What can a datacenter do to improve its energy efficiency?

The world is currently being challenged by datacenters constant growth, bringing with it a significant increase in energy demand throughout the planet.

According to "Total Consumer Power Consumption Forecast", research conducted in 2017, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector will use 20% of global electricity and emit 5.5% of all carbon emissions by 2025, and possibly reach 14% by 2040. This is caused by the increase of internet-connected devices (IoT), high-resolution photos, 8k and 16k videos, emails, streaming videos, mobile phones, etc., which now require more support. Datacenters currently demand more than 2% of all global electricity, and the figure is projected to reach 6% of the world's energy by 2025.

The rise of datacenters has been concentrated in hyperscale and edge datacenters, with even more demanding requirements for cooling systems, which are tested by the early effects of global warming and record high temperatures above usual average, in various parts of the world.

A survey conducted earlier this year by the International Data Corporation (IDC) for Lumen Technologies and Intel, notes that by 2023, more than 50% of the new infrastructure deployed will be in edge locations rather than corporate (on-premises) data centers, compared to a ratio of less than 10% today, confirming growth of edge datacenters.

The new generation of data centers is faced with the challenge of supporting continuous operation, finding the best temperature regulation system, having the capacity to generate its own power and reuse waste heat, whilst it seeks efficiency in operation and sustainability over time to contribute to the care for the environment.


How can a datacenter improve its energy efficiency?

The geographical location of each datacenter influences both its conception, as well as its design and construction, that is, it is not the same if it is located in a country or in a city with predominantly warm climate or a city where low temperatures are common.

Energy savings are a key factor and hence the importance of evaluating it as one of the main variables when leasing or building a datacenter. Thus, depending on the cooling system chosen, energy expenditure fluctuates between 60% and 85% of the property´s total energy consumption.

One of the efficient cooling systems in cities with moderate temperature average is free cooling, which uses outside air to cool a space, and is currently gaining popularity in the main countries of the world, since it allows temperature and humidity control in white areas, even in the face of energy loss.

The free cooling system allows you to take advantage the climate in cities like Bogotá which has an annual average temperature of 14⁰ C with maximums that do not exceed 24⁰ C; for example, the Zetta DC Complex has a wide advantage over other datacenters, due to its location and its free cooling system, making it an ideal place for any company to install its servers, guaranteeing an availability of 99.98%. In addition, it has 80 centimeters raised floor, allowing an uninterrupted air flow and uniform pressure under it.

In conclusion, and having seen how important datacenter temperature is, free cooling technologies are most useful when talking about energy saving and water consumption, by efficiently managing these resources. Likewise, it reduces carbon emissions into the atmosphere and, therefore, consolidates itself as a key element when talking about environmental responsibility, at a time when the effects of climate change seem to be gaining ground.