CFD-expert Wirth Research turns to Verne Global to go carbon zero

Wirth Research, an engineering, design technology and advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) consultancy, has relocated its supercomputer to Verne Global’s data center campus in Iceland. The move enables Wirth Research to analyse, optimise and verify the performance of designs for its industry customers with zero carbon cost.

With its roots in motorsports, Wirth Research was founded by Nick Wirth, former Simtek Grand Prix owner and Benetton F1 chief designer. Since 2003, the company has pioneered the use of advanced virtual engineering technologies that reduce the need for costly physical tests and the wasteful manufacture of prototypes. Wirth Research uses high resolution CFD analyses to design and develop innovative airflow solutions for a wide variety of sectors and uses. These include identifying key airflow mechanisms that minimise the airborne transport of viruses, like Covid, in public spaces, as well as controlling and targeting airflow to make supermarket refrigeration more efficient and city streets more comfortable for pedestrians through wind engineering of tall buildings.  

CFD is incredibly power-intensive and requires high intensity computing environments. With its in-house high performance computing (HPC) servers nearing end-of-life, Wirth Research sought to improve the speed, performance and reliability of its compute-intensive applications, while at the same time, increasing efficiency and reducing its energy footprint. After extensive consideration, Wirth Research chose to colocate its new Dell EMC PowerEdge servers powered by AMD Epyc CPUs and Nvidia Tesla T4 GPUs at Verne Global’s Icelandic campus due to its first-in-class performance and on-site HPC support. Crucially, Verne Global also offers a sustainable alternative to fossil-fuelled compute power – 100% renewable hydro-electric and geothermal energy, with free cooling from Iceland’s year-round lower temperatures. 

Previously, Wirth Research’s headquarters were tethered to where its CFD supercomputer was located, on a site with substantial energy costs and cooling requirements. By moving its high performance compute to Verne Global, and replacing its existing hardware with new hyper-efficient AMD Epyc 2 processors, Wirth Research’s costs were reduced so significantly that the savings in energy usage easily justified the investment in upgraded hardware. As well, Wirth Research was able to move its headquarters to a state-of-the-art, eco-friendly office, more in line with its core values. 

“At Wirth Research, the work we do is sustainability work, helping our clients implement energy-saving carbon reduction systems that aren’t just planet-friendly, but also offer compelling returns on investment,” said Nick Wirth, President and Technical Director, Wirth Research. “Verne Global’s renewably powered data center – optimised for HPC and supported by a skilled team of engineers – is the ideal place to host our high intensity compute.”

“Wirth Research’s advanced engineering technologies can revolutionise industries, and Verne Global is thrilled to be a part of delivering that innovation at zero carbon cost,” said Dominic Ward, CEO, Verne Global. “Verne Global was built from the ground up with sustainability, scalability and security front-of-mind, and we look forward to supporting Wirth Research’s future growth.”