If you’re trying to find the energy hog in your business, your data center is a good place to look. Did you know up to 50% of the energy data centers use is wasted on underused and idle technologies? This makes optimizing data center energy efficiency a priority for business owners and managers.
While turning the lights off when employees leave is a start, it’s not going to significantly impact a data center’s high energy usage rates. Thankfully, you can take additional steps to optimize energy efficiency in data centers.
What Data Center Energy Usage Looks Like Today?
When you toss in crypto mining, data centers make up around 1% to 1.5% of the world’s energy consumption, and this percentage is forecasted to increase to about 2867 terawatts by 2030. The high energy usage rate also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Data centers are responsible for an estimated 1% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Regulations are being put in place to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in data centers. Owners and operators are working to meet Net Zero Emissions standards by 2050, and this means reducing emissions by 50%, and this involves more than ensuring employees turn the lights off when the data center shuts down for the day.
So, how can you make your data center more energy efficient and get ahead of industry regulations?
Tips On Optimizing Energy Efficiency in Data Centers:
If optimizing energy efficiency in data centers isn’t already a key priority, it’s something you should probably move to the top of your to-do. Not only can it reduce operating expenses but it can also help ensure you comply with industry requirements.
1. Upgrade Your Graphics and Central Processing Units
You want and need results fast, whether analyzing blocks of data or creating a graphic-rich chart. In the business world, you often need to make operational decisions in real-time. To accelerate computing an easy solution is to add more processing units.
Best of all, graphic processing units (GPU) and central processing units (CPU) are easy to find, purchase, and integrate into your existing system. Adding a few more GPUs and CPUs will give you faster results, but it also drives up energy usage rates.
A better option is to invest in advanced technology. Yes, you can find specialized GPUs and CPUs designed for accelerated computing without using a ton of energy. While the advanced units are priced significantly higher than general-purpose GPUs and CPUs, it’s worth the investment.
Not only are you receiving results faster, but you’re also reducing energy usage. The savings on your energy bills can help offset the cost of the accelerated computing units.
2. Invest in Energy-Efficient Hardware
When was the last time you replaced your data center’s hardware? Chances are, it’s been a while. You may even be relying on the original hardware. If it still works, why replace it, is a common question. However, outdated hardware, even if it’s working seamlessly, uses a lot of energy. Even your interconnects may be wasting energy.
If you’re worried about sacrificing performance for energy efficiency, it’s a valid concern. However, the majority of new products successfully merge high performance with lower energy usage rates. This means you can find everything from chips and server stacks to high-speed interconnects.
3. Take Advantage of Renewable Energy Sources
Unfortunately, you can run a data center solely on renewable power like solar and wind. These are intermittent power sources, which means you can’t depend on renewable energy to keep everything running 24/7.
Remember, even when personnel leave the data center, the equipment is still up and running. In other words, you’re not shutting everything down like the servers when you turn the lights off.
With that being said, integrating renewable energy with traditional power sources is an effective way of optimizing electrical usage in data centers. Solar and wind power are inexpensive and relatively easy to integrate.
Along with deploying solar panels to capture and store energy, your data center can even partner with an offsite renewable energy center. You can purchase renewable power for a fraction of what you’re paying for electricity.
Did you know that adding renewable power to the mix can also lower greenhouse gas emissions? This can help you get a little closer to meeting industry regulations and even eventually reaching a net zero emissions goal.
4. Optimize Cooling
Cooling systems are a vital part of any data center. The last thing you want is for your components to overheat. Replacing components like servers is expensive which is why data centers tend to ignore the high energy usage rates from their cooling systems.
However, you can reduce energy usage and keep your data center comfortably cool. You even have a few options so you can optimize cooling without sacrificing performance.
Directing hot and cold aisle containment is a relatively easy way to optimize data center cooling. You’ll probably need to do a little rearranging, but don’t worry—you’re not completely redoing the data center. Instead, the goal here is to improve air movement.
You want to create a cold aisle where cool air from the air conditioner reaches the servers and other equipment. You’re also creating a hot aisle, which is where warm air from the servers is directed away from the components. By directing the hot and cold air, you can be optimizing energy efficiency in data centers.
While you’re creating hot and cold aisles, go ahead and optimize airflow, which helps the data center maintain a constant temperature without your air conditioner having to work harder.
If you have a large data center or want to fully optimize cooling, you may want to invest in direct liquid cooling (DLC). Using liquid to cool components, the technology can reach areas in the data center that may not respond to other cooling methods.
Improving Energy Efficient in Your Data Center
Optimizing energy efficiency in data centers is an investment with significant returns. Enhancing cooling systems reduces energy usage costs and prolongs the life of your components. This approach helps in staying current with industry regulations and contributes to a more sustainable operation.
Energy-efficient data centers enhance overall performance and reliability. These improvements can boost your company’s reputation as a leader in green technology.
