Headquartered in Stamullen, Co. Meath, Ireland, and Ashburn, Virginia, USA, Hanley Energy is a global provider of critical power and energy management solutions for large-scale, complex operations such as data centres.
The company specialises in the design, development, supply, installation, and commissioning of turnkey critical power and energy management systems. These solutions enable clients to effectively manage their energy strategy, ensure 100% uptime, and optimise operational competitiveness — all while reducing their environmental footprint.
As Global Head of Procurement & ESG at Hanley Energy, Paul O’Donnell is responsible for managing the company’s extended supply chain and ensuring that clients can maintain ‘mission-critical’ infrastructure while optimising energy usage and costs.
At the recent Business Post ESG Spring Summit in Dublin, SustainabilityOnline’s Stephen Wynne-Jones caught up with him, starting by asking how Hanley Energy positions itself in the market.
“In the life cycle of a data centre – where they’re using a lot of energy – our control panels enable them to reduce their energy consumption and do it in a very clever way,” he says. “Also, resilience is key. One of the big problems for a data centre is if it goes down, if the cloud goes down – it’s a catastrophic occurrence or an incredibly expensive one. Our systems ensure that they never go down.”
Data centre impact
Recent debate in Ireland has focused on the impact data centres have on both the domestic economy and the country’s sustainability targets. While such investment is vital for the economy, a recent report noted that data centres currently consume one-fifth of Ireland’s electricity and are projected to use one-third within the next few years — a growth that exceeds the additional renewable energy capacity expected in the same period.
“The data centre sector is incredibly committed to sustainable energy – probably more so than any other sector,” O’Donnell explains. “Globally, the sector is investing in and securing sustainable, low-carbon energy. What our systems and our solutions provide is the ability for them to manage the energy requirements they have in a sustainable way and reduce their energy consumption.”
Hanley Energy was founded in 2009 by entrepreneurs Dennis Nordon and Clive Gilmore. As well as its Ireland and US bases, it also has offices in Germany, Sweden and Australia, and currently operates in 33 countries. What makes the company stand out, according to O’Donnell, is that it handles research and development, design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and lifecycle management all in-house.
Therefore, a data centre provider working with Hanley Energy can not only avail of the relevant control panels, switchgear, and other devices that help them operate, they also have the ability to monitor and manage their energy use on an ongoing basis.
“We’re kind of unique in that we do the research and development, we do the design, we do the manufacturing, we do the installation and commissioning, and we do the lifecycle management,” says O’Donnell.
Increased reliance
Most people are unaware of the level to which reliance on data centre technology is growing – powered by artificial intelligence and a rapidly-increasing range of cloud-backed apps – meaning that reducing the environmental and social impact of the sector is critical. As well as working directly with data centre operators, Hanley Energy also works alongside suppliers to improve sustainability practices.
“As somebody recently said to me, there’s almost an insatiable appetite for data centre technology at the moment, so in terms of what the future looks like, we can’t really predict it,” says O’Donnell. “What we can say is that we’re absolutely committed to the ESG journey – to act socially responsibly, and support our clients to reduce their impact on the environment.
“That also goes for our supply chain – our suppliers are on the same journey with us. Some of them are quite advanced on that journey, but others aren’t, and we’re actively supporting them.”
Geopolitical challenges
The company is also committed to engaging with policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic to influence sustainability strategies internationally, however geopolitical issues such as the current US administration’s approach to tariffs – not to mention ESG initiatives – present a challenge, as O’Donnell explains.
“I don’t think anyone has a silver bullet to solve this tariff issue,” he says. “You can’t just switch production to the United States easily, because many of the components still come from outside the US.
“I have a recent example: we buy one particular component from North America, but when the tariffs were announced, the supplier told me they’d have to apply them to us because part of the component’s country of origin was Taiwan. That part suddenly became 67% more expensive – even though we were buying it from America. So, it’s a real challenge, but I think we’re well prepared for it. Also it’s a challenge that everybody is facing, we’re not alone in it.”
Nonetheless, O’Donnell believes that the data centre sector remains committed to its sustainability efforts, even as net-zero targets loom into view.
“We know the journey to net-zero is challenging, and we’re by no means perfect,” he says. “But it’s about being part of the journey and part of the solution.
“We’re working closely with our clients, communities, world-class engineers, technical specialists, and suppliers to support this transition. So yes, this sector is fully dedicated to sustainability, and I can say confidently that our business is absolutely committed to that journey.”
Thanks to Paul for talking to us. Learn more about Hanley Energy here.
