The project involved implementing a network of Edge Data Centres in the main regional capitals throughout Italy. The sites were divided into project Blocks:

• Block 1: Milan, Florence, Venice and Genoa;
• Block 2: Palermo, Trieste, Rome, Bologna and Naples.

The engineering design envisaged the improvement of existing Rai Way sites, both operational and disused, through the demolition and reconstruction or the seismic upgrading of existing buildings.

The spaces were subdivided as follows:

• Critical spaces: White spaces (Data Center)
• Essential spaces: Electrical cabins, electrical distribution systems, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and batteries, mechanical systems
• Non-critical / non-essential spaces: staging room, storage rooms

Each Data Hall was fitted with a technical floor and a dropped ceiling to house 600x1200x2200 mm data racks and 800x1200x2200 mm TLC racks.

We designed the electrical and special installations: the medium-voltage electrical system with transformation to low voltage and its distribution, the primary and secondary switchboards connected to the electrical distribution structure, the standard and emergency lighting network, the FM system, earthing, generators, Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), fire detection and automatic extinguishing, and the pre-configuration of the anti-intrusion and access control systems. The project also required the monitoring and control of all the installations of the Data Center using a Building Management System (BMS) developed on multiple levels: the field, in which sensors (pumps, valves, and actuators) communicate and are activated by analogue and digital I/O cards; the acquisition of information from electrical panels; and the collection of data from machines.

The mechanical systems have been engineered to guarantee the proper functioning of the IT equipment installed in the rooms, to ensure maximum comfort for the people working in the staging rooms, to guarantee the fire safety of the IT equipment and the protection of staff, and to allow the reduction of energy consumption with the minimum objective of achieving an annual Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) in the range of 1.25 to 1.40.  

We designed the mechanical systems: direct expansion cooling and computer room ventilation (free cooling); automatic fire extinguishing; leak detection; UPS and battery room cooling; mechanical ventilation and cooling of transformer and switchboard rooms; temperature control and monitoring of the mechanical systems; staging room cooling; ancillary and complementary installations (water, plumbing, drainage, etc.).

The objective was to engineer a Data Centre compliant with ANSI/TIA 942 - Rating 3, providing the facility installations with redundant configurations to ensure high infrastructure reliability by implementing an N+1 framework.

Building redundant systems means reliability and security against any "faults" in the Data Center. If one branch fails due to technical problems or maintenance, the other branches will continue to provide service.