Certified Data Centre Sustainability Professional (CDCSP®)

Program Overview

Create a sustainability strategy and business implementation plan for transformation towards a credible sustainability lifecycle, that demonstrates innovation and challenges business ethos whilst being sensitive to business risk and continuity.

Increased awareness of the urgency to implement and maintain a sustainable future coupled with evolving legislation means that data centre operators are under great pressure to embrace sustainability strategies and improve their ‘green’ credentials rapidly and be able to evidence improvement to stakeholders.

The exciting and comprehensive Certified Data Centre Sustainability Professional (CDCSP®) program is designed to provide in-depth knowledge into the steps required to evaluate, analyse, plan, implement and monitor a sustainability strategy balanced with operational capability for data centre facilities.

Achieving sustainability is evaluated from all angles with the overarching requirement to ensure the data centre critical facility continues to meet the needs of the business. The importance of implementing the correct strategic vision and business drivers required to establish a well-balanced and structured approach towards sustainability is explored. From initial business case and operational analysis of power distribution, cooling systems and IT hardware, and potential operational risk, to design innovation and implementing initiatives whilst appreciating both the business and operational challenges that may occur during this process. Maintenance strategies, continuous planning cycles and critical analysis against identified targets are also explored, in addition to the need to demonstrate proven ROI as well as identifying and capitalising on the business, customer, social and environmental benefits.

A certified CDCSP® also considers the requirements for compliance, having a full understanding of national and international regulations, codes and standards. During the program, learners will be provided a valuable opportunity to access the latest industry standards.

Following this program, you are encouraged to continue your professional development by advancing your knowledge and skills to gain further official certifications and qualifications by progressing through The Global Digital Infrastructure Education Framework which maps education programs to career advancement throughout the network infrastructure and data centre sectors.

Understanding Sustainability and the Business Approach

  • The need for sustainability and the impact upon the data centre sector
  • Sustainable approach and the legislative drivers
  • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the wider impact on the data centre sector
  • Establishing a data centre performance baseline and maximising assets
  • Understanding the business needs and data centre limitations
  • Business and operational risks presented by the need for sustainability
  • Creating a sustainable ethos through the business
  • Establishing a business case for sustainability
  • Business approach to sustainability


Learning Objectives

  • Appreciation and evaluation of the wider implications of establishing a more sustainable data centre sector against the influences from both government and non-government organisational policies
  • Alignment of data centre sustainability strategies to meet environmental, customer and social factors through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
  • Create an operational baseline to understand the current status of data centre energ inefficiencies and wastage, identifying and prioritising appropriate and attainable sustainability measures
  • Identify the potential risks, challenges and benefits of a framework to implement sustainable initiatives
  • Create a structured business case through business core drivers, risk potential, collaboration and commitment to deliver sustainability targets and strategies

Technological and Operational Approach to Sustainability

  • The need for innovation and collaboration
  • Reduction of human error by effective management and training
  • Industry best practices and transformation programs
  • Monitoring, analysis and automation of the physical infrastructure
  • Evaluating traditional, alterative and renewable power sources
  • Monitoring, analysing and optimising power distribution
  • Monitoring, analysing and optimising cooling capabilities
  • Monitoring, analysing and optimising IT hardware deployment
  • Maintenance strategies
  • Aligning the business, operations and technology to deliver a sustainable path for the future

 

Learning Objectives

  • Critically analyse the IT environment relating to one’s own sphere of work, in particular, the learner’s own organisation’s technical platforms
  • Assess the IT/IS infrastructure (hardware, public/private/hybrid cloud, operating systems, intelligent SAN, aaS, middleware/SOA), and the IT service processes used within the learner’s own organisation, particularly those associated with sustainability and efficiency including virtualisation, re-use/sharing, and closed loop strategies
  • Compare and contrast the needs, objectives and constraints of the other disciplines and functions within the data centre
  • Evaluate and apply national and international standards published by ISO, BSI, IEC, IEEE etc and Codes of Practice to build sustainability into the data centre
  • Devise techniques for streamlining business processes

