Top 5 new technologies for green data centers
In this article:
To reach net zero emissions by 2030, data centres must invest early in renewable energy, improve energy consumption, and implement carbon offsetting efficiency.
Hyperscalers are leading the way on sustainability as the largest corporate purchasers of renewable energy.
Liquid cooling, more efficient IT equipment, smart solutions replacing hardware, and green building standards are some of the ways data centres are becoming more environmentally friendly.
5 technologies to watch out for: server virtualisation, AI-powered monitoring applications, ultra-efficient cooling systems, hybrid cloud deployments, and cloud native end to end precision time protocol.
“As data centres offer cyber security, power, cooling, rack space, and communication, time should be just another utility available to clients.”
“From hyperscale to enterprise data centres, we offer a full range of sustainable precision timing solutions.”
The world’s growing reliance on data centre technology has come at a cost. According to recent studies, the data centre industry is responsible for 1% of global electricity consumption.
What’s more, data centres are responsible for 0.3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and that is only set to increase. With the conclusion of COP26, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, governments and the private sector worldwide are increasingly feeling the pressure to make cuts to emissions anywhere and everywhere they can.
Data centres are one of the most energy-intensive building types, consuming 10 to 50 times the energy per floor space of a typical commercial office building.
With essential, but highly ambitious, commitments having been made by hyperscalers and government agencies like the Environment Agency to reach net zero emissions by 2030, the race to invest in renewable energy, improve energy usage, and implement carbon offsetting efficiency, is on.
Improving sustainability in data centres
As with so many problems in sustainability, the issues are complex and require multiple solutions if we are to fully decarbonise. Sean Ratka and Francisco Boshell from the International Renewal Energy Agency describe ‘the nexus between data centres, efficiency and renewables‘ as an incredible opportunity for data centre technology giants such as Amazon, hyperscalers, and large campuses to set the standard for a green transition.
The trend is moving toward increasing efficiency, and some estimates show that this approach could have real impact. A study by Anders Andrae and Thomas Edler from Huawei suggested that by 2030, data centres could be responsible for 8% of total electricity demand. Andrae has now modified that to 3%, contributing to an estimated total figure of global internet electricity consumption of around 9%.
However, there is room for optimism. A report by the International Energy Agency entitled Digitalisation and Energy remarked, ‘The strong growth in demand for data centre services is offset by continued improvements in the efficiency of servers, storage devices, network switches and data centre infrastructure, as well as a shift to much greater shares of cloud and hyperscale data centres.’
Innovative technologies to build sustainable data centres
According to recent surveys, 43% of multi-tenant data centres have sustainability initiatives in place. Green data centres combine cutting edge technologies for maximum energy efficiency and minimum environmental impact.
Amazon is leading the way on sustainability as the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy, running 380 global renewable energy projects. In addition, the company is working toward powering its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025, five years ahead of its original deadline of 2030. In Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Microsoft has committed to using 100% renewable energy sources by 2025.
Going green is no longer another optional buzzword for client acquisition for hyperscalers or achieving ESG goals for enterprise level campuses, but a crucial component in data centre management. New green technologies can help data centres become more sustainable including 5 sustainable innovations spanning everything from cloud native time synchronisation to immersion cooling.
5 green data centre technologies to watch for
1. Server virtualisation
Server virtualisation is a method to reduce energy consumption and enhance efficiency in data centres. By implementing Software Defined Data Centres (SDDCs), operators can use virtualised servers to house multiple users per server, segmenting their servers and allocating processing power and data storage on an as-needed basis. SDDCs allow for remote management via virtual machines, eliminating the need for onsite engineers and reducing energy waste from operating temperature and lighting. Leading hyperscale data centres have successfully reduced energy consumption by utilising server virtualisation.
2. Deploy AI and ML monitoring
Innovative data centre operators utilise AI/ML to optimise performance and improve energy efficiency by reducing power consumption. AI-powered predictive analytics connect various processes, providing a clear picture of the health of all components. Intelligent monitoring allows facility managers to anticipate threats and schedule timely repairs. For example, Atos and HDF Energy partnered to develop hardware, software, and integration services powered by green hydrogen. This solution will use AI to predict energy consumption and optimise these facilities to green hydrogen.
3. Ultra-efficient cooling systems
Servers and cooling systems are the main energy consumers in data centres. To make them greener and more sustainable, ultra-efficient cooling systems are being used. Two-phase liquid immersion cooling platforms provide high-performance computing (HPC) applications with unparalleled densities.
4. Hybrid cloud deployments
Businesses have traditionally moved from on premises data centres to cloud hosted servers to reduce their carbon footprint. Hybrid cloud deployments combine data centres and the cloud. With a hybrid cloud architecture, service providers that separate applications from the underlying infrastructure can move workloads between the public cloud and physical data centres. This flexibility allows your business to benefit from green initiatives adopted by multiple vendors.
5. Cloud native, end to end precision timing solutions
Precision timing has become an essential business enabler, first in financial services to facilitate high frequency trading, and now in myriad new sectors, including gaming, media, broadcast, telecommunications, and IoT. Precision timing can be a major and energy hungry installation, particularly for users with a large number of data centre locations. This network delivered precision time protocol is far more energy efficient, reducing associated CO2 emissions by up to 93%. We estimate utilising our end to end, high performance, network-delivered, IEEE 1588 precision time protocol can save 30kg of CO2 per day, per location, when compared with the hardware alternative. Of course, this effect is compounded at scale, as physical infrastructure does not have to increase with the number of locations receiving time.
Going greener with a small adjustment to your timing infrastructure
The traditional hardware solution often requires multiple devices across racks, as well as extra equipment like switches and antennae, at every data centre. Our research shows the energy required to power this equipment can be responsible for 30kg of CO2 emissions per day.
There is a clear role for data centre providers in sustainability, most immediately through more energy efficient approaches to precision timing services. Our network-delivered approach to timing can provide this reduction. By maintaining timing hubs in key locations, time can be fanned out to any data centre location worldwide, without the need to run energy intensive additional hardware at every individual location requiring time.
Though a small part of the solution, network-delivered time offers data centres an incredibly simple opportunity to reduce the burden of essential technology on the environment, without compromising on service.
Ready to learn more?
Hoptroff Traceable Time as a Service (TTaaS®) is a range of network and software-based timing solutions that are simple, resilient, and cost-effective.
Whether you need greener solutions, the security of resilient, traceable, verifiable time or precision up to 100ns accuracy in your data centre, our obsession with accuracy will transform your business.
