Project Description
The GovHack Data Center Challenge: A Data-Driven Approach đŸ’¡
I'm a data analyst with a knack for pattern recognition and strategic thinking, with complementary expertise in supply chain management. My core strength lies in extracting meaningful insights from existing datasets and developing reusable analytical frameworks that transform complex problems into actionable solutions. I chose the GovHack data center challenge because it represents the optimal intersection of my analytical capabilities and operational expertise, as data centers function as complex supply chain ecosystems requiring sophisticated resource optimization and efficiency analysis.
My approach for this project centered on leveraging Australia's open government data repositories through advanced visualization and cross-dataset correlation analysis. The methodology included three key components: visual analysis to make complex findings accessible, framework development to create a reusable approach for similar challenges, and cross-domain integration to combine quantitative analysis with supply chain principles.
A Data-Driven Framework for Data Center Siting
Given the exponential growth of data driven by AI, data centers are now essential for Australia's future. My report proposes a data-driven evaluation framework to identify the most suitable regions for development, as there is currently no standard framework to evaluate optimal siting.
The framework is based on five key factors for selecting a data center site:
- Power Availability & Reliability: Data centers consume massive amounts of power, so a stable grid with abundant clean energy sources is a decisive factor. Based on data from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), Brisbane, the ACT, and Adelaide have strong current clean power supplies.
- Cooling & Thermal Management: Data centers produce significant waste heat, making cooling capacity critical. Ideal sites have moderate temperatures and a reliable water supply, as liquid cooling is more efficient than air cooling. The southeastern coastal urban regions, including the ACT, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, were identified as the most favorable.
- Connectivity: With heavy data flows from East Asia and the U.S., proximity to submarine cable landing points and major domestic data hubs is crucial to reduce latency and costs. Data from the Intercity Fiber Network shows Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth are near submarine cable landing points, with the ACT and Melbourne showing great potential.
- Talent & Labor Force: Data centers need skilled professionals like network and server engineers. Data from the Tech Council of Australia's 2023 report shows Queensland, NSW, the ACT, and Victoria have a strong tech workforce and good growth potential.
- Land & Infrastructure: Data centers require large, low-cost land parcels and reliable utilities. Using population density as a proxy, the analysis identified outer Brisbane and the Sydney-ACT-Melbourne suburban corridor as the most suitable areas.
Based on a scoring system where each factor is worth 1 point and future potential is worth 0.5 points, Brisbane (total score: 5) and the ACT (total score: 4.5) rank as the most suitable regions for immediate data center development. Sydney and Melbourne follow closely with a score of 4.
My contribution extends beyond solving this immediate challenge. The analytical framework I've developed aims to serve as a methodological template for future government infrastructure projects, helping to ensure scalability, adaptability, and knowledge transfer capabilities.
Data Story
AEMO Map: incorporates geospatial data and visualizations to map Australia’s current energy landscape, including regional energy sources, density, and grid distribution. This provides a robust data foundation to assess and evaluate power availability and reliability across potential data center locations.
Australia Bureau of Meteorology: includes visualized data on the median peak temperatures across Australia during the summer months (December to February), enabling a clear assessment of cooling requirements as a critical factor in site evaluation.
Digital Atlas of Australia: incorporates data on water storage volumes across different regions of Australia, providing a critical input for evaluating cooling capacity as part of the site assessment.
Intercity Fibre Network - Telstra InfraCo: provides mapping of Australia’s submarine cables and fiber connections between major cities, offering a clear view of the country’s data transmission infrastructure and supporting a more informed assessment of connectivity.
TechCouncil-Tech-Jobs-Update-May-2023_final-1.pdf: includes statistical data on tech workers across Australian states, detailing current job availability and projected growth rates, which serves as a key input for evaluating talent and labor force.
Digital Atlas of Australia: presents population data across Australia, highlighting regional population density and distribution, which provides valuable insights for analyzing and assessing land availability and infrastructure capacity.
