During the last year in the pandemic, we learned that it is crucial to observe the volume of resources we use and how that impacts the environment, and data centers are no exception. Data center’s power the internet and help connect the communities that are pivotal to our lives.
The massive data centers: those magical, intimidating, and indispensable places that house entire IT operations and equipment, consume vast volumes of electricity, and emit as much CO2 as the airline industry. Data ceneter providers need to turn to clean energy sources and dramatically improve energy efficiency to curb that.
Here’s some food for thought-
- Over 90% of all the data in the world was created in the past two years.
- The total amount of data captured and stored by industry doubles every 1.2 years.
- According to Nature, data centers contribute 0.3% to global carbon emissions; the ICT sector as a whole contributes over 2%, and those numbers could increase.
- Globally, data center power consumption amounted to about 416 terawatts, or approximately three percent of all electricity generated on earth.
- The U.S. is home to 3 million data centers or roughly one for every 100 Americans.
With the “green revolution,” data centers need to optimize their facility to be more efficient and comply with industry regulations—without increasing costs. Being sustainable is about depreciating or having zero impact on the environment. Efficiency and green energy are key components to plan, build and manage sustainable data centers. This Earth Day, let’s pause and realize what small changes you can make in your data center to help improve the effects on the climate.
We’ve rounded up various resources to explore the role of green data centers as a catalyst in climate change, specific plans that reduce carbon impact, and the best ways to embrace the sustainability imperative to enterprises success:
Why we need Green Data Centers
- The need for climate change was in the headlines of 2020. Wildfires devastated California, Oregon, and Colorado, while a historical series of powerful hurricanes slammed Eastern America and the Gulf Coast. These disasters invoke green data centers and the sustainability push in the colocation industry.
- As extreme weather events become frequent and the demand for sustainable energy practices grows, they must consider how their data center solution accounts for these changes.
- With the increase of data centers and the need for more power, how your data center impacts the environment raises concerns and questions of the enterprises big and small.
- Bringing green power to one’s data center is imperative in the path to a more sustainable future. But is it enough?
- While we can all agree that green power is the future for almost all industries, you could also say that data centers need green energy just a little bit more.
How can we boost efficiency and performance through sustainability?
- By optimizing specific operations and processes — it’s plausible to conquer data center power usage and reap expense in the process.
- Today, it is crucial for data centers to maintain uptime, availability, efficiency, and sustainability. Here are 5 Things to Know About Data Center Environmental Monitoring to help preserve energy.
- Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) has become the standard for measuring data center efficiency. Learn how to Optimize data center power use and ensure energy efficiency in your data center.
- With the constant push to do more with less, energy consumption has focused on data center operators. Check out these five Simple Things You Can Do to Save Energy in Your Data Center.
- Datacenter managers need to be able to manage their energy use strategically. Get tips and tricks on How to Reduce Data Center Energy Costs Now.
- Lastly, for those operating on-premises legacy data centers looking to move into the green data center or organizations already outsourcing to a less than green provider, the following are ten tips when evaluating green data center providers.
Modeling a green data center can be expensive initially. However, long-term cost-effectiveness can be achieved on operations and maintenance. Another benefit is the fact that green spaces offer operators a healthy, comfortable work environment. Direct Line helps plan, build and manage sustainable data centers. Direct Line consults clients and partners through the data center design process, ensuring proper planning and project execution in the field. Want to see for yourself? Visit our site today- https://directlineidev.wpengine.com/.
Follow our next blog on Tips to Improve Data Center Energy Consumption and learn how to help your path to sustainability.
It’s an eye-opener to how data centers and other industries impact the environment. Are you ready to contribute to a more earth-friendly data center? Contact us and find out how we can help. Direct Line’s expert team can talk about your particular needs. In the meantime, let’s support our environment by planting a tree this earth day and contribute towards a healthy planet.
