The Case for Prioritizing a Sustainable Data Center

The rising adoption of emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, ML, VR, and blockchain have led to an exponential rise in data generation, resulting in expanded data center footprints across the globe. It is estimated that by 2025 175+ zettabytes of data would be generated, stored, and processed. 

Data center features are becoming a major SaaS selling point – but what’s the case for sustainable data centers? Data centers consume as much as one percent of global electricity, leading to an increase in greenhouse emissions.

Goldman Sachs Research puts the overall increase in data center power consumption from AI at upwards of 200 terawatt-hours per year between 2023 and 2030. As ethically driven CTO’s, there is a compelling need for organizations to strike a delicate balance between supporting business requirements and fulfilling their sustainability goals. Tech-heavy industries that are running their digital infrastructure with the help of huge data centers need to pay some attention to this aspect.

What is a green data center?

A green data centre, or sustainable data centre, is a type of data centre that is designed to minimize its environmental impact by employing energy-efficient technologies and sustainable practices. It aims to reduce energy consumption, carbon emissions, and overall environmental footprint.

Benefits of a sustainable data center

Green data centers often incorporate renewable energy sources, advanced cooling systems, and innovative infrastructure designs to optimize energy efficiency. As a result, they offer numerous benefits to both the environment and the operating organizations. Some of them are listed below.

• Lessens ecological footprint: By reducing energy consumption and water usage, sustainable data centers minimize their ecological footprint and contribute to mitigating climate change.
• Saves on cost: Energy-efficient practices result in reduced operating costs, leading to long-term financial savings for data center operators.
• Promotes innovation and collaboration: Embracing sustainable initiatives encourages innovation and collaboration within the tech industry, leading to the development of new technologies and best practices.
• Builds good reputation: By demonstrating a commitment to sustainability, organizations can build a positive brand image and attract environmentally conscious customers and partners.
• Regulatory compliance: Adopting sustainable practices ensures compliance with environmental regulations and avoids potential penalties or legal issues.
• Promotes long-term scalability: Implementing sustainable practices allows data centers to adapt to changing regulations and consumer demands, ensuring long-term viability.
• Positive community impact: Sustainable data centers can contribute to local communities by reducing strain on resources, supporting clean energy generation, and creating job opportunities.

Key strategies to implement green data center

Organizations can follow the systematic approaches mentioned below to implement green data centers successfully.

Implement energy-efficient technologies

Organizations can use energy-efficient servers, storage, and networking devices primarily designed to consume less power while delivering optimal performance. They can also embrace LED lighting, hot aisle/cold aisle containment with variable speed CPU fans, and liquid cooling systems to improve efficiency and reduce power usage. By integrating these technologies, companies can substantially decrease the energy required to support IT operations, fostering a green data center infrastructure.

Make use of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)

With the exponential growth of data centers and increasing energy demand, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are becoming crucial in the industry.

In a data center environment, BESS can be primarily used for:

• Backup power storage: It will ensure a continuous supply during power outages or failures.
• Load shifting and peak management: It will help store energy during off-peak hours and discharge it during times of high demand.
• Support for renewable energy: BESS can store energy generated from renewable sources, such as solar or wind, making these resources more reliable.

Overall, Battery Energy Storage Systems can play a key role in making data centers more sustainable, efficient, and resilient. With the growing demand for digital services and the need to reduce carbon footprints, the adoption of BESS in data centers is set to continue rising in the coming years. 

Implement and monitor power management systems

Introduce power management systems that automatically shut down or reduce the power usage of idle servers and other IT assets. This proactive approach or measure can significantly lower down overall energy consumption, promoting efficiency and sustainability. Also, organizations can regularly monitor data center’s energy usage to pinpoint areas for improvement. This ongoing analysis helps identify opportunities to enhance energy efficiency and reduce the overall carbon footprint.

Choose green colocation and cloud providers

Choosing Green Colocation and Cloud Providers is a strategic move for organizations relying on external data centers or cloud services. Opting for service providers – that prioritize renewable energy sources and maintain environmentally friendly data centers denotes a curious commitment to sustainability. These kind of engagements demonstrate corporate responsibility and contribute to a broader environmental impact by fostering a collective effort towards an eco-friendly digital landscape.

Each data center differs, so sustainability strategies are not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Data center managers must evaluate which approaches can impact their use cases most.

Sustainable data center market trends

According to market research, the global green data center market size was valued at $49.2 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $140.3 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 19.1% from 2020 to 2026.

These stats clearly show that the green data center market is gaining traction globally, and businesses are also increasingly adopting green data center solutions to reduce the environmental impact of their IT operations.

With governments worldwide implementing policies and regulations to promote energy-efficient and sustainable IT practices, the green data center market is projected to grow steadily, driven by the increasing need for energy efficiency, environmental responsibility, and cost reduction in IT operations.

In a world where sustainability is no longer a nice-to-have but a critical business imperative, investing in sustainable data centers is a wise choice that can pay dividends for years. By adopting energy-efficient technologies, renewable power sources, and innovative cooling systems, these facilities can significantly reduce their carbon footprint and minimize their environmental impact.

Moreover, by implementing water conservation and recycling strategies, sustainable data centers can help alleviate the pressure on our scarce water resources, ensuring that this vital resource remains available for future generations.

In brief

The journey towards a sustainable future is an ongoing process. By incorporating smart strategies, data center operators and leaders can meet ambitious sustainability goals and contribute to a greener planet.