You may have noticed the sudden increase in green IT products, an impressive departure from the high-energy consuming equipment of decades gone. This is a new system IT product manufacturers have adopted to help reduce energy consumption, particularly in data centers, which were unfortunately found to be one of the highest energy consumers.
The good news is that adopting a green data center will have a positive impact on the environment. This happens in several ways:
1. LowerEenergy Costs
Green data centers and colocation facilities consume less energy than standard data centers. They are designed to operate on less energy, while conserving as much of the energy consumed as possible. You will notice a drop in your energy cost in the first month when you start using green your data centers.
Another way through which they save energy is by optimizing the cooling process. Cooling is one of the highest energy-consuming processes in the data center, the other being power supply. Energy efficient data centers are built to enhance the cooling process. Racks where servers are placed are stacked as close together as possible and any spaces between them blocked, to prevent hot air from the racks from interfering with the cool air flowing in the room.
The cooling equipment is appropriately located at the end of the hot air aisles, so that the hot air follows a straight departure path, while the cool air is released uninterrupted through the cold air aisle to the equipment.
2. Fewer Carbon Emissions
Energy efficient data centers are designed to release as little carbon in the atmosphere as possible. This leaves the air a lot cleaner and fresher. If you are still using old data centers with heavy carbon emissions, it is wise to replace them with the greener options. Not surprisingly, data centers with high carbon emissions also have high energy consumption levels, giving a double blow to the environment.
3. Longer Life Cycle on Data Center Equipment
Green data centers have a longer life cycle and will serve you for much longer than traditional data centers. Because the heating and cooling system is made to the highest levels, little to zero heating/cooling problems are experienced. Traditional data centers often have varying levels of heating and cooling incompetency, which leads to down times. The more downtime the data center has, the more energy the DC consumes.
The Effect of High Energy Consumption on the Environment
High energy consumption contributes to depletion of energy resources. When demand for these natural resources is higher than what is available in the eco-system, two eventualities play out: increased energy costs and production of artificial energy. With high energy costs, the cost of doing business goes up and the profit margin becomes small. Should we turn to artificial forms of energy, we further endanger the environment, as these emit more harmful emissions.
The cost of green data centers may seem high at first, when you are starting out. But the fruits are impressive – a green data center will give you a much higher return on investment (ROI) in the long run.