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Data centers play a crucial role in modern businesses, but they require significant energy expenditures. Escalating energy prices and the demand for data centers are also projected to increase the market size by 25% from 2023 to 2030.
On a global scale, rising energy costs are already impacting data centers and high-performance computing (HPC) systems negatively. To address the energy cost challenge, data center managers are postponing new system purchases, limiting current system capabilities, and even reducing operational hours. Given the growing cost and demand, it is crucial to swiftly and affordably explore alternative energy sources or enhance energy efficiency.
Data centers need emergency or backup power to ensure uninterrupted operations. Selecting a dependable fuel is vital for critical situations. HVO fuel, an advanced renewable diesel alternative, slashes net CO2 emissions by up to 90% and provides various advantages over traditional fossil fuels.
Storing backup fuel all year round necessitates superior cold-weather performance and a low cloud point, areas where HVO outshines diesel prone to gelling issues in winter. HVO also boasts a storage life of up to 10 years, making it ideal for long-term backup fuel storage. A portable power station can also serve as an alternative renewable energy source for your home or small business.
Outdated computer equipment may end up in landfills, posing environmental challenges. Contemporary manufacturers have found ways to remove harmful substances such as halogen or lead from their products.
Nevertheless, it's preferable to prolong the lifespan of old gear. Through circular economy tactics, data center managers can repurpose computing assets or enroll them in secondary market initiatives. Looking ahead, technology manufacturers are investigating a more "modular" design for their latest products. Enhancing specific components within current servers can extend a data center's hardware investment's useful life while leveraging cutting-edge technologies.
Sometimes, the optimal approach to establishing a sustainable data center is to avoid constructing a new one altogether. Building structures can be environmentally taxing, and repurposing existing buildings often reduces energy usage and carbon emissions compared to starting from scratch.
However, retrofitting the latest energy-efficient technologies into existing buildings is typically more complex than integrating them into new constructions. In certain scenarios, the sustainability advantages of a cutting-edge, highly efficient data center may not justify the environmental costs of constructing the facility.
Before opting for a new state-of-the-art data center as a green solution, consider maximizing the potential of existing buildings. This could involve expanding the capacity of your current data center, such as by reorganizing IT equipment to accommodate more infrastructure within the available space, or transforming a building intended for another purpose into a data center.
There are three main approaches to achieve this:
Through credits
On-site construction
Off-site construction
Renewable energy credits offer a simple way to lower your carbon footprint and support sustainable energy. On-site installation of renewable energy sources, enables convenient generation and distribution at the location.
The facility can consume the renewable energy it generates or link to the grid. Offsite generation is commonly used to back long-term renewable energy projects. A popular contract type is a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
For most data center businesses, on-site power is preferable to purchasing from the local electric utility. Large on-site generation plants with natural gas turbines can reach capacities of several hundred megawatts. On-site energy can operate solely for power generation or in combined heat and power mode.
Local governments have direct access to renewable energy through on-site power generation. In addition to the overall benefits, on-site initiatives reduce financial risks and enhance power quality and reliability.
You probably already use data center infrastructure management (DCIM) software and a building management system. However, you may not be utilizing these software solutions to enhance your operational energy efficiency. These applications can pinpoint energy wastage and inefficiencies and can be adjusted to optimize resource usage.
Once you identify areas for enhancement, log these instances in the software for future reference when you decide to implement changes. This approach ensures you won't overlook adjusting settings or upgrades.
Documenting modifications made is equally important. This enables you to measure the impact of those changes on energy consumption precisely. By tracking changes through management software, you eliminate the guesswork in energy optimization.
Freshwater resources are limited, and utilizing alternative engineered liquids for cooling data centers can greatly reduce water usage. Contemporary liquid cooling methods can decrease a data center's PUE from an average of 1.3 to levels as minimal as 1.03, thereby trimming electricity consumption by up to 30%. This enhanced cooling capacity further enables data center managers to attain greater system density within identical racks. With the rising prevalence of pre-validated fluid-cooled server solutions, their implementation will become more streamlined.
Every data center is unique, meaning sustainability strategies cannot be universally applied. Data center managers must assess which methods are most effective for their situations. However, one thing is certain: the global push to minimize the tech sector's carbon footprint is crucial.
