What Is Data Center Sustainability?
Data center sustainability is a set of initiatives aimed at improving the energy efficiency and environmental friendliness of a data center’s construction and operations. Through a combination of technology, materials, and management practices, a sustainable data center will minimize its environmental impact while still providing reliable and secure data storage, processing, and transmission.
Sustainability involves using renewable energy sources, conserving the water used for cooling, limiting greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing waste.
Why Is Data Center Sustainability Needed?
Data centers consume significant amounts of energy to power and cool their IT infrastructure. A hyperscaler’s data center can use as much power as 80,000 households do, and cooling accounts for about 40% of a data center’s total energy consumption. (1)
Sustainable data centers use fewer resources, helping organizations comply with industry and national regulations, meet corporate social responsibility goals, and advance environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. According to Gartner, by 2027, 75% of organizations will have implemented a data center infrastructure sustainability program, up from less than 5% in 2022. (2)
Benefits of a Sustainable Data Center
Using a sustainable data center offers organizations many advantages that help improve their bottom line, compliance, and reputation.
Lower environmental impact
Reduce your carbon footprint with a data center that uses renewable energy.
Compliant Operations
Meet industry and local regulations for sustainability today and tomorrow.
Improved Brand Perception
Enhance your corporate image and gain environmentally-conscious customers.
Reduced costs
Lower energy costs by taking advantage of renewable resources or energy-efficient infrastructure.
Modern features
Take advantage of modern technology used to make data centers more sustainable, such as virtualization.
Less waste
Minimize environmental harm through recycling and responsible electronic waste disposal.
Why Would an Organization Choose a Sustainable Data Center?
An organization might choose a sustainable data center to:
- Meet corporate ESG goals that include carbon neutrality
- Satisfy stakeholders or customers asking for improved sustainability
- Demonstrate environmental leadership
How to Choose a Sustainable Data Center
Aspects to consider when evaluating a data center migration partner include:
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- Energy: What is the energy source? Is it renewable? What is the data center infrastructure efficiency (DCiE)? What is the power usage effectiveness (PUE)?
- Cooling: How are the servers cooled? Do they rely on airflow, water, or a combination? How much outside air is used for free cooling? How much water is consumed? Where is the water sourced from?
- Equipment: What’s the projected lifespan of the data center’s hardware? Is the hardware energy efficient?
- Setup: Is the layout of the physical infrastructure designed to optimize space? Are recycled materials used for the server racks and cabling? Are the servers easily portable or reusable?
- Location: Is the data center in a naturally cooler climate? Is it designed to help absorb the sun’s heat better?
- Waste Management: What is the facility’s recycling program? How do they handle e-waste?
- Certifications: Does the data center have any sustainability certifications? Are there ongoing initiatives to achieve these?
- Monitoring: What tools are used to monitor the energy consumption of individual resources and the facility?
- Management: What practices are followed to optimize energy usage? Is there AI-driven management and automation?
- Reporting: What sustainability metrics and KPIs does the data center track? Is this information shared or easily accessible?
Evocative’s Commitment to Data Center Sustainability
Operating Green Globe and LEED-certified facilities with Energy Star equipment, Evocative is deeply committed to sustainable data center operations, management, and upgrades. Located in regions with high renewable energy potential, Evocative reduces the carbon footprint of our data centers by practicing water conservation and implementing power and cooling efficiencies.
Our 24 data centers, 32 points of presence, and flexible deployment and management options are designed to help meet your corporate social responsibility and ESG goals.
