How Do Data Centers Adapt to Climate Change

In today’s digital world, it's no surprise that we're generating more data than ever before. The Internet of Everything has transformed how we store data. Every online action, from liking a post to googling a question, is stored somewhere. While mega data centers have proven beneficial, they tend to run hot and require constant power. Businesses must ensure their data centers can withstand the effects of climate change – from record-breaking temperatures to unexpected outages and changing weather patterns worldwide.

The Threat of High-Temperature Weather to Data Centers

As global temperatures rise, data centers must work harder to maintain a stable environment. This can lead to higher energy consumption, which increases operating costs and increases the overall carbon footprint.

In July 2022, the UK experienced extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 42 degrees at one point. In this case, Oracle's data center in London was affected by high-temperature weather, failing two cooling equipment, which caused the data center to outage. At the same time, one of Amazon's data centers in London went down due to high temperatures. The heat not only affected the normal operation of the data center but also caused service outages and limited customer access for several hours.

Data centers are energy-intensive businesses that require a steady supply of electricity to power their hardware and cooling systems. Currently, data centers account for about 1 to 3 percent of global electricity consumption, and this figure is expected to grow as the demand for digital services increases. The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that data center energy use could account for 3 to 8 percent of global electricity demand by 2030. The energy consumption of a data center directly affects its carbon footprint. Most data centers rely on grid electricity, which is often generated by fossil fuels, which increases greenhouse gas emissions. The growing demand for digital services not only increases the energy consumption of data centers but also exacerbates their environmental impact. If left unchecked, the growing carbon footprint of data centers will further exacerbate climate change and exacerbate the challenges facing the planet.

These examples show that hot weather poses a serious threat to the normal operation of data centers, and businesses need to adapt and prepare for climate emergencies. According to a survey by the Uptime Institute, 45 percent of U.S. data centers have experienced extreme weather events that impeded their operations. As tech companies face a dramatically changing climate, sustainability is critical. Being prepared for natural disasters will help prevent future downtime. Investing in energy-efficient hardware, software, and cooling technologies is critical to keeping operations running smoothly in the event of a disaster.

How to Improve Data Center Sustainability

Organizations can take various measures to address the sustainability concerns associated with data centers:

• Energy-Efficient Hardware and Software: Implementing energy-efficient components and optimizing software can reduce the overall power consumption of data centers, leading to lower energy costs and a smaller carbon footprint.

• Renewable Energy Sources: Utilizing solar or wind power can help data centers reduce reliance on grid electricity generated from fossil fuels, thereby decreasing carbon emissions.

• Improved Cooling Systems: Developing energy-efficient systems like liquid cooling or advanced air conditioning technologies can help maintain optimal temperatures in data centers while reducing energy consumption.

• Geographical Location: Building data centers in cooler climates or locations with access to natural cooling resources, such as cold seawater, can help reduce energy requirements.

• Data Center Design: Implementing improved airflow management, insulation, and energy-efficient technologies can minimize energy consumption and environmental impact.

Climate-induced extreme weather events, along with the growing demand for digital services, necessitate an increased focus on sustainability for energy-efficient data center infrastructure. By adopting innovative strategies and technologies, organizations can minimize the environmental footprint of data centers while maintaining network security and supporting global digital growth.

Face the Climate Challenge with Your Data Center Partner: FS

More and more companies are being asked to be environmentally responsible. Discussions about climate change have prompted tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon to adopt greener data centers powered by renewable energy and efficient cooling technology.

As high-performance computing continues to evolve, data centers will consume more resources, especially at the edge. Talk to an expert today from FS, a specialist communications equipment and solutions provider dedicated to delivering high-performance data center switches and a dedicated team of modern solutions. FS data center switches can provide the following technical support on climate issues:

• Lower power consumption: It can effectively reduce energy consumption, thereby reducing carbon emissions and greatly saving the cost of electricity for enterprises

• 4+1 Hot-swap Fans: Variable-speed fans for superior cooling, noise, and power reduction.

• 1+1 Dual AC PSU: PSUs can be removed/replaced without shutting down the system. Dual redundant power supplies provide high availability and longevity.

FS is your trusted data center partner to help you understand which solutions best meet the needs of your future data center goals.