Transmission networks and data centres can facilitate the transition to a decarbonized economy.
FREMONT, CA: The ICT sector is at the forefront of this digital transformation, as we spend more time online than ever. As society evolves, data centers and transmission networks consume precious finite resources, including electricity and water.
Despite the pressing issue of resource depletion, changes are already taking place in digital industries to address this. Data centers and transmission networks can facilitate the transition to a decarbonized economy.
Electricity use in the data center: Transmission networks use even more power, increasing their consumption by up to 60 percent. Half of the power used by all data centers worldwide is believed to come from crypto-mining activities.
According to the IEA, digitalization's data centers and transmission networks are expected to emit around 300 Mt CO2 equivalent by 2020 (including embodied carbon dioxide), representing about 0.9 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. The data center industry has been scrutinized, and some places have introduced new data center construction restrictions.
Data centers beyond efficiency and 100 percent renewable energy claims: Data centers' climate impact cannot be reduced solely through efficiency improvements. Another key tactic to reduce Scope 2 emissions is to procure carbon-free or low-carbon electricity. Data centers can procure clean electricity through various market-based options, including virtual or physical business power purchase agreements (PPA), on-site generation, green tariffs, and renewable energy certificates.
The data center sector has driven renewable energy sourcing for the past decade. Amazon, Google, and Meta (Facebook) topped the list of clean energy buyers between 2010 and 2021, and data centers are significant operations for all three.
Embracing the carbon-free energy journey: Decarbonization can now be maximized in data centers through energy procurement. It is possible to take inspiration from industry players such as Google, Microsoft, and Iron Mountain Data Centers. A goal set by these market leaders is to convert to 100 percent renewable energy by 2020 continuously, referred to as Carbon-free Energy. This strategy can fully decarbonize corporate energy procurement by automatically collecting granular customer and grid data.
