Data centre power solutions, from grid connection to heat export
Talk to our energy team about your data centre power requirements
Secure the power your data centre depends on
A data centre can only open as fast as its power arrives. Grid connection queues, limited local capacity and rising demand can hold up new projects long before the design is complete.
RED Engineering Design provides data centre power supply and energy services for new and existing facilities. We design the infrastructure needed to bring power to site and manage supply, from grid connections and on-site generation to battery storage and waste heat export.
What are data centre energy and power services?
Data centre energy and power services cover how electricity reaches a site and how power is generated or stored on-site. This includes grid connections, on-site generation, battery storage and waste heat export - all systems that need to be planned alongside the site's MEP engineering design, so the power supply meets the facility's electrical requirements.
The first step is understanding how much power a site needs and what’s actually available. Looking at this early gives the project team a clearer idea of the options and helps avoid power constraints holding things up later.
RED's energy and power services
Every site has a different power problem - a constrained grid, a long connection queue, a carbon target, or a need for greater resilience. Our data centre energy solutions are shaped around the problem you need to solve.
On-site generation
- Designing on-site generation plant, including gas engines and systems ready for renewable energy.
- Planning how on-site generation works alongside the grid, including demand flexibility and black start capability.
- Integrating generation with the site’s wider microgrid and resilience strategy.
Energy centres
- Planning and designing energy centres that supply power across a campus, including energy for heating and cooling, or to neighbouring users.
- Assessing combined heat and power (CHP) and thermal storage options.
- Drawing on RED’s experience designing low-carbon energy centres for district-scale schemes.
Grid connections
- Reviewing available utility capacity and connection options for new or expanding sites.
- Identifying grid constraints early, before they affect the project programme.
- Planning power delivery in phases to match campus growth.
Battery storage
- Designing battery energy storage systems (BESS) for data centre sites.
- Assessing how battery storage can support site resilience and the use of renewable energy.
- Identifying where storage can complement conventional backup power or provide flexibility to the grid.
Waste heat export
- Assessing whether waste heat from a data centre can be supplied to a district heating network.
- Planning the heat network as a separate project, with clear technical and contractual arrangements to protect data centre operations.
- Identifying potential heat customers, including industrial users with steady demand throughout the year.
How we delivered on-site power generation for DUB 15
RED carried out the detailed design and site monitoring for a 60MW power generation site serving a hyperscale operator in Grange Castle, Dublin. We designed the plant around 22 containerised gas engines arranged in sets, with gas distribution infrastructure and provision for renewable deployment in future.
The plant can provide up to 60MW of flexible generation, operating for up to 2000 hours a year, with full black start backup for the data centre it serves.
Why work with RED Engineering Design?
RED is part of Tractebel and the ENGIE Group, a global name in low-carbon energy. Our data centre power solutions draw on that wider energy expertise and our team’s own experience of the demands data centres place on their infrastructure.
What you can expect from RED
- Wider energy expertise - RED draws on the experience of Tractebel and ENGIE in delivering low-carbon energy projects worldwide.
- Data centre experience - We’ve delivered more than 1050 data centre projects across 75+ countries.
- Energy strategy and MEP design - The same team can develop the energy strategy and deliver the full MEP design.
- Specialist engineering expertise - Our team includes 900+ specialists, backed by the wider knowledge and resources of Tractebel.
- Long-term client relationships - 84% of our business comes from repeat clients.
Meet the expert: Phil Reid
Phil Reid leads RED's energy team. A Chartered Engineer with more than 40 years’ experience across energy and infrastructure, including oil and gas, he specialises in decentralised, low-carbon energy systems for data centres. He works closely with Tractebel and ENGIE, drawing on their wider energy expertise.
Head of Energy Transition
Data centre energy and power solutions FAQs
What are data centre power solutions?
Data centre power solutions cover the infrastructure needed to supply electricity to a facility and keep it available when needed. This can include grid connections, on-site generation, battery storage and backup power systems.
How do data centres get their power supply?
Most data centres draw electricity from the grid, but available capacity and connection times vary by location. Where grid supply is constrained, on-site generation or battery storage can help meet demand and support power availability.
What is data centre energy management?
Data centre energy management involves planning how a site sources and uses energy. This includes monitoring demand and managing on-site generation alongside battery storage to help control energy costs. It can also involve recovering waste heat where there is a viable use for it.
What do data centre energy solutions include?
Data centre energy solutions cover the infrastructure used to supply and manage energy across a site. These can include grid connections, on-site generation, energy centres and battery storage. Where local demand makes it viable, solutions can also include exporting waste heat to nearby buildings or industrial users.
Need a power strategy for your next data centre?
Getting enough power to a site can take time - particularly where grid capacity is limited. Speak to RED’s energy team early to assess the available supply and work out what the site will need before power constraints delay the project.
Book an energy consultation with RED's data centre power team
