44 2021 Non-Financial (Group) Report of q.beyond Reducing the electrical energy used to cool the data centres by 60% (completed in 2019) Modernising the heating system (completed in 2020) Data centres 5/7, Hamburg, Grasweg. Given the heat behaviour of IT components, we have to ensure that our data centres are efficiently cooled, which in turn requires large volumes of electricity. To account for this, we most recently implemented conversion measures to reduce the electrical energy used to cool the data centres and also modernised the corresponding systems. Thanks to so-called cold aisle production with speed-controlled ven- tilation, it is now ensured that the intake air tem- perature for IT hardware amounts to a maximum of 28 °C. The required cooling performance can then be generated with a significantly lower input of electrical energy. This enables us to save 7 MWh a month. This measure, which was decided on in QIV / 2018, was completed on schedule by the end of 2019. The effectiveness of the measures was confirmed to us with a certificate issued by the environmental authorities in Hamburg. Data centre 4, Hamburg, Notkestrasse. To ensure smart climate control, we replaced the existing cooling appliances with more efficient speed-con- trolled recooling units. These have a higher overall cooling performance than their predecessors (120 kW compared with 100 kW). Based on the same level of cooling performance, annual electricity consump- tion now only amounts to 258 MWh, as against 336 MWh previously. Estimates show that this cor- responds to an annual saving of around 77 MWh. Moreover, the ventilator speed has also been reduced, leading to further savings. This measure, which was decided in 2019, has now been implemented. Office location, Hamburg, Grasweg. To enhance efficiency and reduce heating energy consumption at the office location at Hamburg, Grasweg, the complete heating system, including all thermostatic heads in the offices, was replaced in 2020. Based on 1,800 operating hours, this is expected to reduce the volume of gas consumed by between 290 MWh and 360 MWh a year. This target was adopted in 2019 and implemented on schedule in 2020. Due to lower office heating energy requirements at present on account of the pandemic, it will only be possible to quantify the actual heating energy consumption savings more exactly at a future point in time. Enhancing the energy efficiency of the plants used to ensure an interruption-free supply of electricity (completed in 2021) Data centre location, Hamburg Grasweg. A total of 14 existing UPS systems have been replaced with more energy-efficient models. This measure is intended to safeguard a reliable supply of elec- tricity for the IT capacity at the Hamburg Grasweg data centre while significantly enhancing energy efficiency, with savings estimated to amount to 870 MWh a year. Implementation of this measure, which was resolved in QII / 2019, was successfully completed in the period from QIII / 2020 to QI / 2021. The substantial annual energy saving is due to the higher efficiency of the new systems (98% com- pared with 89% previously) and, according to the confirmation received from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (only available in German), will lead to annual savings of 842 MWh. This corresponds to annual CO2 savings of around 452 tonnes.