Importance of Data Centers and How Can Be Made More Intelligent

Centers for data storage and processing are called data centers. However, data centers only use about 0.1% of the energy they generate for data production. About 99.99% of the power consumed by data centers is dissipated as heat. Is our use of data centers efficient if they mostly produce heat and just marginally contribute to data generation?

Our Sustainability Lead, Astrid Wynne, recently examined an argument by David Gyulnazaryan, an independent consultant specializing in data center heat reuse, in an article for Intelligent Data Centers. Gyulnazaryan proposes the use of data centers to generate heat for other businesses and homes in his argument.

The concept is not new, and there are already innovative approaches to cooling data centers. The Ledil Mine Datacenter in Norway is a good example; it uses fjord water for cooling, and then sends the warmed water to a local fish farm. Eco Datacenter in Sweden does something very similar by putting the heat it generates to use in the form of district heating and helping the local pellet manufacturing industry.

Gyulnazaryan proposed integrating data center heating into urban planning and industrial projects to lessen the impact on the environment and ensure reliable heating for nearby residences, commercial establishments, and industrial facilities.

Concept of Data Center Heating

Heating a data center isn't just for places where it gets chilly. The production of global goods like beer, milk products, packaging, and medications all necessitate the use of heat.

To combat carbon emissions and energy loss caused by idle heat, Gyulnazaryan proposes a closed-loop system that connects data centers to the wider world. Due to chillers and dry coolers releasing waste heat into the surrounding air, data center heat is currently challenging to extract.

Experts in the field are trying to figure out how data centers’ "handprint" (the beneficial effect they have on carbon emissions) compares to their "footprint" (the GHG they are responsible for). The positive effects on city administration and urban planning from heat reuse represent a significant opportunity.

Towards Long-Term Sustainability in Technology

Gyulnazaryan’s argument offers a novel and environmentally sound substitute for conventional data center infrastructure. This is an issue that is near and dear to our hearts as a company that provides green IT solutions. We must consider minimizing IT’s environmental impact through carbon reduction, material reuse, and the creation of a circular IT economy, among other initiatives.