How Data Centers Impact the Environment

Summary

In this video, Adam Simmons from DGTL Infra discusses the environmental impact of data centers, a crucial component of digital infrastructure. He highlights the energy-intensive nature of these facilities, which consume significantly more power than traditional buildings. The script delves into data centers' greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy sourcing, power sustainability, and water usage. It also compares the environmental goals and achievements of the six largest publicly traded data center operators in the U.S., including Equinix, Digital Realty, CyrusOne, CoreSite, QTS Realty Trust, and Switch, showcasing their efforts towards sustainability and renewable energy.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The internet relies heavily on digital infrastructure, particularly data centers, which are significant users of electric power.
• 💡 Data centers are a core part of the United Nations' sustainable development goals, playing a central role in the transition to a low-carbon economy.
• 🔌 Data centers consume 10 to 50 times more energy per floor space compared to a typical commercial office building, highlighting their energy-intensive nature.
• 📈 Greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy sourcing, power sustainability, and water sustainability are the four key areas of environmental focus for data centers.
• 🌿 Data center operators are increasingly focusing on sourcing energy from renewable sources, with cloud service providers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud leading the way.
• 📊 Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) is a key metric for measuring the efficiency of data centers, with a lower PUE indicating better energy efficiency.
• 💧 Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) is another sustainability metric that measures the water used by data centers for cooling equipment.
• 🚀 Equinix, the largest data center provider globally, reported 92% of its energy consumption came from renewable sources and has a PUE of 1.54.
• 🌍 Digital Realty aims to become 100% renewably powered and has set a carbon reduction target in line with a 1.5-degree climate change scenario by 2030.
• 💦 CyrusOne is targeting net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 and has a top-tier WUE ratio of 0.37, indicating its leadership in water sustainability.
• 🏆 Switch Inc. stands out as the most environmentally conscious, being 100% renewably powered and having the lowest PUE ratio of 1.23 among its peers.

Q & A

What is the role of digital infrastructure, particularly data centers, in supporting the growth of the internet?

Digital infrastructure, especially data centers, plays a crucial role in supporting the growth of the internet by providing the necessary power and resources to handle the increasing demand for data storage and processing across various devices like phones, computers, and connected cars.

How does the growth of data centers impact power consumption and sustainability efforts?

The growth in data centers leads to an increased need for power to run these facilities. This has made digital infrastructure a core part of the United Nations sustainable development goals, emphasizing the transition to a low-carbon economy and sustainable cities.

What percentage of electricity usage in the United States is attributed to data centers?

According to the United States Department of Energy, data centers comprise 1.8 percent of electricity usage in the United States.

How do data centers compare to commercial office buildings in terms of energy consumption per amount of floor space?

Data centers consume 10 to 50 times the energy per amount of floor space compared to a typical commercial office building, making them one of the most energy-intensive building types.

What are the three types of greenhouse gas emissions scopes as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for data centers?

The EPA defines three scopes of greenhouse gas emissions for data centers: Scope 1 includes direct emissions from natural gas, diesel, and refrigerants; Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from purchased electricity; and Scope 3 includes all other indirect sources of emissions, such as those from the customer's equipment.

What is the significance of carbon intensity in measuring greenhouse gas emissions for data centers?

Carbon intensity is a metric used to measure the greenhouse gas emissions characteristics of a business, taking into account both the scale of the business, as measured by energy use or revenues, and the average emission rate based on the primary energy source used to generate electricity for the electrical grid.

How are cloud service providers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud approaching renewable energy sourcing for their data centers?

Cloud service providers are increasingly focusing on sourcing direct energy from renewable sources, often locating their sites near renewable energy sources due to their large energy commitments and the sophistication required to enter into renewable energy partnerships.

What is Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and why is it important for data centers?

Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) is an efficiency metric that represents the ratio of the total amount of electricity consumed by a data center to the amount of electricity delivered to its equipment. A lower PUE indicates a more efficient data center, which is important for reducing energy consumption and costs.

What is Equinix's reported Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and what is their target for new data center builds?

Equinix reports a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.54 for its current data center build standards, with a target of 1.45 for new data center builds.

How does CyrusOne's water usage effectiveness ratio compare to other data center operators mentioned in the script?

CyrusOne reports a water usage effectiveness (WUE) ratio of 0.37, which makes it the top operator in terms of this metric among those discussed in the script.

What are some of the environmental targets set by the six largest publicly traded data center operators in the United States?

The environmental targets set by these operators include carbon reduction, renewable energy use, power sustainability improvements, and water sustainability efforts. For example, Equinix aims to reduce its global carbon footprint and increase focus on indirect value chain emissions, while Switch Inc. operates with zero greenhouse gas emissions and uses 100% renewable energy for its U.S. data centers.