Variables such as temperature and humidity are also finely tuned to protect processes and products from contamination.
A similar level of control is now expected when designing data centres. As the world’s digital infrastructure expands, ensuring reliable performance under tightly managed environmental conditions has become essential. The same engineering principles that underpin cleanroom design, such as stability, efficiency, and compliance, are now shaping the next generation of data centres.
Recent news reports suggest the number of data centres in the UK is projected to increase by almost a fifth, with nearly 100 new sites planned. This includes a £10 billion data centre in Northumberland, on the site of the former Blyth Power Station.
Our Project Engineering Manager, Jake Carr, draws parallels between the two and explains how expertise in cleanroom design can be used to address the engineering challenges presented by data centres.
Cleanrooms and data centres serve different purposes. One protects sensitive products from contamination, while the other safeguards digital assets against downtime and data loss. Their design philosophies, however, are remarkably similar. Both require precision engineering and depend on consistent environmental control, energy-efficient operation, and predictable system behaviour.
Experience gained in cleanroom design can be directly applied to data centres, where every detail is engineered for performance. That engineering mindset ensures not just operational reliability but also measurable business benefits, such as the reduced risk of outages, predictable energy use, and a facility that’s built with both compliance and future growth in mind.
Airflow management is a shared foundation in both sectors. Cleanrooms rely on laminar or non-unidirectional airflow with HEPA filtration to prevent contamination. Data centres, meanwhile, depend on effective and efficient cooling to dissipate concentrated heat loads.
Advanced airflow modelling and control strategies developed in cleanroom environments can help data centres achieve optimal cooling efficiency, reducing energy use while maintaining operational stability.
Tight control over temperature and humidity is critical in both facilities, preventing costly problems from arising. In cleanrooms, deviations can lead to microbial growth or electrostatic discharge. In data centres, IT equipment must perform consistently within ASHRAE’s recommended ranges. Variations can degrade IT performance or reduce equipment lifespan.
Experience in achieving tight tolerances in regulated industries ensures that environmental systems remain predictable, protecting assets and preventing unplanned downtime.
These environments generate significant heat loads, though from different sources. Cleanrooms manage process heat through high-volume airflows, while data centres focus on removing heat from concentrated server racks.
Applying energy optimisation principles from cleanroom design, such as water-based cooling systems and precise load balancing, can improve energy performance in data centres, helping operators meet sustainability targets without compromising reliability.
Ventilation plays a crucial role in both cases, maintaining air quality and supporting effective heat removal. The sizing of air handling units (AHU) and coil systems is central to ensuring stability under varying operational conditions.
The similarities between cleanrooms and data centres extend beyond airflow and temperature control. Fire suppression, access management, modularity, and redundancy all demand integrated, resilient design strategies. Clean agent fire suppression systems, for example, protect sensitive environments without damaging equipment. This approach is equally relevant in both contexts.
Redundancy planning and modular scalability, long practised in controlled manufacturing environments, are now being applied to digital infrastructure to improve uptime and facilitate future expansion.
Underneath both cleanroom floors and server halls lies a common design philosophy: clean, flexible, and future-proof service routing. Raised floors and ceiling plenums are used to distribute air and utilities efficiently while maintaining accessibility for maintenance and upgrades.
Whether supplying filtered air to a cleanroom or managing return air in a data hall, the objective remains to ensure optimal air distribution, prevent short-circuiting, and simplify future modifications.
Standards drive consistency and reliability across both sectors. Cleanrooms are governed by frameworks such as ISO 14644, GMP, and SEMI, while data centres follow ASHRAE thermal guidelines, Uptime Institute Tier classifications, and BICSI best practices.
In both cases, adherence to standards goes beyond being just a box-ticking exercise. It defines system performance, safety, and long-term credibility. The same rigour applied to cleanroom compliance is increasingly expected in the data centre field, particularly as facilities become larger and more complex.
Cleanrooms and data centres represent two expressions of the same engineering challenge: the control of complex environments to safeguard performance and continuity.
As data centre design continues to evolve, drawing from decades of expertise in high-specification facilities offers a clear advantage. The precision, compliance mindset, and energy efficiency principles developed in cleanroom engineering provide a proven foundation for creating data centres that perform reliably today, and are ready for the demands of tomorrow.
If you want to learn more about how Northern Engineering Solutions can support the design and build of a data centre, email enquiries@northernengineering.co.uk to set up a discovery call.
