Traditional data centers are resource hogs. They require a lot of power to operate, not just for the computer equipment, but also for the climate control systems. Thats not the only resource they require, either.
According to the United States Data Center Energy Usage Report, national data centers consumed 626 billion liters of water throughout 2014. That number is expected to reach 660 billion liters by 2020.
As a data center manager, you know water is just being used to cool the facility, so its primarily going to waste. That is an incredible amount of excess, and it also translates to a lot of wasted revenue.
However, there are ways to make data centers more efficient, so they are better for the environment and are also financially friendly. Going green can also improve a data centers performance and uptime, ultimately boosting a companys resiliency and sustainability. That explains why a lot of data center managers are looking into green technology.
In fact, green data centers are on the rise, so much that the market is expected to be worth $75.89 billion by the end of 2019.
Green Data Center Opportunities
Running a data center can be costly, especially for those unwilling to change. In a way, becoming efficient is as much about survival for these companies as it is about lowering resource consumption. It makes plenty of sense why brands like Google, Apple and even Amazon are going green for their own data centers.
Theres even a green data center-themed conference kicking off in San Diego early on this year. Anyone interested will be able to learn about emerging technology in the field, case studies from successful companies, networking with industry experts and much more.
Even if you dont make it to the conference, theres plenty to talk about such as what you could be doing to convert your data center into a greener, more energy-efficient facility.
Energy Efficiency
Data centers consume a lot of energy. On top of a variety of servers and computer equipment, the facility also needs power for lighting and air-cooling systems. In fact, the air-cooling and climate-control systems in a data facility are extremely critical and must be operational at all times. The hardware being used can get remarkably hot at times, and performance will suffer if theres no reliable cooling method.
The best way to become more efficient is to implement the appropriate technology and components. For instance, you can purchase and install energy-efficient air compressors for cooling. You could even go so far as to implement a backup energy storage system using compressed air.
You also need to consider energy-efficient computers, lighting and more.
Sustainable Cooling
Going green doesnt mean making sacrifices when it comes to sustainable and reliable cooling. There are many ways to come up with a better, more efficient system.
Microsofts Project Natick involves a data center comprised entirely of recyclable materials thats located offshore for free cooling. The center is essentially underwater and receives additional cooling from the surrounding ocean.
Lower Energy Footprint
Overall, one of the key benefits of green technology is that it is designed to use less energy, and do so more efficiently. Ultimately, this means you need to consume less total energy to operate, and will have lower costs.
Its not just about implementing more power-efficient hardware, however. You can come up with processes that actually require less energy. Switching to a refrigeration system, as opposed to conventional air conditioning, can cut cooling costs by up to 72 percent. Theres an additional 28 percent in savings from conserved water, as well.
On-Site Renewable Energy
Rather than relying on conventional fossil fuel power, you should spring for on-site renewable energy sources, like solar. This can make a center more reliable too, because when the power grid is down renewable sources continue to generate energy allowing for uninterrupted operation time.
Plus, green data centers that can achieve 53 percent annual energy savings will save anywhere from $125,000 to $170,000 annually in energy costs. To do this, they only need to install a solar system capable of generating that much energy throughput. Then, it is rolled back into the power grid, lowering operating costs and improving performance.
Data Center Virtualization
Data center virtualization is when a system is deployed via cloud computing and virtualization technology. In other words, the data center is remote and you are essentially streaming everything via a connection of some kind.
This still requires a data center in place with storage, networking and infrastructure equipment. It also requires software that can accommodate virtualization and cloud computing services.
Amazons cloud service is a great example. Your company doesnt necessarily maintain or operate a local data system, but instead leases an existing one through a service provider. There are cost benefits to this, but limitations, as well. Still, its a viable option if you dont need a full-scale data center for your company or clients.
Cloud Computing
Just like virtualization, cloud computing technology allows content to be streamed remotely. You may think of this as services like Hulu or Netflix, but its so much more than that. Demanding software which requires a substantial amount of power and hardware can also be streamed remotely. This allows the tools to be run on a computer elsewhere that can handle the requirements, while being controlled via a remote machine.
This also opens up many opportunities for remote and off-site work. Your employees and clients dont have to operate out of a single location since they are connecting via the internet. This lowers costs for many reasons, primarily because so many employees now have the opportunity to work off-site. Data center equipment isnt being powered or operated locally too.
How Will You Go Green?
Now, that youve seen several ways to convert your data center into a green and more efficient location, which opportunities are you interested in? How will you convert your data center?
Are you going to do anything thats not discussed here? Feel free to share!
