Mr. Director,
Data centers are essential to support and encourage the rapid adoption of digitalization, including high-performance computing and artificial intelligence. However, this growth has also increased awareness of industry’s energy consumption and its impact on the environment.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) report notes that improvements in energy efficiency have helped moderate growth in energy demand from data centers and data transmission networks, which account for about 1-1.5% of global electricity use.
In response to this challenge, new industry regulations have emerged that focus primarily on improving energy efficiency, managing energy consumption, and reducing environmental impact to move toward more sustainable operations.
This includes implementing cutting-edge technologies, such as more efficient cooling systems, harnessing clean energy sources such as solar and wind, implementing water recycling and reuse systems, as well as reducing consumption in daily operations, investing in server virtualization, and looking for ways to offset emissions.
Self-regulation proposal
As governments around the world discuss and establish these regulations, it is important to note that many companies in the data center industry are already taking proactive steps toward sustainability measures.
For example, the initiative supported by the European Data Center Association is part of the Climate Neutral Data Center Charter, which promotes self-regulation and seeks to oblige operators to support the European Green Deal and achieve ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets. Climate change law.
These actors have committed to taking concrete steps to make data centers carbon neutral by 2030. One key measure is that from 1 January 2025, new fully operational data centers in cold climates will need to meet an annual PUE target of 1.3, and New fully operational data centers in warm climates reach target 1.4.
For its part, Data Center Knowledge stated that the United States is also working to enhance efficiency and sustainability in data centers. In 2022, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $42 million in funding to support the development of high-performance, energy-efficient cooling solutions for data centers, as part of the department’s goals. emissions by 2050
How is Latin America progressing?
Latin America is closely following these global regulations, as sustainability has become a key factor in the data center market. However, the industry recognizes that this is more than just a market trend, but rather a necessity to ensure the future of business and our environment.
With these new regulations, data center companies are seeking to be prepared to meet specific requirements, which means addressing sustainability at all stages, from design to daily operation.
At Vertiv, we have developed the Data Center Sustainability Guide, for data center owners and operators looking for best practices for low-impact data center design and operation, as well as complementary technologies that are evolving to support the growing use and increased use of renewable energy. You can also contact your local Vertiv representative to learn more about products and services that can help your data center reduce its environmental impact.
Rafael Garrido,
Vice President of Vertiv LATAM and National Director of Vertiv in Brazil
