Sustainability at DCA: Being Environmentally Friendly

Welcome back! In Part 1, we discussed DCA’s energy efficiency through design and technology. In this article, we’ll focus on the environmental friendliness of our equipment and the materials we use.

Today, we are more aware than ever of the impact man-made materials have on the environment. Chemical-based products, for instance, can take years, if not decades, to break down, posing a threat to biodiversity, including forests and wildlife. Therefore, it’s crucial to consider the materials we use, especially those that require disposal after use.

Flywheel technology

DCA’s Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) system utilizes flywheel technology, which relies on the kinetic energy of a spinning wheel to provide backup power. This approach eliminates the need for chemical-based batteries, avoiding the environmental impact of their disposal. Traditional battery-based UPS systems can release harmful hydrogen gas during charging and require additional cooling and ventilation for safe operation.

Did you know? Our kinetic UPS can fully recharge in under 3 minutes, while traditional battery-based UPS systems take hours!

Fire Prevention with Low Oxygen Air

When we think of fire prevention, water and fire extinguishers often come to mind. However, DCA uses a state-of-the-art fire prevention system that maintains low oxygen air, or hypoxic air, to prevent fires from starting. Fires need oxygen to ignite, so by reducing oxygen levels, we eliminate the fire risk without using harmful chemicals.
Hypoxic air is safe for humans and non-corrosive, unlike traditional chemical-based fire suppression systems, which can damage ICT equipment and harm the environment when discharged. Additionally, cleaning up after a chemical discharge can have a significant environmental impact.

Protecting the Environment from Greenhouse Gases

DCA’s electrical system uses a Ring Main Unit (RMU) that is free of SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride). Instead, we use vacuum technology as an arc suppressant. SF6 is one of the most powerful greenhouse gases, with a long-lasting impact on global warming, making our choice of vacuum technology a more environmentally responsible option.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of our sustainability series, where we’ll explore how our business practices are carried out in a sustainable manner.