The impact of digital technology on the environment is very real, accounting for 2.5% of carbon emissions in France (source: ADEME and ARCEP study, 2022). This figure could rise even further in the years to come.
Data centers are like the brains of the Internet. They are essential for storing, processing and transmitting information. Without them, the Internet simply wouldn’t exist. However, these infrastructures are extremely energy-intensive, and their consumption continues to rise with the rapid expansion of computing and communications technologies. As more and more people use the Internet, the demand for data center services increases, and so does energy consumption.
In November 2008, the European Union’s Joint Research Centre (EU-JRC) announced the launch of a new Datacenter Code of Conduct focusing on energy savings. The Code is a worldwide program based on contributions from suppliers, industry experts, researchers and datacenter operators.
Data centers are responsible for many of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions are difficult to estimate.
To operate them, a continuous power supply is essential. Data centers are made up of numerous servers with significant energy requirements. They are also equipped with cooling systems to ensure smooth operation and prevent overheating.
These servers and cooling systems are responsible for the greatest energy consumption. For example, cooling systems account for half of all data center energy consumption.
Most of these energy requirements are met by fossil fuels, that are highly polluting, which explains the greenhouse gas emissions generated by data centers. Another cause of emissions concerns data center components, which can be recycled little or not at all.
The impact of data centers in figures
- 330 million tonnes of CO2 in 2020
- 1.5% of global energy consumption
- 13% of global energy consumption in 2050
Processes used to reduce the environmental impact of data centers
- The use of renewable energies
Renewable energies are much less polluting than fossil fuels, so using them is one way of reducing the carbon footprint of data centers, as this type of energy produces little or no greenhouse gases. Renewable energies can therefore drastically reduce emissions. Data centers can be powered solely by renewable energies.
For example, solar panels can be installed on the roofs of people’s homes, enabling this energy to be used to power the data centers directly.
The Genesis project, for example, aims to develop the use of renewable energies in data centers. In particular, it is based on the development of a system of photovoltaic panels coupled to small data centers. This data center produces energy and requires only a simple fan for cooling.
- Improving data center cooling systems
The cooling of electronic equipment is a crucial factor in the environmental impact of data centers. To reduce water and electricity wastage, several solutions can be implemented, such as :
The “cold corridor ” : This method involves rearranging the layout of servers so that they are aligned in the same direction, thus avoiding the mixing of hot and cold air.
The “Free cooling” : This approach makes use of natural resources by placing servers in cooler areas, thus harnessing fresh air and water from outside.
The “Free air cooling” : This technique relies on the direct use of outside air to cool equipment.
Dielectric liquid baths : This method involves immersing servers in liquid baths, such as used cooking oil or drain oil, to absorb the heat generated by the servers.
The “Water cooling » : This system uses water to cool the machines. A pump located outside the data center injects water from various sources (lake, groundwater, urban network, wastewater, etc.) into a cooling circuit.
- Recovering wasted energy
Data centers generate a great deal of heat during operation, which is often released into the environment, contributing to pollution. However, it is now possible to recover this heat and reuse it to heat buildings, swimming pools or produce hot water.
- The Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), a tool for measuring data center energy efficiency
Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) measures the efficiency and energy savings of a data system. This indicator is one of the components of eco-responsible computing. This indicator is recognized and used by many companies. It can be used to evaluate and improve the energy consumption of IT equipment.
To calculate the PUE, it is necessary to divide the total energy consumed by the total energy used by IT equipment (server, battery, air conditioning, network, etc.).
Sources :
https://www.beart.fr/quest-ce-qui-consomme-le-plus-denergie-dans-un-datacenter/
https://www.engie.com/activites/data-centers
https://www.climateneutraldatacentre.net
Consommation d’un data center : tout savoir pour limiter les dépenses (lebigdata.fr)
