The Ethos Expert Series brings together research from our mechanical and electrical engineering specialists into five programmes focused on hyperscale data centre design.

Covering thermal engineering, electrical infrastructure, construction methodology, sustainability and digital engineering, the series examines the technologies, standards and engineering decisions influencing future facilities. Each programme introduces the research themes before exploring them in greater depth through dedicated insight previews and technical whitepapers. 

AI and high-performance computing are changing the thermal requirements of modern data centres, making traditional air cooling unsuitable for many high-density environments.

This insight explores the transition to liquid cooling, examining the engineering decisions that influence resilience, energy performance, infrastructure design and heat reuse. It outlines the practical considerations needed to develop cooling strategies that remain reliable, efficient and commercially robust throughout the life of the facility.

Every ESG report tells a story. Ours is one of progress, learning, and raising the bar. We are proud to share the Ethos 2025 Environmental, Social & Governance Report.

This report reflects a year where sustainability became even more embedded in how we operate, make decisions, and deliver value for our clients. As our business continues to grow, so too does our responsibility to create lasting positive impact.

Some milestones from 2025 include:
Climate Action: Our science-based emissions reduction targets were validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), and we’ve already achieved a 32.9% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions against our 2019 baseline.

People: We continued to strengthen diversity, equity and inclusion, reducing our mean hourly gender pay gap from 14.4% to 1.2% while increasing female representation across the business.

Looking Beyond Carbon: We completed our first biodiversity assessment using the TNFD LEAP approach, strengthening our understanding of nature-related risks and opportunities while continuing to improve the transparency and quality of our ESG reporting.

This report is the result of collaboration across the business. A huge thank you to everyone at Ethos who contributed their expertise, challenged ideas, shared data, and helped shape our sustainability journey.

While we’re proud of the progress we’ve made, we know sustainability is a continuous journey. We remain focused on accelerating decarbonisation, strengthening governance, and supporting the delivery of resilient, sustainable infrastructure for the future.

The Ethos Research & Development Team brings together specialist expertise to investigate the engineering challenges shaping the next generation of data centres and energy infrastructure.

Guided by client needs and industry research, the team focuses on practical innovation across thermal engineering, electrical resilience, AI infrastructure and sustainability. Through applied research, technical collaboration and knowledge sharing, it supports engineering solutions that are scalable, commercially viable and ready for real-world delivery.

Selecting the right perimeter intrusion detection system requires more than comparing technologies.

  This technical whitepaper provides a detailed assessment of six perimeter intrusion detection technologies used across hyperscale and colocation data centres. It compares performance, integration requirements, operational considerations and regulatory compliance before introducing practical technology selection frameworks, hybrid deployment strategies and design guidance. Developed from European market experience and industry standards, it helps owners, operators and security professionals make informed decisions based on risk, site conditions and long-term operational performance rather than individual technologies alone. 

Grid constraints are reshaping data centre growth across Europe. Discover why unlocking existing capacity has become one of the fastest and most commercially effective routes to supporting AI demand.

This insight explores why retrofit and capacity optimisation are becoming strategic alternatives to new-build expansion. Drawing on market data, policy developments and practical engineering examples, it explains how operators can recover additional capacity from existing facilities, reduce deployment times and maximise the value of established grid connections while planning for future growth. 

This Expert Series paper examines how electrical engineering is evolving to meet the demands of AI-driven data centres.

It explores grid constraints, behind-the-meter generation, high-voltage architecture, resilient distribution networks and integrated MEP and ICT design. Drawing on current engineering research and international standards, it presents practical approaches for improving deployment certainty, operational resilience and long-term infrastructure performance while helping owners and operators make informed electrical design decisions in increasingly constrained energy markets.

Design ownership shapes the performance of a data centre long after construction is complete. As factory-built solutions become more common, clients increasingly risk transferring design ownership alongside equipment procurement.

Expert Series paper examines how independent engineering oversight supports better methodology selection, repeatable reference designs and long-life asset performance. It explores the trade-offs between modular, traditional and hybrid construction, demonstrating why engineering decisions should prioritise lifecycle value, operational flexibility and client control rather than supplier-led delivery models.

Aisling O’Connor started as an intern and now works as a project engineer. She encourages more young women to consider STEM roles. Aisling initially hesitated to pursue engineering as a woman, but seeing female engineers removed her doubts.

What sparked your interest in engineering?

I always enjoyed maths and physics, but quickly realised I preferred practical, experiment-based learning rather than pure theory, which led me to engineering.  I had reservations about becoming a female engineer, but those disappeared during my internship at Ethos.

How did your internship help shape your career?

In school, engineering was just lectures and coursework. At Ethos, I saw how those principles influence buildings people use daily, which helped me understand the impact engineers can have. I was drawn to Ethos given its focus on helping to shape and design buildings. I quickly realised that the engineering principles I’d been learning could be applied to building services.

I joined Ethos after college and gained valuable experience alongside structured training. Over time, my responsibilities increased, and I progressed to Project Engineer.

Why are programmes like TY outreach and STEPS important?

These programmes give students real exposure to engineering. TY students can shadow teams and see what engineering roles are like, and STEPS helps us introduce younger children to engineering.

Many students don’t realise the opportunities engineering offers. These programmes help bridge that gap by giving them a chance to meet engineers, ask questions and see what a STEM career can look like.

The Pledge to Net Zero Report 2025 provides a detailed account of Ethos’ greenhouse gas emissions across Scope 1, 2 and 3, together with the methodologies, data management processes and verification approach used to measure performance.

Prepared in accordance with the GHG Protocol and aligned with Science Based Targets initiative commitments, the report demonstrates Ethos’ progress towards net zero while strengthening transparency, accountability and continuous improvement across its sustainability programme. It also confirms the successful independent verification of Ethos’ 2025 greenhouse gas inventory, providing additional assurance over the accuracy and integrity of the reported emissions data.