Maintaining data on the cloud is highly dependent on powerful data centers. However, such massive data centers are also playing a significant role in deterring environmental conditions globally.
Experts estimate that data centers can use as much as 400 terawatt-hours (TWh) globally, rounding off to around 2% of the worldwide electricity demand, which generates a substantial amount of greenhouse gases. The data centers account for as much as 3% of global carbon emissions, roughly equal to the output of the global airline industry.
One substantial solution to this critical situation is the setting up carbon neutral data centers. This article discusses this solution in detail.
What is a carbon neutral data center?
A carbon neutral data center is where computer data is stored, managed, and disseminated. The mechanical, lighting, electrical, and computer systems are planned to be as energy efficient as possible while minimizing their negative effects on the environment, releasing negligible to zero carbon emissions.
The carbon footprint has already formed a thick layer of toxic gases around the Earth that directly affects the global climate. Earth is in severe danger, and humans must realize its urgency and address this problem. The global carbon neutral data center has seen significant development such as business expansion activities, partnerships, collaborations, and joint ventures to reduce the carbon footprint.
The growth in the global carbon neutral data center market is expected to be driven by increasing government regulations on carbon emissions, growing emphasis on using renewable energy, energy-efficient alternatives for data center cooling, global electricity tariffs, efforts in sustainable developments, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.
The global carbon neutral data center market was valued at $5.02 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $16.53 billion in 2027, growing at a CAGR of 22.19% during the forecast period 2022-2027.
How can cloud data centers reduce carbon emission?
The carbon dioxide level rises with the energy consumption right from when the industrial revolution started and has become the primary cause behind the overall warming of the planet. So even if embodied carbon, i.e., the CO2 released during manufacturing processes, is reduced or eliminated, a lot needs to be done to procure the damage done to Earth through excessive carbon emission. It takes a staggering amount of energy to power servers, hard drives, and cooling systems.
Once a data center is in progress, operators need to find ways to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. Determining power usage effectiveness (PUE) to gauge the efficiency of the power used by the data center facilities, the servers in a data center generate a tremendous amount of heat, requiring cooling systems, which increases the overall power consumption.
Many data center operators are looking to power their facilities using renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, or hydroelectricity. Also, energy consumption can be reduced by 80% by migrating the data center to the cloud.
Enterprises can reap benefits like improved performance and lower operational costs by establishing energy-efficient data centers that create a negative carbon impact.
With clear objectives, better asset management, and automation in cloud migration, one can create a greener data center, resulting in the improved overall efficiency of the data center.
Data Centers Aim for Net-Zero Carbon Emission By 2050
Major cloud computing providers have already started taking sustainable steps toward carbon neutrality and are utilizing renewable energy sources to power their data centers. Solar power, geothermal, hydropower, and wind energy are some major green alternative resources. Organizations will attain scalability with green practices through new deployments in the existing cloud environment.
A cloud data center stores and shares information simultaneously virtually across servers located at multiple locations securely. The data center industry is laser-focused on sustainability and eliminating carbon footprint by making every possible way to meet the goal of being carbon-neutral and net-zero carbon emission in the future. Through innovative designs, new building sites, renewable power, and embracing sustainable materials, the aim for a reduction in carbon footprint is possible to attain.
Conclusion
Greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation and trap heat in the atmosphere, leading to serious environmental problems. Considering this, the cloud data center dramatically reduces carbon emissions through lower energy consumption. Cloud computing undeniably has a notable effect on carbon emissions, and organizations must consider this to lower their carbon footprint.
Through adopting renewable energy sources, global climate-neutral goals can be achieved, and carbon emissions can be mitigated along with increased data storage capacity.
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