Power and automation technology company ABB and Tieto, the IT service company in Northern Europe, have launched a feasibility study for the construction of a solar power plant at Tieto's data centre in Espoo, southern Finland. Experience has shown that solar power production in Finland has good potential. For example, solar panels can produce more power annually in southern Finland than in northern Germany of southern England.

“Finland has announced its target for increasing the share of renewable energy sources to 38% of consumption by the year 2020. ABB's and Tieto's feasibility study is a significant opener to utilising renewable energy sources in Finland,” says ABB sales manager Timo Kontturi.

One data centre can use as much energy as a small town. Data centres' indirect share of emissions and the global carbon footprint may be as high as 2%. In Finland it is estimated that the annual power consumption of data centres can be reduced by as much as 350 GWh, resulting in cost savings of EUR 35 million per year.

“The feasibility study for the solar power project is a demonstration of Tieto's approach to environmental issues. It is also a natural next step to the choices that which led to our Espoo data centre being given the respected Green Enterprise IT award in 2011. Clean and renewable energy forms are the future,” says Tieto's data centre manager Mika Saukkola.