DATA CENTRES
Sustainability – what’s next?
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By David Watkins, solutions director for VIRTUS Data Centres.
arket demand for data centre space has been growing year-on-year and it is predicted that it will continue to do so for the foreseeable
future. Whilst the increasing amount of data needs to be analysed and converted into useful information, there will be continued demand for data centres to process and store it. However, demand comes with constant cost and sustainability pressures, so time and investment must be spent on research and development of every aspect of data centre solutions to improve performance and efficiency.
Positive work is already being carried out by data
centre operators who have embraced renewable energy sources and striven to make major efficiencies in areas like power and cooling – as well as committing to green building practices for the long term. And over the last twelve months, we’ve seen numerous tech giants take a decisive stance on climate change and committing to tackle their own environmental impact; 2022 is shaping up to surpass everything that’s gone before. So what’s next? What can data centre operators be doing today to get ahead of the game with regards to mandatory climate change and environmental sustainability commitments, and reduce their environmental impact?
A super-charged circular economy The idea of a circular economy isn’t new. The model, designed to minimise resource input as well as waste
22 November 2022 •
www.acr-news.com
and emission production, has been around for some time and many organisations in the technology industry are heralding the approach as instrumental in their sustainability efforts. The 'maintain, refurbish, renew and recycle' model ensures that the data centre industry can achieve maximum efficiency in the use of finite resources, support the gradual transition to renewable resources, and ensure the recovery of the materials and products at the end of their useful life. From committing to get more life out of all materials in a data centre (maintaining equipment) to refurbishing hardware where possible, and then recycling parts that can’t be reused, there are plenty of benefits to be had and it’s likely we’ll see many more providers adopt the principles in the months ahead. But establishing a circular economy isn’t without its challenges - most pressingly that many data centre providers don’t own the IT equipment they host – and so must rely on their customers to take a lead in adopting this approach. With this in mind, two key areas of priority are likely to emerge; firstly, a sustained effort from data centre providers to educate and encourage partners and customers to embrace the model. The savviest providers will commit to working hand-in-hand with their customers in order to prioritise this approach to sustainability, as well as lobbying hardware providers to prioritise the longevity, reusability and ultimately the safe disposal of equipment. Another trend we’re likely to see is a move away from solely focusing on IT hardware, and applying the
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