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The Impact of Dark Data on the Environment

Context

Dark data refers to data that is not being used or analyzed for any meaningful purpose. This data can accumulate over time and consume valuable storage space and energy resources in data centers, leading to significant environmental and financial costs.

The problem of dark data is becoming increasingly prevalent due to the rapid growth of data generation worldwide. By 2024, the total amount of data created, captured, and copied annually is projected to reach 149 zettabytes, according to a report by IDC. However, a significant portion of this data is considered dark data, with organizations on average believing that 52% of their data is not providing any value or insight.

The storage and management of dark data consume valuable storage space and energy resources in data centers, leading to significant environmental costs. According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), data centers are responsible for approximately 1% of global electricity consumption, and this number is projected to increase to 3% by 2025. Additionally, the same report estimates that the carbon footprint of the data center industry will reach 1.9% of global CO2 emissions by 2025.

The storage and management of dark data contribute to this carbon footprint, as this data consumes valuable storage space and requires energy to maintain and secure. By eliminating dark data, organizations can significantly reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Estimating the CO2 Emissions and Power Consumption of Global Dark Data

To estimate the amount of CO2 emissions and power consumption associated with global dark data, we can make some assumptions based on available data. Assuming that dark data accounts for 52% of all data generated globally, we can estimate that approximately 77.48 zettabytes of data generated annually are dark data.

According to the IEA report, data centers produce approximately 80 grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy consumed. Additionally, the average power usage effectiveness (PUE) of data centers, which is the ratio of total energy consumption to the energy used by IT equipment, is approximately 1.67.

Assuming that data centers consume 1.7 kWh of energy to store and manage one terabyte of data per year, we can estimate the CO2 emissions and power consumption associated with global dark data as follows:

The assumption that 1.7 kWh of energy is required to store and manage one terabyte of data per year is based on several factors, including the energy consumption of data center equipment and the infrastructure required to support it.

Data centers require significant amounts of energy to support their operations, including cooling systems, lighting, and IT equipment. The energy required to power and cool data center equipment is typically measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) per unit of time, such as per hour or per year.

To estimate the energy required to store and manage one terabyte of data per year, we need to consider the energy consumption of various components involved in data storage and management. This includes the energy required to power and cool storage devices, such as hard disk drives and solid-state drives, as well as the energy required to power and cool the servers and network equipment that facilitate data access and transfer.

Based on industry estimates, the energy required to store and manage one terabyte of data per year ranges from 0.5 kWh to 3.5 kWh, depending on the efficiency of the data center equipment and infrastructure. The assumption of 1.7 kWh of energy required to store and manage one terabyte of data per year is based on industry estimates and represents a middle-ground estimate.

Financial Incentives to Eliminate Dark Data

A financial incentive program can be an effective solution to motivate organizations to eliminate dark data and optimize their data assets. This program involves providing a financial incentive to organizations for every petabyte (PB) of dark data that they eliminate.

Assuming a financial incentive of 10 cents per PB of dark data eliminated, we can estimate the potential cost of this program. According to a study by Veritas, organizations on average believe that 52% of their data is dark data. Therefore, we can assume that roughly half of the data generated annually is dark data. Based on the projected amount of data generated annually by 2024, which is 149 zettabytes, this would mean that approximately 74.5 zettabytes of data are dark data.

Assuming that organizations receive 10 cents for every PB of dark data eliminated, this would mean that to eliminate 74.5 zettabytes of dark data, organizations would receive a total of $7.45 million in incentives. (this is a rough estimate...)

While this financial incentive may seem small, the potential cost savings associated with eliminating dark data are significant. According to a study by Veritas, organizations can save up to $874,000 per PB of data stored by eliminating dark data. Therefore, a financial incentive program can be helpful in motivating organizations to eliminate dark data and achieve significant cost savings.

Understand it from a pure financial perspective

However, it is important to note that a financial incentive program should not be the only solution to the problem of dark data. Organizations must also develop effective data management practices, adopt more efficient storage technologies, and increase the use of renewable energy sources to power data centers to minimize their carbon footprint and optimize their data assets in a sustainable and cost-effective manner.

Conclusion

Dark data is a significant problem that is becoming increasingly prevalent due to the rapid growth of data generation worldwide. The storage and management of dark data consume valuable storage space and energy resources in data centers, leading to significant environmental and financial costs.

By taking a comprehensive approach to data management, organizations can reduce their carbon footprint, achieve cost savings, and contribute to a more sustainable future. It is essential for organizations to recognize the impact of dark data on the environment and the financial benefits of effective data management practices.

Used Sources

• IDC. (2020). The Digitization of the World: From Edge to Core. Retrieved from https://www.seagate.com/files/www-content/our-story/trends/files/idc-seagate-dataage-whitepaper.pdf
• International Energy Agency. (2020). Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2019. Retrieved from https://www.iea.org/reports/global-status-report-for-buildings-and-construction-2019
• Veritas. (2017). Global Databerg Report. Retrieved from https://www.veritas.com/content/dam/Veritas/docs/other-resources/en_US/2017-databerg-report-en.pdf

The estimate that 1.7 kWh of energy is required to store and manage one terabyte of data per year is based on industry estimates and can vary depending on various factors, such as the type of storage technology used, the efficiency of the data center infrastructure, and the workload of the data center.

One source for this estimate is the "2016 Sustainable Information Technology Report" by the Green Grid, a non-profit organization that promotes energy efficiency in data centers. In the report, the Green Grid estimates that the energy required to store and manage one terabyte of data per year ranges from 0.5 kWh to 3.5 kWh, depending on various factors.

Another source for this estimate is a white paper by the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) titled "Energy Efficiency Measurement Specification for Data Center Storage." In the white paper, the SNIA provides a formula for calculating the energy required to store and manage one terabyte of data per year based on various factors, such as the number of disk drives, the power consumption of the drives, and the power overhead of the data center infrastructure.