Sustainable Computing: Top Best Practices for a Greener Data Center

Achieving greater environmental sustainability in a data center requires a comprehensive evaluation of the facility's power and resource consumption, followed by identification of potential areas for improvement. This may entail upgrading outdated technology assets with more energy-efficient alternatives, or collaborating with eco-friendly IT vendors to establish a more eco-conscious data center.

The energy consumption of data centers is substantial, as per the U.S. Department of Energy. They consume anywhere from 10 to 50 times more energy than a typical office building of the same size and are responsible for approximately 2% of the country's total electricity utilization. The International Energy Agency's September 2022 report estimated that data centers consumed up to 1.3% of the world's electricity consumption in 2021. Furthermore, the IEA stated that data centers and data transmission networks contributed to a combined 0.9% of all energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in 2020.

In response to the growing global issue of climate change and the increasing importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives for customers, investors, and employees, data center owners are being urged to take an active role in reducing their carbon footprint. Implementing green computing practices to decrease the environmental impact of data centers is not only beneficial from an environmental standpoint, but also from a business perspective by minimizing energy and IT expenses and contributing to broader sustainability efforts.

The development of green data centers is currently a top priority for companies worldwide, irrespective of their industry or location. Adopting sustainable computing practices can help make data centers more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, while also yielding significant business benefits. In this context, we present eight such practices that you can implement to enhance the sustainability and efficiency of your data center.

As part of your organization's efforts to be more environmentally responsible and cost-effective, there are several strategies you can implement to optimize your data center's energy usage. These include tracking your base energy usage to establish a baseline, right-sizing your servers to ensure they are not over- or under-utilized, modifying the temperature to maintain optimal conditions, rearranging your data center layout to improve airflow and reduce hot spots, replacing older assets with more energy-efficient models, investing in smart facilities management tools to monitor and control energy usage, investigating green energy technologies such as renewable sources, and partnering with green IT vendors and organizations to further enhance your sustainability efforts.

By implementing these practices, you can achieve greater energy efficiency and cost savings, while reducing your organization's environmental footprint.

To conclude, incorporating sustainability best practices in your data center is not only necessary for the environment but also a valuable advantage for your business. By optimizing energy efficiency through measures such as virtualization, server consolidation, and cooling system upgrades, you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint and lower energy costs. As the urgency of climate change increases, it is important to prioritize sustainable practices in all aspects of our lives, including the technology industry. By taking action now, we can create a more sustainable future for generations to come.

Further reading: Best Practices for Green Computing in Data Centers to Maximize Energy-efficiency and Sustainability