System developed jointly with Cloud&Heat receives award from Federal Environment Agency in Nuremberg

Freyung, 22.11.2022: Together, representatives of Thomas-Krenn.AG and Cloud&Heat Technologies GmbH received the certificate on 9 November: The Federal Environment Agency awarded a system of the two companies with the Blue Angel seal - a premiere: Never before has a server product fulfilled the criteria.

Around 110 guests came to Nuremberg for the Blue Angel award ceremony as part of the 10th specialist conference for socially responsible IT procurement. There, Marina Köhn, responsible at the Federal Environment Agency, presented the certificate to Matthias Simmet, Business Development Manager at Thomas-Krenn.AG, and Conrad Wächter, Teamlead Hardware and Cybernetics at Cloud&Heat Technologies GmbH, at the Caritas Pirckheimer Haus. This confirmed by letter and seal what had already been officially announced beforehand: The two Thomas-Krenn servers RI2208 and RI2208-LCS comply with the strict requirements for obtaining the Blue Angel label for servers and data storage products according to DE-UZ 213.

These criteria include, in particular, compliance with eco-design regulations and fair production - the latter must be proven in a dedicated manner, among other things through the verifiable renunciation of child labour. In times of so-called planned obsolescence, longevity is a particular exclamation mark: spare parts and repair services must be available for five years; the recyclability of components is also mandatory. Compliance with the REACH criteria[1] according to the EU Chemicals Regulation is also mandatory.

Further systems in planning

In addition to the two systems already certified, Thomas-Krenn and Cloud&Heat are already working on the Blue Angel for the successor versions. In addition, further product categories in the tower server segment are under development, which also meet these requirements and should thus strive to obtain the Blue Angel in accordance with the UBA criteria.

"IT devices have become an indispensable part of working life, also in the public sector. The installed technology offers a lot of potential here, especially in data centres. Energy savings are so important because they have a positive impact on the actual consumption as well as a subsequently reduced cooling capacity," says Marina Köhn. "What is particularly exemplary about the systems from Thomas-Krenn and Cloud&Heat, however, is the possibility of not simply cooling the energy away, but of recycling it, for example, in the heating system or by means of district heating. It shows once again: SMEs are also indispensable for Germany and its entire economy in terms of innovative strength."

"We are very pleased about this award. It is particularly important in times of special efforts to save energy. The more powerful of the two servers consumes less electricity than a two-person household in a single-family home[2]. It thus makes a valuable contribution to giving companies the chance to meet the EU's climate neutrality target," said Matthias Simmet. "Our thanks go explicitly to our partner Cloud&Heat, without whom we would not have got this system off the ground. The integrated hot water cooling enables energy reuse and makes the server an efficient system."

Energy efficiency optimisation in IT hardware gains visibility

"It is a good feeling to be able to hold this certificate in our hands. The topic of sustainability and energy efficiency optimisation of IT devices and systems have been constant drivers of our actions since the founding of Cloud&Heat. Therefore, it was only logical for us to develop the Liquid Cooled System together with Thomas-Krenn and to incorporate our expertise in the field of cooling technologies. The certificate is therefore a great appreciation for the colleagues and me and underlines that the topic of energy efficiency optimisation in IT hardware is increasingly gaining visibility," says Conrad Wächter.

The conference supports municipal decision-makers in socially responsible IT procurement. To this end, it shows positive examples as well as practicable approaches to solutions on how public institutions can improve working conditions in production facilities in cooperation with companies - this also includes environmental criteria. The event is thus also aimed at the purchasing departments of other public administrations and universities. Participants from the private sector are also welcome. The tenth edition of the conference offered not only technical papers but also an accompanying "market of opportunities" with new product solutions.

About the Thomas-Krenn.AG

Thomas-Krenn.AG is one of the largest manufacturers of individual server and storage systems in Germany. Since 2002, the company has been supplying end users, resellers and data centre operators with high-quality hardware according to the build-to-order principle. Also as a solution provider for individual customer projects, Thomas-Krenn.AG stands for the highest service quality in hardware-related development, contract manufacturing, product finishing and logistics. It is thus a recognised reliable partner for industry, system houses, service providers and medium-sized end customers from every sector. Thomas-Krenn.AG currently produces all servers in Germany at the Freyung site with around 200 employees.