Highlights from TECHCON 2025 – ISHRAE UAE Sub Chapter
The session explored how energy efficiency, resilience, and sustainability can be achieved within the fast-growing world of data centres. Representing 9E Global, Niall Murphy, MEP & Sustainability Director, joined a panel of industry leaders to discuss strategies that balance performance, climate responsibility, and local realities.
Key Insights from Niall
1. Targets must fit the UAE context
Sustainability frameworks from other regions can serve as references, but they must be adapted to the UAE’s conditions. Regulation and growth here demand a balance between ambition and practicality, ensuring progress without hindering development.
2. Think district-scale, not just building-scale
To reach meaningful net-zero progress, Niall emphasized planning beyond individual facilities. At a district level, data centres can share resources, recover heat, and integrate with nearby developments to form energy-efficient ecosystems.
3. Water is as critical as power
In a region where most water comes from desalination, cooling design must consider water use alongside energy efficiency. The future of sustainable data centres will depend on tracking and minimizing both metrics equally.
4. Liquid immersion cooling is the next step
Niall highlighted the growing potential of liquid immersion cooling to deliver better thermal performance and operational resilience. While it promises efficiency, its adoption depends on financial models that value lifecycle performance over initial cost.
5. Finance and ownership models drive adoption
Markets that focus on long-term operation, rather than short-term sales, are more likely to adopt advanced cooling systems. Aligning investment and policy frameworks with lifecycle efficiency is key to accelerating innovation.
6. Design for low-carbon buildings, not just green products
True sustainability lies in designing buildings with lower embodied carbon from the start. Niall advocated for setting clear carbon budgets for entire facilities, from structure to mechanical systems, ensuring accountability across every stage of design and delivery.
What This Means for the Region
The path to sustainable data centres in the UAE is shaped by climate awareness, integrated planning, and realistic financial structures. Success depends on addressing power and water together, designing for lifecycle value, and setting standards that reflect local conditions.
At the heart of Niall’s message was a simple principle: sustainability must be engineered for place, scale, and purpose, ensuring every decision creates lasting value for both performance and the planet.
