Mar 31 2009
Digital Realty Trust have adopted the BREEAM Datacentre scheme for their buildings throughout the world and expect to achieve significant environmental and cost savings by doing this.
The new scheme sets high standards for the design and construction of Datacentres and has been piloted on a facility in the South East of England, which has now successfully achieved the first BREEAM Excellent rating for a building of its type.
"We have created the new scheme using the BREEAM Bespoke methodology as the development framework to take account of the rise in interest in applying BREEAM to more specialist buildings. By working with industry leaders like Digital Realty Trust we are able to ensure that these new standards incorporate ‘real world' experiences" says Paul Gibbon, Director of Sustainability at BRE Global.
"The advantage of using BREEAM Bespoke for this is that it reduces the cost of assessments and provides a ready made set of criteria against which developers, designers and clients can assess their buildings. We will be refining the Datacentre scheme over the first 12 months of its operation following feedback from actual assessments and in time these specialist ‘schemes' will become part of the standard suite for BREEAM'' adds Gibbon.
Jim Smith, Chief Technology Officer of Digital Realty Trust comments, "The BREEAM certification process has tremendous value for the Datacentre industry and we are adopting its guidelines as best practice for the way we design, build and operate Datacentres around the world. This is the latest in a long list of industry firsts that Digital Realty Trust has achieved for energy efficiency and environmental responsibility and we are very proud to be leading the way in green Datacentres."
"A prime example of the value delivered through this new standard is the facility we are completing for a major financial institution. Not only is it the first European Datacentre to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating, but its associated annual cost savings are significant" adds Smith.
BREEAM Bespoke was first developed in 2000 for buildings not covered by the mainstream BREEAM assessment schemes such as Offices, Retail, Healthcare and Education.
This model of BREEAM scheme development may also be applied in future to other specialist building types such as hotels, railway stations, fire stations, visitor centres and sports facilities. Other notable recent Excellent ratings under BREEAM Bespoke include the new headquarters building for the West Midlands Fire Brigade, Loughborough Magistrates' Courts and DEFRA's Veterinary Laboratory Headquarters in Weybridge.