real-time power usage insights, iPDUs enable you to:

• Identify and deactivate “zombie servers” (active but underutilised equipment)
• Remotely monitor and manage equipment power states
• Accurately predict energy usage with ±0.5% precision – for better energy price hedging

Additionally, iPDUs can distribute temperature sensors to create a virtual heatmap, highlighting hot and cold spots. This allows for optimised airflow and equipment placement, reducing cooling demands.

For example, one of our Network Operator clients used a combination of iPDUs, environmental monitoring sensors, and hot/cold containment measures to achieve energy reduction targets two years ahead of schedule.

2, Sustainable heat removal for rack-based equipment

Efficiently extracting heat from your infrastructure

As networks expand, so does the energy consumed by rack-mounted equipment. It’s easy to forget that for every unit of energy consumed, an equivalent amount is needed to remove the resulting heat. This dual demand poses financial and ESG challenges, particularly as organisations strive to cut costs and environmental impact.

Recognising that water has greater thermal efficiency than air, water-cooled heat extraction has emerged as a sustainable alternative to traditional air conditioning.

This system works by attaching a heat exchanger to the rear panel or between server racks. Fans direct heat into the exchanger, where it is transferred to water. The cooled air is then recirculated into the room.

One customer using this approach now enjoys 11 months of free cooling annually. This has translated to significant energy cost savings and enhanced environmental credibility.

3, Enhancing energy efficiency by switching traffic in the optical domain

Route only when necessary; switch optically when possible

When processes remain unchanged for years, new, more efficient methods can often go unnoticed. For east-west traffic movement, the conventional approach involves converting incoming light signals to electrical signals, then back to light before transmission – a process ripe for improvement.

Hyperscalers are now challenging this paradigm with Optical Circuit Switches (OCS), which eliminate the need for signal conversion entirely. By maintaining signals in the optical domain, OCS can switch hundreds of fibres, each with 100 channels of 100G, using the same power as a light bulb.

Google has successfully leveraged OCS to reduce energy usage, latency, and costs while efficiently managing massive east-west traffic flows.

As with many technological advancements, Hyperscalers are often the first to adopt and unlock potential benefits. The use of OCS represents a logical next step for data centres and network operators to handle high traffic volumes efficiently.

4, Faster Rollouts Without Compromising Quality

Streamlining New Releases with Test Automation

With the rapid rise of Altnets and the sustained growth of established Operators, customers now enjoy unparalleled choice. However, this competitive market challenges network owners to innovate and differentiate themselves.

One area driving competitive advantage is the adoption of test automation, which accelerates time-to-market while maintaining quality.

Test automation offers scalable maturity levels to meet diverse needs:

• Automate setup processes to save time on repetitive tasks
• Increase capacity by running tests remotely outside of core hours
• Optimise resource sharing across departments

A notable example is CityFibre. By combining layer 1 connectivity (to remove manual cabling) with automation software (for remote testing, scheduling, and multi-test management), they achieved a 300% increase in testing capacity and a 99% reduction in testing time.

This has enabled CityFibre to expedite new rollouts and accelerate regression testing of existing infrastructure, driving cost savings and operational efficiency.

You can read the full case study here.

Summary

High-speed networks are essential for shaping the UK’s digital future while aligning with environmental sustainability goals. With the increasing demand for bandwidth and the energy-intensive nature of AI applications driving Hyperscalers to consider nuclear power solutions, it’s clear that now is the time to explore innovative strategies for reducing energy consumption and standing out in a competitive market.

Regardless of where you are on your journey to achieving greater efficiency, you’ll be glad to know that these measures can be implemented incrementally and scaled as your requirements evolve. Moreover, each step will equip you with measurable results to showcase a clear return on investment (ROI).

Richard Clothier.

Senior Product Marketing Manager, Red Helix