Are you curious about the future of green data centers? Wegozero is happy to share another way to preserve our beautiful planet. Technological usage has increased greatly in the past decade, with the Internet becoming a large part of our global daily lifestyle. Whether it’s using your favorite streaming service, replying to an email, or posting on social media, data centers play a key role in supporting technology.
Why is it important to transition to green data centers?
In 2022, around 79 zettabytes of data were created worldwide. However, as this market grows larger, so does the impact on the world around us. Currently, data centers contribute to 2 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and 3 percent of global energy consumption, with an estimated 10 percent of consumption by 2030. Maintaining a data center requires cables, sensors, IT hardware, and cooling units with materials that are harmful to the planet.
Following the Paris Climate Accords in 2015, many companies realized changes needed to be made for the future. Green data centers use the latest processes and techniques to reduce their impact on the environment. Battling climate change is becoming increasingly valued by the public and shareholders, as businesses try to take the necessary steps toward reducing their carbon footprint. This emphasizes the need for companies to start taking responsibility for themselves by facilitating closed-loop programs of circular economies.
How can companies make an impact by making their data centers greener?
Environmental care is a key benefit that comes from data center sustainability. After the Paris Climate Accords, many companies began looking for solutions to help reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. By adopting green data center initiatives, businesses reduce their overall carbon footprint and contribute to a circular economy. This brings enterprises one step closer to achieving the net-zero targets set by the accords.
However, Wegozero wants to point out that transitioning to green data centers can still be rewarding for businesses while having positive impacts on the environment. Contact us if you want to learn more on how we can support you.
In the technology sector, enterprises can take a leadership role in promoting sustainability. This commitment to the climate builds trust with customers, stakeholders, and employees. Furthermore, businesses are able to attract and retain talent that aligns with their long-term sustainability goals.
Financially, companies that leverage their resources more efficiently can reduce data center overhead, further lowering capital expenditures. Structurally, enterprises increase their performance by tracking key performance metrics in data center operating systems. This leads to the improvement of operating processes, the extension of system life, and the enhancement of security. All important factors when storing and managing the flow of data.
What are some ways that companies can begin the leap toward green data centers?
Energy efficiency in data centers starts with well-planned air management strategies. Regulating cold and hot air streams are crucial for data centers’ cooling processes and the machinery’s temperature environment. Some solutions for improving air management are listed below:
- Installing server racks in rows
- Implementing hot and cold server aisles in specific layouts
- Cover openings in and between racks
- Separate cold and hot air inside centers
- Shut off unneeded computer room air conditioning
- Install variable frequency drives on fans systems to limit motor demand and electrical consumption
What can you do to reduce energy consumption in data centers?
Air management solutions lead to dramatic energy savings that lower the energy consumption of temperature regulation. Furthermore, operators and owners can use more efficient IT equipment in combination with data management strategies to prevent large energy usage. Some practices to help enterprises are listed below:
- Monitoring use of servers, storage, and networks
- Decommissioning unused servers
- Consolidating rarely used servers
- Installing Energy Star-certified servers, storage, and uninterruptible power supplies
- Optimizing storage through deletion of duplications
What are some practices businesses can follow to get closer to a green data center?
Businesses can use any of these practices to make improvements to their own IT systems, resulting in the reduction of depleted infrastructure power. While air management and IT equipment improvements are necessary, controlling the power loss and lighting of these systems are easy ways to achieve partial sustainability. Some best practices involve the following:
- Examining useless power requirements
- Installing high-efficiency motors and equipment for the best power-to-performance ratio
- Shifting to Direct Current powering
- Switching to a renewable energy source for primary power
- Installing energy-efficient lamps, ballasts, and effective lighting controls
Enterprises can make a clear impact by adopting some of the practices and solutions above. However, achieving a sustainable data center aren’t limited to the topics covered above. Other important aspects of green data centers are liquid cooling systems and efficient use of water to avoid waste consumption. Above all, the monitoring and control of server systems allow companies to analyze green data center needs and adjust their improvements if necessary.
Who are some businesses that use green data centers and what impact have they had so far?
Enterprises can make a clear impact by adopting some of the practices and solutions above. However, achieving a sustainable data center goes far beyond the topics covered above. Other important aspects of green data centers are the liquid cooling systems and efficient use of water to avoid waste consumption. Above all, the monitoring and control of server systems allow companies to analyze green data center needs and adjust their improvements if necessary.
In 2011, Facebook announced its plan to convert its facility in Lulea, Sweden into a green data center. The news came in an agreement made between Facebook and Greenpeace. Since then, its Swedish facility has switched to hydropower as its primary power source. Facebook also uses natural air cooling to regulate temperatures without consuming large amounts of power.
Switch
Switch’s campus, located in Las Vegas, is another enterprise that has implemented tier 5 standards of data center sustainability. The Tier 5 requirements for Switch practices are its ability to run without water, monitoring of non-crucial storage systems, and a 100 percent renewable main power usage.
Google promotes sustainability in its own data centers by adopting five infrastructural initiatives. These include measuring efficiency, separation of cold and hot air to optimize airflow, the use of cooling economizers and free cooling, and the minimization of power distribution loss. By following these initiatives Google claims it operates on 50 percent less energy than normal data centers.
Apple
Apple’s data center in Maiden, North Carolina operates at the top tier of LEED certification. During construction, only 7 percent of the waste ended up in landfills, with 14 percent of the facility made of recycled materials. If that wasn’t a big enough impact, Apple also sourced 41 percent of resources from within 500 miles of the construction site.
Conclusion
Sustainable data centers are only a step in the global journey of emission reduction. However, numbers are important to consider. Inspiring change starts with you. Your friends. Your business. Even your country. Because as our name entails, We Go Zero.
