Acciona data centre cuts cooling energy use by 70%

Vertiv has modernised the cooling infrastructure at Acciona's corporate headquarters data centre in Madrid, cutting cooling-related energy consumption by about 70%, according to Acciona.

Acciona expects the investment to pay back in about three years. The work was carried out while the site remained operational, with no downtime reported during the upgrade.

The project focused on cooling units that had been running for more than a decade. Instead of replacing the installed systems, the companies retrofitted them with variable-speed EC fans and integrated them with Vertiv Liebert iCOM controls, which adjust unit components and setpoints in real time.

This allows airflow to vary with demand rather than run at a constant speed. The changes were designed to improve energy efficiency and increase available cooling capacity without interrupting data centre operations.

Pilot testing

Before the wider rollout, the companies tested the upgrades on two cooling units in a pilot. They moved to full implementation after the trial confirmed the expected energy savings and system improvements.

The work was completed during normal business activity by using the data centre's existing N+1 redundancy, allowing cooling service to continue while individual units were upgraded.

Capacity gains

Alongside lower energy use, the modernisation freed up additional cooling capacity and available power inside the facility. This creates more room for future IT expansion without major capital spending on new infrastructure.

The project reflects a growing focus among data centre operators on extending the life of installed equipment rather than replacing entire systems. Operators face pressure to cut energy use, manage rising computing demand and avoid disruption at sites that often run continuously.

For Acciona, the work also forms part of a longer relationship with Vertiv at its Madrid facility. The company, which operates across sectors including renewable energy, infrastructure, transport, water and services, said the upgrade supported both efficiency and operational continuity.

Retrofit strategy

A proactive assessment by Vertiv's service team identified an opportunity to improve the performance of the existing cooling units. The objective was to increase efficiency and create headroom for growth while preserving system availability.

Retrofitting older cooling equipment has become a common option for operators seeking quicker returns than full replacement programmes. In this case, the projected payback period of about three years indicates that the energy savings were significant enough to justify upgrading assets that were already operating reliably.

The use of electronically commutated fans marks a shift from fixed-speed operation to more flexible control. In data centre environments, where thermal loads can vary, this can reduce wasted energy by matching airflow more closely to actual cooling demand.

Automated controls

Control software also played a role in the upgrade. By linking the new fans to automated controls, the system can continuously tune performance rather than rely on static settings.

Acciona said the project was completed with minimal disruption to daily activity at the headquarters site and highlighted the efficiency gains and newly available capacity as key outcomes.

"We would like to thank the entire Vertiv team for the excellent management of this project. We are very satisfied with the improved energy efficiency and the freed-up capacity, all delivered with minimal disruption and no downtime," said Carlos García Fernández, Director of Engineering and Processes, Acciona.