Sustainable data

Zumtobel, and its sister brand Thorn, both lighting brands of the Zumtobel Group, have been instrumental in enhancing the lighting solutions at Kao Data’s state-of-the-art campus.

The brand’s highly efficient lighting solutions have played a critical role in ensuring the campus meets its high standards of energy efficiency, operational resilience and environmental responsibility.

Situated strategically between Cambridge and London, the 15-acre campus is built
on the historical site of Sir Charles Kao’s groundbreaking discovery of fibre optic cable in 1966. With over £230 million investment, the campus houses four cutting-edge, carrier-neutral data centres designed to support an IT load of 40MW, all powered by 100% renewable energy.

The lighting installation at the Kao Data centres was executed in multiple phases, with each phase meticulously designed to align with Kao Data’s vision of a sustainable and technologically advanced environment. Zumtobel and Thorn, in collaboration with

JCA Engineering and MEIT Consultants, provided a tailored lighting solution that not only enhances the visual appeal of the spaces but also contributes to the campus’s low Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.2 – a benchmark in energy efficiency.