How can you use sustainable design to reduce energy usage in data centers?

1 Choose renewable energy sources

One of the most effective ways to reduce the environmental impact of data centers is to power them with renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, hydro, or biomass. This can lower the carbon footprint of data centers and reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. Some data centers have already adopted this strategy, such as Google, which claims to match 100% of its electricity consumption with renewable energy purchases. You can also look for data center providers that offer green certificates or credits that certify their renewable energy usage.

3 Implement energy-efficient equipment

A third way to reduce energy usage in data centers is to implement energy-efficient equipment, such as servers, storage devices, network devices, and power supplies. These equipment can reduce the amount of electricity and heat they produce and consume, which can also lower the cooling requirements and costs. You can use sustainable design to implement energy-efficient equipment by choosing products that have low power consumption, high performance, and long lifespan. You can also use virtualization and consolidation techniques that reduce the number of physical devices and servers needed and increase their utilization.

4 Reduce waste and recycle materials

A fourth way to reduce energy usage in data centers is to reduce waste and recycle materials, such as metals, plastics, cables, and batteries. These materials can have a negative impact on the environment if they are disposed of improperly or end up in landfills. You can use sustainable design to reduce waste and recycle materials by following the principles of circular economy, which aim to minimize resource consumption and maximize resource recovery. You can also use green procurement policies and practices that ensure the materials you use are sourced from sustainable and ethical suppliers.

5 Monitor and measure performance

A fifth way to reduce energy usage in data centers is to monitor and measure performance, such as energy efficiency, carbon emissions, water usage, and waste generation. These metrics can help you evaluate the effectiveness of your sustainable design strategies and identify areas for improvement. You can use sustainable design to monitor and measure performance by using tools and standards that provide reliable and comparable data and benchmarks. For example, you can use the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) metric, which measures the ratio of total energy used by a data center to the energy used by its IT equipment.