O2 outlines plans to slash data centre emissions Telecommunications giant O2 is set to cut emissions from its data centres by more than half a million kilograms within a year, after investing in natural cooling technologies and energy efficiency. Image: O2 In what it has described as a “radical overhaul”, the firm has invested in innovative energy-efficient cooling equipment to regulate the temperature of data centres and core network sites. These will replace traditional electric-powered air conditioning and transitional gas-based refrigeration. The new equipment will use natural cold air outside of locations to cool inside. It is being paired with energy management software from EkkoSense, which uses smart sensors fitted to data centre equipment to monitor exactly how much cooling each site needs at any one time and how the delivery of this cooling can be optimised for energy efficiency.