Page 16 - Respond 2022 Magazine

The sustainability
challenge for
data centers
Eduardo Marini, CEO, green4T
How Brazil is promoting greener
technology with smart IT
infrastructure management and
renewable energy investments.
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As society becomes increasingly connected expenditure of data centers is not kept under
and reliant on technology we must ask control. Having more than 70 data centers in
ourselves: what are the impacts of global operation, Ireland is considered the largest
digitalization on our environment? Will the hub of this type of infrastructure in Europe.
relentless growth of the digital economy Electricity consumption for Ireland’s data
– which by certain estimates will reach centers may leap from the current 11% to
25% of global GDP by 2025 – contribute or 29% of the local energy grid by 2028. 3
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undermine our goal of achieving net zero
GHG emissions by mid-century? The situation is likely to worsen as the
digital transformation of society and
Technology can affect – and has affected – businesses speeds up. Last year, due
the environment positively and negatively. to the COVID-19 pandemic, the way we
On the positive side, it has been used to live, consume and work was completely
monitor and reduce carbon emissions, disrupted. Switching our activities online
to optimize industrial processes for less generated a staggering 64.2 zettabytes
energy consumption and waste, to ease and of data this according to a report by the
cheapen access to information, and to drive International Data Corporation (IDC). In five
innovation in green technologies. Through years, this number is expected to double. 4
technology, we can reduce the carbon
footprint of our transport, food, and products. That's because predictions point to a
meteoric rise in the use of technology
However, on the negative side, with the and innovation in all aspects of human
rapid growth in ICT global electricity life. By 2023, there will be 5 billion internet
consumption has raised concerns over the users; 29.3 billion devices connected to
past few years. Consumption linked to ICT the network; and 36.8 billion IoT sensors -
is currently estimated between 5 to 9% of the Internet of Things - in industry alone,
the world’s total electricity demand, and as Forbes magazine reported in 2020. 5
with estimated growth rates ranging from Consequently, investment in the data
6 to 9% it is likely that such consumption center market is growing: it represented
will rise to over 20% by 2030, as reported US$244.7 billion in 2019, according to
in the article "On Global Electricity Usage consulting firm Research and Markets.
of Communication Technology: Trends to Researchers forecast that this figure will get
2030", by Anders Andrae and Tomas Edler. 2 closer to US$ 435 billion in four years.
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The logic is simple: as business and people's Industry efforts to reduce the digital
way of life become more digital, the greater infrastructure carbon footprint are already a
the need for digital infrastructure: consumer reality. A survey by consulting firm Markets
and enterprise devices, communication and Markets indicates that the green data
networks, and data centers. And even center market will reach US$ 140.3 billion
though our digital machinery is becoming by 2026, with steady growth of 20% per
more energy efficient, the sheer increase of year. Technology giants that work with
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IT and telecoms equipment to support our hyperscale data processing have tested low
ever-growing demand for data processing environmental impact processing centers.
and communication has trumped energy To this end, they have taken data centers
efficiency innovation in the sector, underwater (in Europe's freezing North Sea)
significantly increasing global ICT's power and into deep caves. The goal is always to
consumption. take advantage of the surrounding natural
conditions to help cool the equipment
The concern is backed up by reality. In using less energy.
June 2021, Ireland's national energy agency
(EirGrid) issued a warning about the risk However, the complexity of facilities such
of extended power outages if the energy as these has made CIOs wonder if there is