Implementing Sustainability

  • Corporate sustainability and the core drivers
  • Strategic and sustainable planning
  • Developing and implementing sustainable strategies
  • The strategic planning process
  • Projecting levels of sustainable achievement
  • Obstacles and challenges
  • Monitoring, analysing and reporting sustainability improvements
  • Continuous sustainability planning
  • Certifications, standards and industry accreditations

 
Learning Objectives

  • Evaluate appropriate business strategies for the initiation and development of a sustainable data centre
  • Create a clear business strategy and sustainability framework against defined objectives and attainable targets through business collaboration
  • Identification and mitigation of potential risks, obstacles and challenges relating to effective delivery of the business strategy and sustainability outcomes
  • Appreciate the need for effective monitoring, analysing and reporting structures to evaluate the financial expenditure and operational productivity against the business drivers
  • Identify and utilise industry recognised standards and accreditations providing direction for continuous sustainability initiatives

5 day class requiring pre-class study of approximately 20 hours, focusing on the following topics:

  • Understanding sustainability and the business approach
  • Technological and operational approach to sustainability
  • Implementing sustainability

This program is structured for senior data centre operational and facilities management, team leaders and senior engineers wishing to unite existing knowledge with new learning concerning achieving a sustainability focused strategy within their mission critical facility.

Experience of working within a data centre environment is essential; preferably with two years experience as a technical designer, operations manager or in a senior facilities role. If you would like to discuss your experience or suitability for this program, please contact us.

Learners are required to undertake pre-class study, which is fully supported by an experienced and dedicated online support team.

Learners are required to have:

  • A webcam and microphone enabled laptop with unrestricted wireless internet connectivity and a pre-installed web browser
  • A suitable application for reading/annotating PDFs and a suitable application for editing standard office documents such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel

The CDCSP® is designed to utilise existing data centre knowledge, skills and experience, and combine it with new learning centred around technical collaboration and innovative approaches targeting sustainability within a data centre facility and the creation and implementation of a long-term sustainability strategy to support the business.

  • Internationally and industry recognised BTEC Level 5 Award in Certified Data Centre Sustainability Professional
  • Official Certified Data Centre Sustainability Professional (CDCSP®) certification
  • Use of the CDCSP® post nominal letters after your name e.g. John Smith CDCSP
  • Use of the official Certified Data Centre Sustainability Professional (CDCSP®) Digital Badge
  • Use of the CDCSP® logo

Certifications are a commitment to lifelong learning and offer the perfect opportunity to ensure knowledge, skills and certification remain current and up-to-date. Each certification gained requires re-certifying every three years via an online learning management system.

  • Be able to create and implement a strategy that attracts business and investment
  • Is aware of the regulations, codes and standards affecting decisions when developing a sustainability strategy
  • Understands that waste reduction, be it energy, water and packaging materials are the simplest way that the business can demonstrate its sustainability credentials
  • Recognise that true sustainability starts beyond the confines of the data centre walls, recognising the need to investigate the attitude to sustainability further into the supply chain
  • Demonstrate a positive corporate attitude to sustainability, harnessing the potential to gain competitive advantages
  • Establish a baseline for compliance recognising the need to conform with codes, standards and regulations in order to demonstrate corporate integrity
  • Champion a sustainability legacy by reviewing all areas of the business processes that affect the carbon footprint, reducing operational costs all functional areas
  • Improves customer perception of your business due to strengthening attitudes for service providers that can demonstrate their sustainability credentials
Commercial Director, USystems
“The breadth and detail of the program content provided me with the knowledge to address, assess, deliver, and execute a sustainable strategy for my business in addition to utilising my newfound knowledge to help support clients with their own sustainability focused initiatives. I would highly recommend anyone in the data centre industry to gain the Certified Data Centre Sustainability Professional (CDCSP®) certification, it provides significant value that will help to positively transform data centres towards a more sustainable future.”
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