Müller Dairy to Milk Energy Savings From Data Center Overhaul

LICHFIELD, United Kingdom — It is a sign of the times -- and of the increasing reliance on computing power in all industries -- that Müller Dairy owns not one, but two data centers.

The yogurt manufacturer has teamed up with NextiraOne to overhaul and expand its existing compute facilities with an eye toward energy efficiency and carbon reduction.

"NextiraOne has the expertise in building data center projects and we were impressed with the environmental awareness they are bringing to the project -- entirely in keeping with our own carbon reduction strategy," Stephen Kane, Head of IT at Müller Dairy U.K., said in a statement.

cow The projects will help Müller Dairy reduce its carbon footprint, as part of the company's overall environmental initiatives. The company was the first in its industry to join the Carbon Trust, and has made a number of commitments to reducing its carbon footprints and packaging and waste impacts.

Müller's data center overhauls will incorpate energy efficient APC InfraStruXure In-Row cooling systems, which reduce power consumption by directly cooling IT hardware rather than the entire server room. NextiraOne will also install a highly efficient centralized UPS system using Isolated Gate Bipolar Technology.

NextiraOne landed the Müller contract because of its experience in building energy-efficient and carbon-reducing compute facilities. The company has a dedicated Intelligent Building Services Division that works on energy-efficient facilities, and NextiraOne has joined the 2degrees Network, a business coalition working on the transition to a low-carbon economy.

"Müller Dairy has a very clear approach to its environmental responsibilities and we are delighted that it recognised our own commitment to carbon reduction in choosing NextiraOne to build its new Data Centres," Steven Skakel, Managing Director of NextiraOne's U.K. & Ireland operations, said in a statement.

Although Müller Dairy's data centers are located at its headquarters and dairy in Shropshire, U.K., the company has not yet announced plans to use food and animal waste to power its computing facilities, a move that Hewlett-Packard hypothesized would be possible in a white paper published earlier this year.

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