Sustainability has, at last, secured a spot on the corporate agenda, thanks to a growing demand from both the industry and the general public to reduce the environmental impact of all businesses. And, because of their massive energy draw, data centers are on the hot seat for their energy consumption as key areas where responsible companies can show strides in reducing their carbon footprints.
Globally, data centers use 3% of the world’s electricity, and several models suggest that energy use is increasing potentially up to 10% of the global electricity supply in the next decade. This energy use is a dire concern but could potentially be mitigated, and reduce the sector’s carbon footprint if the electricity was generated from wind or solar farms. In reality, though, over 60% of the world’s electricity is still produced using fossil fuels. So, how can data centers find ways to lessen their impact on the environment?