In general, and depending on the context, we could say that we have all heard of the carbon footprint, but are we really aware of its importance, how it is produced, and the effects it has on the planet?
Just as each person has a shoe size that is reflected by a number based on the size of our footprint, something similar happens with our carbon footprint. It is reflected in the atmosphere and is measured in tons of CO2.
By definition, we could say that the carbon footprint represents the volume of greenhouse gases (GHG) produced by human economic and everyday activities.
The main greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone, but there is no doubt that among the GHGs produced by the burning of fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas, and liquefied gas), these account for just over 2 thirds of all GHGs. This burning of fossil fuels is what produces the dreaded carbon dioxide (CO2) and directly contributes to global warming.
When we talk about the carbon footprint, the first things that may come to mind are the tons of CO2 produced by companies when manufacturing or transporting their products, or when winter arrives and heating systems are turned on. Another example could be the number of vehicles on the road around the world.
However, many of us may not be as aware of the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) we produce through our use of the Internet. Yes, my friends, when we use our smartphones, spend hours browsing the web, use streaming platforms or social media, utilize various sensors at home, wear those trendy fitness trackers that count our steps 😉, or simply send messages on WhatsApp, we are generating GHGs.
For example, according to Google, a while ago, their carbon footprint was 0.2 grams of CO2 per search. YouTube was estimated at 1 gram of CO2 for every 10 minutes of viewing. As for Gmail, Google mentioned it was approximately 1.2 kg of CO2 per typical user, with an average of 1.46 kg of CO2.
All these actions have in common the direct consumption of energy to enable thems.
Society is leading us to greater energy use directly related to technology, estimated at 20% of global energy consumption.
If we focus further on the data, we can see that according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) https://www.iea.org/ we are approaching 2% of that consumption in data centers.
To provide power to all data centers (as estimated by the IEA), approximately 220 TWh were needed in 2019. To put this in context, that's roughly the amount of energy consumed by a country like Spain, which was estimated at 249 TWh in the same periodREEE Report Spain - Click to view the report
TAll these technological advances are leading to a significant increase in data centers worldwide. For example, we are witnessing a significant growth in hyperscale data centers. Large cloud service providers like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and IBM have more than 60 locations each, spread across different countries. It's worth noting that other major Chinese companies in the sector, such as ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent, are growing rapidly as well.
As mentioned, these data centers require a substantial amount of electricity to operate, with a significant portion of this energy consumption dedicated to cooling the facilities.
Protecting IT equipment by maintaining suitable climatic conditions is a challenging process.
Striking the right balance between the necessary temperature and humidity conditions for servers and other IT devices in the data center, while managing electrical consumption, is a complex task due to the multitude of factors and variables involved.
Having efficient cooling sources like high-efficiency chillers, improved air handling units (AHUs), state-of-the-art fans and pumps, implementing new technologies such as server immersion in special liquids, introducing more efficient servers or devices, or simply locating data centers in cooler environments are actions being utilized to enhance efficiency and reduce the electrical consumption of data center facilities, thus decreasing the mentioned carbon footprint.
It is clear that there are numerous options and solutions available in the market to minimize data center cooling costs. However, the challenge lies in implementing them correctly, as it depends on the specific circumstances of each data center.
We can see that the economic cost, the implementation time cost, the execution time cost, or simply the cost of not thinking about improving the room's efficiency has a HIGH COST for the sustainability of the infrastructure.
At Bjumper, we are aware of the different situations that these infrastructures go through, and that's why we have decided to collaborate and assist data center managers through a solution that we offer to them, which is providing significant value.
All the solutions mentioned above and many others available in the market must begin with a thorough assessment of the situation. Subsequently, these solutions can be incorporated based on a closer reality and relevant data.
Digital Climate Simulation is an effective solution that allows us to have a very close and realistic view of the temperature and humidity in the room in each of its zones. This can be achieved without the need for additional hardware, and most importantly, at a very low cost.
Clik to access Digital Climate Simulation
Once you have the information at your fingertips, you can begin to assess the situation and seek solutions based on what you have, thus optimizing and prioritizing available resources, making informed investments, and not turning them into direct costs for your infrastructures.
If you are interested in this Digital Climate Simulation, we recommend that you contact us. There is no obligation on your part. This way, we can provide more direct assistance and focus on your specific needs.
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