Meanwhile, every one of Apple’s data centers are 100% powered by clean energy and Microsoft’s data centers are all 100% carbon neutral with plans to reach a 50% renewable energy goal by 2018. Amazon is also committed to 100% renewable energy use across its Amazon Web Services data centers and expects to reach the 50% mark in 2017.
In pursuit of a healthier bottom line, some data center operators are seeking out colder climates (such as Northern Europe) thereby reducing the reliance on power to cool their equipment. Importantly, the cooler locations generally have lower electricity prices which makes a wintery move all the more attractive.
Canada was identified recently as the next potential data center hotspot given its cold climate and ‘abundance of inexpensive, reliable and green electricity’. The country also has the added advantage of close proximity to the US and high levels of privacy protection.Location aside, Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), the industry standard metric for assessing data center energy efficiency, is fueling competition amongst the major operators who are all striving to achieve the lowest PUE to satisfy the expectations of their customers, shareholders and the community.
Telehouse Europe grabbed headlines recently when it unveiled ‘one of the world’s greenest’ data centers . The North Two building in London’s docklands is said to be achieving a PUE of 1.16 thanks to an innovative evaporative cooling system installed across six floors of the building.
On the other side of the globe, the NEXTDC data center in Port Melbourne has been fitted with one of Australia’s largest solar arrays, enabling customers to choose 100% renewable power for their IT infrastructure. The 400-kilowatt system is offsetting 670 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum.
And Equinix, arguably the world’s leader in data centers, claims it is avoiding 122,000 metric tons in CO2 emissions – equivalent to taking 26,000 cars off the road – every year thanks to its investment in energy efficiencies.With the spotlight firmly on an industry that is growing considerably fast and consuming more power than whole countries, data center operators and tech giants alike recognize that energy usage is of both commercial and public importance.
The value of ‘going green’ not only matters to the modern data center, it’s a top priority and key business strategy for operators seeking a competitive advantage and significant savings to their bottom line. Replacing traditional methods to power data centers with more sustainable practices is not only environmentally responsible, it’s intelligent business.
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