Vertiv, a global provider of critical digital infrastructure and connectivity solutions, today announced the Guide to Data Center Sustainability released. This is an online resource for data center owners and operators who want to reduce the environmental impact of their facilities.
According to a report from the International Energy Agency data centers account for approximately one percent of global electricity demand. It also shows that the industry was able to limit the impact of capacity growth on total energy use before 2020 by improving operational efficiency. In 2020, global internet traffic increased by more than forty percent, and Market Intelligence predicts a compound annual growth rate of thirteen percent in data center construction over the next five years. That trend, combined with an increased focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water use, has led some data centers to look for new solutions. For example, solutions that make better use of equipment capacity, phase out water-intensive cooling technologies and reduce dependence on fossil energy sources.
“We see that data centers across the sector urgently need to reduce the impact of their operations on the environment. The Guide to Data Center Sustainability is designed to help them do just that,” said TJ Faze, head of ESG strategy & engagement at Vertiv. “The focus on operational efficiency has enabled significant improvements. Now new strategies and more intelligent systems are required to further reduce emissions and water use as the industry continues to grow. As a provider of infrastructure solutions for enterprise, colocation and cloud providers, Vertiv is well positioned to share best practices and new developments in these sectors.”
The Vertiv Guide to Data Center Sustainability provides operators with various guidelines:
- The business case for reducing environmental impact
- How data center infrastructure and complementary technologies are evolving to support higher and increasing renewable energy use
- Resources, frameworks and measurement methods for implementing and measuring sustainability initiatives
- Best practices for designing and operating low-impact data centers
The industry's move towards greater sustainability has been led by major hyperscalers who have set goals to become carbon neutral or negative by the end of this decade. These organizations are taking the lead in developing technologies that support these goals and setting a roadmap for the rest of the industry. Many colocation providers are also moving to carbon-neutral and water-saving operations to capitalize on market demand for data center services that support the environmental goals of their enterprise customers. Companies must also address the impact of their on-premise data centers to support those goals.
“In Europe alone, more than 25 European cloud and data center operators and 17 other industry associations have signed an agreement to make their facilities carbon neutral through 100 percent renewable energy sources by 2030,” said Karsten Winther, CEO for the EMEA region at Vertiv. “This is only feasible if organizations implement new strategies and innovative systems that reduce the consumption of fossil resources. Our guide, combined with our years of experience in delivering infrastructure solutions, allows us to share best practices and new innovations from across the industry with these data centers. In addition, we can help them reduce the environmental footprint of their facilities. Not just in Europe, but all over the world.”
The Vertiv Guide to Data Center Sustainability is available on Vertiv.com.
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