How do data centres use renewable energy?

How do data centres use renewable energy?

The combined environmental impact of data centres is a growing concern. They inevitably consume huge amounts of energy to function. According to the International Energy Agency, data centres use nearly 1% of global electricity demand, contributing to 0.3% of all global CO2 emissions. Some estimates suggest that annual data centre electricity demand could hit as much as 8,000 terawatt hours (TWh) by 2030 under worst case scenarios.

As data centres become more vast, complex, and interconnected – and the climate change conversation heats up – the need for more sustainable solutions is clearer than ever. Therefore, attention is shifting to how data centres can use renewable energy, such as wind and solar, to lower their energy consumption rates.

The new oil?

Some say that data has become the ‘new oil’ – not only due to its critical role in the modern global economy, but also because, like oil, it is worth more when transformed into something more constructive. However, there is another side to this metaphor: if data really is the new oil, today’s data centre could well be the new drilling sector. Most of the data centre energy demand comes from powering the servers, but a considerable amount of energy is also spent cooling these servers afterwards to maintain them to an optimal temperature. Much of this excess heat is let out into the environment.

As one of the most energy-intensive building types, data centres have an undeniable environment impact. But the industry is making great strides to implement and promote more sustainable practices, chiefly through the use of renewable energy in data centres and cutting-edge technologies.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a key role in improving the operations and environmental impact of data centres. AI can monitor energy generation and consumption throughout the data centre, detecting anomalies or imbalances in data usage across different parts of the building. This enables data centre operators to identify any areas that are working too hard and too hot – so that consumption can be spread more evenly across the infrastructure.

In turn, the intelligent monitoring of data usage enables partnerships between AI technology and renewable energy sources, such as solar power. For example, once AI has detected peak times in data centre energy usage (typically during daylight working hours), solar panels can assist in balancing out energy supply and demand during these busy periods.

Cold environments

To tackle the problem of overheating, some data centres are relocating to cold-climate countries. Iceland and Canada, in particular, have seen a boom in data centre growth. But there are other ways of cooling power-hungry data centres, even in countries with a temperate climate like the UK.

The latest cooling technologies make it possible to increase the energy efficiency of data centres, no matter where they are located. Telehouse pioneered the world’s first multi-storey adiabatic cooling system in 2016, putting it to use at its iconic Docklands campus in London. The facility’s cooling system uses freely available natural phenomena to regulate temperature, saving significant amounts of water and energy.

Therefore, by separating hot air from cold air, this technology prevents the overheating of equipment, leading to significant reductions in energy consumption and carbon emissions in the data centre.

Cloud security best practices

Data centres can even turn their waste heat into an asset. As data centre infrastructure continues to grow, excess heat can be recycled and used in nearby houses, businesses, and communities in need of the energy. This ensures that the massive amounts of heat generated by servers is put to good use, helping to reduce mounting carbon emissions and costs in the process.

Use of waste heat from data centres

Data centres can even turn their waste heat into an asset. As data centre infrastructure continues to grow, excess heat can be recycled and used in nearby houses, businesses, and communities in need of the energy. This ensures that the massive amounts of heat generated by servers is put to good use, helping to reduce mounting carbon emissions and costs in the process.

Greener storage

As data centres collect ever-greater volumes of data, more sustainable resources need to be found to maintain their storage operations. Newly retained data must be cooled, protected, and transferred much more efficiently. Therefore, ‘green’ storage is a growing priority.

However, the efficient disposal of waste heat is only part of the story when it comes to sustainable data storage. From the outset, data centre operators need to develop a robust strategy for adopting a greener storage model, encompassing a shift to renewable data centre energy sources, more efficient energy usage, better waste management, and water conservation. This will ultimately improve the bottom line, which will help businesses invest in renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.

Green cloud computing

Green cloud computing can also enhance overall energy efficiency in the modern data centre. It allows for greater flexibility in where and how people work – meaning that fuel consumption from the traditional commute is significantly reduced.  In this way, data centres are enablers of energy-saving initiatives in people’s daily working lives, easing the transition from wasteful fossil fuels to more efficient, sustainable, and renewable energy.

Towards a more sustainable working world

Traditionally a huge consumer of energy, data centres are now realising their power to lead the change to more renewable energy sources. From the potential of AI to spread workloads and drive efficiencies in energy consumption, to the use of green data storage and the recycling of waste heat, each development contributes to the overall goal of reducing the environmental impact of data centres.

At Telehouse, we are committed to ensuring a greener future for our customers and the wider society they live in. Accordingly, our data centres are powered by 100% renewable energy. Take a look at our full range of efficient, secure and sustainable services here.