QTS: Partnering to advance data center sustainability
The challenge
Data centers are becoming an increasingly important part of the digital economy, but their growth also raises real questions for communities around energy demand, land use, environmental impact, local decision-making and long-term sustainability.
Those concerns make independent research especially important. As companies, communities and policymakers navigate the future of digital infrastructure, UW–Madison brings expertise that can help examine the technical, environmental and community questions surrounding data center development.
QTS Data Centers, a Virginia-based data center developer, sought to support research that could help better understand those questions and inform future conversations about key data center issues.
The solution
QTS approached UW–Madison’s Office of Business Engagement with an interest in supporting research related to data center sustainability. OBE helped connect the company with the Nelson Institute Enterprise, identifying a campus partner equipped to coordinate cross-campus research.
Through that connection, QTS invested $1.5 million in a new Advancing Data Center Sustainability initiative, which supports Nelson Institute- and UW–Madison-led research on sustainable digital infrastructure.
The Nelson Institute Enterprise, a business engagement program housed in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, worked with schools and colleges across campus to gather research proposals. QTS then prioritized and selected 14 proposals for funding across four areas: energy supply, efficiency and resilience; sustainable landscapes and agriculture; biodiversity and ecology; and tribal and community engagement.
Quick Facts
QTS
Headquarters: Sterling, Virginia
Industry: Data centers and digital infrastructure
Partnership: $1.5 million research investment with UW–Madison
Initiative: Advancing Data Center Sustainability
UW–Madison partner: Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies/Nelson Institute Enterprise
Research scope: 14 funded projects across energy, landscapes, biodiversity, ecology, public health, community perspectives and governance
Impact and results
The partnership has created a new UW–Madison research initiative focused on data center sustainability and sustainable digital infrastructure. Among the projects, research will examine issues such as grid stability, advanced energy storage, renewable fuel integration, sustainable landscape design, air quality and health impacts, biodiversity monitoring, public opinion, tribal perspectives, governance and more.
Several projects directly address community, tribal and governance perspectives, reflecting the public concerns that can accompany large-scale data center development. The work is not limited to technical questions; it also looks at how communities experience, evaluate and respond to proposed data center development.
For OBE, the project reflects a core part of its role: helping companies navigate UW–Madison’s world-class breadth and connect with the right campus partners when a business challenge requires interdisciplinary expertise.
Investment by QTS into UW research connects our researchers with practical challenges of digital infrastructure. The Nelson Institute has long worked with government organizations, nonprofits, and community groups. We are excited to partner with leading industries to help create more sustainable outcomes.
Looking ahead
As the research moves forward, the Nelson Institute will coordinate the funded projects in collaboration with faculty across UW–Madison, with QTS continuing to support the Advancing Data Center Sustainability initiative.