Why Data Centres Are A Favourite To Shift To Renewable Energy

Every time you access the internet, you are linked to one of the numerous servers spread out in various data centres worldwide. Data Centres require huge amounts of power supply and are a huge source of energy consumption. To understand the huge growth it’s essential to discuss statistics and the significant increase in data centres worldwide. Between 2015 and 2021, internet users have increased by 60%, and internet traffic by 440%, according to IEA data. Worldwide there are currently 8,000 data centres with the number being predicted to grow by 8% between 2023 and 2030.

Data Centres Consume High Amounts of Energy

Data Centres need high electricity to run their equipment and consume very high amounts of energy every day. Studies have shown that data centre energy consumption continues to increase annually. Data Centres are currently investing and searching for green initiatives to reduce their high energy. As an example one independent technology company, recently claimed that it’s fully powered by 100 per cent renewable energy in Johannesburg.

New Equipment to Measure and Reduce Energy Usage

Data Centres use a variety of equipment and software that has been developed to aid the energy crisis. Many companies are implementing cold and hot aisle containment that delivers guaranteed cost and

energy savings. Aisle containment restricts the loss of cold air around your servers, and prevents the mixing of cold air with hot exhaust air, optimising data centre cooling efficiency.

Cross-Guard is one of the leading businesses that provides Data Centre solutions for our clients, including hot and cold aisle containment. As a result of one of our clients implementing a cold aisle containment system, they have benefited from a significant improvement in power usage effectiveness (PUE) from 1.85 to 1.55. Further benefits of the cold aisle containment implementation included significant savings (predicted to save more than £118,500 per year), and a return on investment to be achieved in approximately 5 months.

The Green Data Centre Market is Set To Grow Massively

The green data centre market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 20.1 per cent from $49.7 billion in 2021 to reach over $303 billion by 2027. Even though greening a data centre will incur upfront capital costs, in the long run, it will reduce operational expenditure and improve efficiency. Not only will the switch to green data centres have tangible benefits it will also have benefits including an enhanced brand image.

Summary

It is essential for Data Centres to contribute to a greener future. With new advancements in technology, we are discovering new inventions to aid the energy crisis. Implementing new systems including the hot and cold aisle containment will benefit the Data Centres in the long run. For more information check out our website to learn about how Cross-Guard is contributing to a greener future.