Data centers need energy to operate properly, but traditional power methods are unsustainable. Corporations must make significant changes to accommodate environmentally friendly solutions. Europe is leading this charge.
Traditional Data Centers
Traditional data centers consume a significant amount of resources during maximum operation. In facilities, traditional HVAC systems rely on fossil fuels for heating and cooling, creating a larger carbon footprint. Machines use gallons of water daily. The center’s building materials and internal machinery are not renewable. With AI and cloud computing technologies, the expense of running a traditional data center is growing substantially.
Traits of Green Data Centers
Green data centers are an alternative to traditional ones because they use natural resources to create and power the facilities.
1. Sustainable Design
Sustainable design of green data centers involves the materials used to construct both the building and the machinery inside it. Energy corporations can retrofit current centers to accommodate these design elements as well. During construction, materials like low-carbon concrete and recycled steel are more sustainable. Another notable material is aluminum, which disperses the heat that devices create in closed areas. Data centers need good ventilation, so materials like aluminum are ideal.
2. Renewable Energy
It is beneficial for green data centers to use renewable energy. Some solutions include solar, hydro and wind power. These can be connected to the center or sourced through other channels, preventing the burning of fossil fuels and lessening the center’s overall carbon footprint.
3. Cooling and Heating
Unsustainable HVAC systems create many issues, wasting energy and spreading pollution into the air. Green data centers use liquid cooling and waste heat management for heating and cooling instead.
Liquid cooling is when liquid is circulated to chill an area. Waste heat management conserves excess heat and reuses it for other systems. Both methods are more efficient than traditional HVAC systems.
4. AI Analytics
While AI sometimes causes excessive energy use, green facilities can implement it to help environmental efforts. The key is using a model designed for one specific task — like analyzing the current operations of a center and developing solutions to make it more efficient — as opposed to a comprehensive system. This reduces its energy consumption since it is only performing a single job.
5. Water Utilization
Because water is used extensively in data centers, green efforts aim to minimize its waste. Some methods include closed-loop liquids and air-cooled chillers, which help make green data centers more sustainable.
Real-Life Examples of Europe’s Green Data Centers
Europe is leading the way in green data centers. The two reasons for this are its current governmental regulations and ideal climate. New rules and regulations on the continent make it more expensive to operate traditional data centers, inspiring companies to switch to green solutions. Public opinion also plays a factor. As people become more aware of climate change’s negative effects, they lean toward businesses with green initiatives.
Data center companies in other countries are seeking cooler climates to adjust to natural power alternatives. Europe’s diverse climate presents ideal locations for building data centers in sustainable settings. The colder locations provide natural cooling for facilities.
A real example of Europe’s innovations is the biggest data center in Portugal — Start Campus. The center operates on a cooling system powered by seawater. It knocks out two of the biggest concerns of traditional data centers, while also being equipped to handle the power requirements of AI and cloud computing. Although it is still relatively new, its design and capabilities appear promising.
The Drawbacks of Data Centers
While Europe has a good premise for green data centers, some significant drawbacks still exist. The heating and cooling of data centers — even by sustainable means — take a lot of power, and local governments are deciding how to bring it to them. However, doing so leaves the power needs of lower-income populations behind. Unpredictable weather due to climate change only worsens the negative effects on these people.
The energy innovations in Europe are costly endeavors. If they fail, lower-income populations pay the highest price. This needs to be considered when switching to greener methods.
The current political climate is also an issue. Germany and Italy struggle with sustainability the most, with France trailing closely behind. It’s challenging to transition to greener solutions when a country has relied on another process for so long, and the political movements addressing these issues are more reactive than strategic. Hopefully, as legislation and sustainability efforts improve, politics will become more green-centric.
Europe will need to continue implementing green data centers while keeping people with economic disadvantages in mind. Europe must accommodate all affected parties, so a hybrid approach combining traditional and green methods in data centers will prove most effective. Conserving energy for the entire population should become a priority.
Europe’s Data Centers Are Simmering Down
With the increasing need for data centers to accommodate new technologies, companies need to switch to greener methods to avoid harming the environment. Europe, while still struggling in some areas, is at the forefront of the green data center movement. Sustainability is the goal, and hybrid solutions are the most logical option.
About the author: Jane works as an environmental and energy writer. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Environment.co.
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 