We live in a world where data centers are the “behind the scene” powerhouses that keep those well-known tech companies and large businesses accessible. They are critical for all businesses, both large and small, that rely on them for connectivity, colocation, on-site and cloud storage, disaster recovery, and more. In fact, 2.5 billion people are online around the world and 70% of them use the internet every day. Without data centers, the world 1 would be a very different place.
While data centers are critical for businesses, data centers consume massive amounts of electricity. According to The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), in 2013, data centers consumed an estimated 91 billion kilo-Watt (kWh) hours of electricity, and consumption is projected to increase to roughly 140 billion kWh annually by 2020 with the explosion of the Internet of Things (IoT).