Depending on your perspective, Earth Day 2017 could be among the environmental movement’s most significant events in the 47 years the national day of ecological and atmospheric awareness has been celebrated.

Why? Because as a nation we’re crossing an important moment. It’s the moment where a healthy majority of Americans believe global climate change is real. According to a recent Gallup poll: 62 percent of us believe that global warming is a contemporary concern. And, 68 percent believe that the bulk of the current observed warming is the result of human activities, principally the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) and the carbon dioxide such burning emits.

With the science largely settled, the new frontier for corporate America is on addressing ways businesses can lessen the carbon footprint of their bulky, power-hungry data centers – even if de-regulation might be the (executive) order of the day.

The motivation for this urgency is obvious. The clear majority of the electrical energy needed to power today’s data centers comes from fossil fuels. Add in the difficult-to-dispose of oil-based plastics that goes into building these systems, combined with their 24/7 usage, and the gasoline burned to transport component parts, means that oftentimes businesses that think they’re green are in fact only giving lip service to the idea.

Re-Centering Your Data Center’s Brains and Budget

The first step in addressing the problem is to measure it, quantifying the scale of the challenge.
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), US data centers in 2013 used 91 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electrical energy. And, it is estimated they will use 139 billion kWh by the end of the decade, an increase of 53 percent in only seven years.

Presently, data centers consume about 3 percent of all global electricity production and generate 200 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. For comparison, humans contribute about 30 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere annually and the average American contributes 18 tons per year.

Large data centers are energy beasts with the more massive of them consuming up to 100 megawatts to operate. Powering these behemoths can account for up to 60 percent of a company’s operating costs. Considering these facts, we see three approaches:

  1. One solution, according to a recent study focuses on the importance of locating your data center in what’s called a “low carbon” site. These are places where wind, solar, and geothermal energy sources are both abundant and accessible.
  2. Related to that is the idea of locating your data center in areas where cooling the machinery is easier. This could either mean subterranean locations in naturally climate-controlled areas (think wine caves for computers) or simply looking northern US cities with their cooler climates in mind.
  3. Of course, for many businesses, uprooting to a cooler, sunnier city is not feasible. An easier solution rests with IT efficiencies. IT efficiency means increasing utilization rates, and employing energy efficient IT gear, capable of measuring in real time power usage and adjusting accordingly. It’s a lot like the smart metering used in many businesses and homes. Why leave all the lights on and the AC blasting late at night if only a handful of employees are still in the building? Smart metering applied to the data center industry could be the technology that really puts the clean in green.

What Vampires and Zombies Have in Common

As with all environmental challenges, improving the efficiency of current systems can go a long way in eliminating carbon waste. Homeowners don’t need expensive metering to shut lights off when not in use or to raise the thermostat several degrees. And unplugging home electronics when not in use (like a TV) can save hundreds annually by eliminating so-called “vampire” loads, where power is still being drawn.

Likewise, up to 30 percent of servers, according to the NRDC, are running when they don’t need to be. These “zombie” servers are an energy (and cost) drain that many data center managers aren’t even aware of, let alone consider.

What Can I Do This Earth Day?

Kelly Communications Systems, an independent supplier of IT centered products, consulting, and support services, is also a pioneer in data center efficiency. We have experts on hand, who can discuss products, software, and solutions that can help foster increased energy efficiency.

In fact, we offer a powerful and versatile platform called Trellis™ through our partner, Vertiv, which can go a long way toward helping reduce your data center’s carbon footprint. Modular and adaptive, Trellis includes an Energy Management Solution that delivers visibility into critical infrastructure systems across your enterprise to optimize performance. The solution provides tools to manage power and cooling while increasing power resource utilization. Feel free to reach out to one of our experts here.

So, in the run-up to Earth Day this April 22, think about the ways in which your business can upgrade its data center. Even if there are no new carbon-cutting mandates or environmental regulations, why not convince your company to still go green while saving green?