Dispelling sustainability myths.

Many experts believe that these negative headlines misrepresent what’s really going on in the industry. David Watkins, solutions director for VIRTUS Data Centers, says: “People in the know will undoubtedly realize that both issues were sensationalized by the media, with limited investigation as to whether data centers were actually the culprit for their accusations. The truth is that the data center industry has long been committed to ensuring sustainability and efficiency, and digital infrastructure assets have a central role to play in the transition to a low-carbon economy and sustainable cities.”

WHAT IS THE TRUTH ABOUT WATER COOLING?

According to Watkins, whilst those outside of the industry could be forgiven for thinking that data centers use enormous amounts of water to cool equipment and keep facilities working efficiently, the headlines don’t represent what’s really going on.

He says: “It’s true that more providers are turning to chilled water systems as an economical, effective and efficient way to maintain cooling. But importantly, the water used for cooling systems is often sourced sustainably, from bore holes or using impurified water: NOT the supply as we rely upon for household use.”

Indeed, the majority of large modern data centers use ‘closed loop’ chilled water systems, meaning that water is charged into the system during construction and then continually circulated within a facility, rather than needing new water consistently pumped into the building. What’s more, indirect evaporative cooling - which does require water periodically for adiabatic functionality - is more energy efficient so provides other benefits. This type of cooling uses fresh air from outside the building, which is filtered and then delivered into the facility for cooling purposes. This only requires the use of fans, so the overall energy consumption is lower. As outside temperatures rise, firstly compressors are brought on-line to provide additional cooling and only at high temperatures (24C or higher) is water consumed. Given that data centers operate 24x7, and temperatures above 24C typically only occur for a few hours a day across a small number of months per year in the UK, water usage is minimized.

A Look At Power Consumption

Watkins said: “It’s true that the data center industry requires significant power to run. But what the headlines fail to mention is that energy consumption is another area where significant environmental strides have already been made; data center operators are increasingly sourcing direct energy, where possible, from renewable sources. And at VIRTUS we, like many providers, use one hundred per cent certified renewable carbon-zero energy from sources including hydro, wind and solar. And encouragingly, renewable energy is now not only more affordable than fossil fuels, but also more reliable too.”

There’s more progress to be celebrated in this field too, as some data center operators move away from Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), instead embracing Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with renewable generation operators, which help to increase the availability of renewables and support the UK government’s net zero commitment. Investment in PPAs delivers increased volumes of renewable energy to the grid, creates ‘green’ jobs and delivers cost certainty for operators and competitive pricing for customers that is not subject to energy market volatility.

AN INNOVATIVE AND FORWARD-LOOKING INDUSTRY

Watkins is keen to extol the virtues of an innovative and forwardlooking industry. He says: “There is significant, good work, being done by the data center industry which is too often overlooked. Progress is happening all the time, and we’re leading by example – demonstrating that it’s possible to ‘green’ even the most power-intensive industry.” The Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact is an ambitious initiative that has seen twenty-five companies and seventeen associations from across Europe agree to take specific steps to make data centers climate neutral by 2030. This pact commits signatories to ensuring their data centers are climate neutral by setting measurable targets for 2025 and 2030, such as through purchasing one hundred per cent carbon-free energy, prioritizing water conservation and looking for ways to recycle heat.

These green initiatives are paying off. The industry’s progress towards green goals is evident when we look at sustainability statistics. Currently, many experts estimate that data storage and transmission to and from data centers use 1 per cent of global electricity. But this share has hardly changed since 2010, even though the number of internet users has doubled, and global internet traffic has increased 15-fold since – testament to the innovative approach the industry is taking to drive sustainability.

Room For Improvement

For David Watkins, the picture is clear. He says: “Data centers are not the invisible and energyconsuming monsters the headlines would have us believe. Instead, they are the foundation of our digital world, critical infrastructure which has become essential to our daily lives. And, they’re significant drivers of progress too. Over the last decade, we’ve seen a visible increase in the number of green initiatives being pursued by some the largest tech companies in the world, and the data center industry is at the forefront of this change.” He continues, “We urge people to look beyond the misleading headlines, to an industry which is committed to improving sustainability and mitigating its environmental impact. And to realize that there’s plenty more progress in the future too.”

When we look ahead we can see an industry primed for progress. For example, the use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil instead of diesel in generators has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by up to 90 per cent - as well as eliminating sulfur dioxide emissions and reducing harmful nitrogen oxides.

What’s more, technological developments in areas such as uel cells are continuing at a pace – and whilst they are not viable right now, if they can perform at scale, they might present a compelling option for a brighter, greener, future.