The Uptime Institute’s most recent State of the Data Center Survey reveals exciting data center power consumption statistics. Moreover, 55% of respondents said they have invested in energy-saving technologies and practices over the last 12 months as they look to increase efficiency.

Data Center Power Consumption by The Numbers

Data centers are one of the most energy-hungry industries in the world. Here are some facts about data center power consumption in 2022.

  • There are currently around 7853 data centers worldwide, mainly in America and Europe.
  • The data center market size for 2022 is USD 102 billion and is predicted to hit USD 210 billion in 2032 with a CAGR of 7.6%.
  • Total data center power consumption in 2022 is 1% of global electricity. This condition contributes to carbon emissions of 2% of the 36 billion tons of CO2 per year.
  • By 2022, the total electricity consumed by data centers worldwide will reach 489 Terra watt-hours.
  • Large data centers usually consume as much as 100 MW of electricity. This amount is equivalent to the electricity supply to 80,000 homes.
  • An average green data center can reduce electricity consumption by as much as 45% by optimizing airflow and other areas surrounding the data center cooling system.
  • Data center energy consumption increase by 10% to 60% per year.

Reducing data center energy consumption is now a must. This is true in the private sector, where companies strive to be more earth-friendly, and the public sector, which has been charged with making massive efficiency gains in its operations.

A recent study by the DatacenterDynamics and 451 Research firms found that power consumption in data centers could be reduced by 30% to 48% if some efficiency measures are taken. The study also finds that companies who have taken steps to lower their energy consumption have seen a decrease in their costs per megawatt of energy consumed.

Data Center Needs More Accurate Measurement of Energy Consumption

It is important for data centers to track their energy usage closely to maintain their desired energy efficiency levels. On the other hand, downtime costs money and can also damage the company’s reputation.

The current system for measuring energy consumption only provides a vague idea of how much energy is being used by certain devices because of flaws in the monitoring system. Data center managers need to know how much each device on their network consumes to make intelligent decisions about upgrades and improvements.

Green building initiatives are only sometimes successful. The survey found that only 52% of respondents can currently measure their data center’s energy usage, while only 43% accurately measure the building’s total carbon footprint. In addition, 30% of respondents are unaware of their current electricity costs but know it is increasing.

In other words, most data center operators need to correctly calculate how much money they’re spending on powering their facilities or monitor how much energy their servers and other IT equipment are consuming. This is even more concerning when you consider that 83% of respondents who could measure their data center’s carbon footprint said they were using less than 50 percent of their facility’s potential efficiency.

The good news is that data center managers are already aware of this trend—according to a recent survey by Uptime Institute, 75% of them were already taking steps to implement environmentally friendly practices. Still, it’s essential to understand where your local data center stands regarding its power consumption, so you’ll know what kind of impact you’re having on the world around you with your everyday computer usage.

Cloud Computing and the IT sector

The path to a ‘Green Data Center’ can be challenging.

Reducing carbon emissions remains essential as we look toward meeting international agreements related to climate change. However, data center sustainability can be challenging to achieve, as the path from old to new must consider the needs of the business, IT professionals, and those who use the data center’s resources.

The challenge lies in balancing all of these factors. For example:

  1. The business wants its data center to be energy efficient to save money.
  2. IT professionals want to build a reliable infrastructure that will not crash or create user downtime.
  3. Users have expectations that they should be able to access information with little or no delay.

While the upfront capital costs for a building may be higher, a green data center will save money in the long run because it reduces the amount of energy needed to operate it. It also improves cooling efficiency, which means less internal air needs to be cooled, which results in up to a 60% reduction in total power usage and operating costs for cooling.

Energy efficiency tips for data center operators

The high cost of electricity in the United States and Europe has prompted many companies to seek greener solutions for their data center operations, both for the benefit of the environment and their bottom line.

To reduce energy consumption, data center operators should:

  • Consider using outside air instead of recirculated air for cooling systems.
  • Use efficient servers and other devices.
  • Use real-time analytics to monitor the state of their existing infrastructure and identify the best times to scale up or down based on actual demand.
  • Install renewable energy sources such as solar panels or wind turbines, which can help offset electricity costs and reduce carbon emissions.
  • Use smart power strips to cut off power from computers and other electronic devices when they’re not in use. This helps prevent unnecessary energy usage and also helps to protect against surges.

The most environmentally-friendly option is to run your servers with electricity from renewable sources like wind turbines or solar cells. While renewable energy is often more expensive than traditional electricity, it’s becoming more and more familiar with government incentives and tax breaks.

Conclusion

The growing demands on data center infrastructure have created a need for a sustainable solution. While data centers have long been a critical part of green technology, they still exist as an overlooked piece of overall efforts toward sustainability. Collaborative efforts between companies and their communities help reduce power consumption.

The figures regarding data center power consumption above are sole to make us aware of green data centers’ importance in saving energy and reducing emissions.

Green data centers satisfy business needs and enable companies to rise above the competition as environmentally responsible corporate citizens. The key is to find a balance between energy efficiency and power consolidation. Green data centers can help reduce energy consumption by using energy-efficient hardware and strategies such as load-balancing to provide the necessary computing power with fewer servers.

Read also: Singapore Temporary “Halted” in Building New Data Center.

Share This