Telus and Vector Institute launch system to reduce climate impact of data centres

Telecom giant Telus has launched a new climate initiative with the AI-focused organization Vector Institute.

The Energy Optimization System (EOS) will help reduce operational costs and electricity use in data centres and other commercial buildings by focusing on energy-efficient temperature control.

The open source algorithm used in the system will also consider the current weather forecast to determine when it will use cooling or heating.

“We wanted to find the most efficient opportunity for temperature control in data centres, one that considered both the environmental and economic costs, while also providing the best service for our customers,” Jaime Tatis, vice-president of data strategy and enablement at Telus, said.

Telus uses 40 percent of the energy consumed across its network towards cooling telecom equipment, which is critical to maintaining network performance.

Using this technology to optimize heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems makes it possible to save energy, reducing the environmental impact. Testing of the system showed annual electricity consumption in a small data centre decreased by almost 12 percent.

“This is a brilliant example of how, together, our expertise in research and engineering can create value and make it easier to deploy leading AI research outcomes,” Deval Pandya, director of AI engineering at Vector, said.

Telus is one of Vector Institute’s founding sponsors.

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Source: Telus