Green Data Centers – Paradox Or The Only Future

The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed a wave of changes that have redefined normalcy in several walks of life - from work styles to entertainment, education, shopping, and much more. Digital has become the “new normal” for customers, and businesses of all sizes had to accelerate their digitisation efforts by as much as 3 to 4 years, to remain competitive.

This sudden surge in the digital activity has created an explosive growth of internet traffic worldwide with several telcos reportedly experiencing more than 60% additional data traffic on their networks since the pandemic began.

While the world is gradually returning to normalcy after over 2 years of pandemic woes, the digital landscape that grew substantially during the period is likely to exhibit its strong foothold in the post-pandemic world as well. Consequently, there is an unprecedented demand for Data Centers to cater to the needs of billions of Internet users globally who now leverage thousands of Cloud services for their digital needs.

Emerging economies like India will likely spearhead the digital revolution in the post-COVID world with over 1.5 billion Internet users by 2040. According to Research and Markets, the Indian Data Center market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 11.4% and touch USD 1.5 billion in the year 2022 alone!

Irrespective of the geographical dominance, Data Centers will be a critical asset for the growing digital economy worldwide. But proponents of Data Center growth will find it tough to battle a growing wave of environmental degradation and energy consumption concerns raised against Data Centers globally.

Data Centers: Power-hungry Like None Other

Data Centers are power guzzlers and notorious for their massive carbon footprint owning to their significantly higher power requirements. Most Data Centers are powered by electricity generated through conventional means like coal or gas-fired power stations. In addition to rising costs of power supply, Data Centers release massive amounts of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) that significantly contribute to climate change.

A research by Yale asserts that Data Centers consume nearly 2% of the total power generated worldwide and emit carbon dioxide in quantities matching that of the entire airline industry globally. With more nations becoming increasingly vocal about the need to regulate emissions and slow down global warming, Data Centers often find themselves hitting choppy waters when attempting to expand.

From fashion to gadgets, consumers are increasingly demanding that the brands they associate with do their fair share of work to protect the environment and invest in building a sustainable future. The trend trickles down to digital service providers and more consumers now want their favourite movie streaming platform or search engine to be powered by renewable energy sources. This means that the Data Centers that consume the lion’s share of the power bills must pull up their socks and start focusing on sustainable practices without harming the environment.

Towards A Sustainable Future – The Iron Mountain Way

The real challenge that enterprises face today with regards to their Data Centers is to make them sustainable and environmentally friendly. With Iron Mountain Data Centers (IMDC), however, there is reason to celebrate in this context.

Early on, IMDC realised that they not only need to be a great business for their customers, but also lead the way towards a sustainable future that benefits everyone. With a combination of sustainable infrastructure investments and technology-powered solutions to re-affirm and promote green credentials, IMDC is championing the cause for a cleaner and environmentally safer tech that impacts the lives of billions of people across the globe.

Here is a roundup of initiatives that IMDC has undertaken to set the precedence for a truly Green Data Center ecosystem for customers with heavy digital needs:

1. 100% Renewable Energy

All IMDC Data Centers are 100% powered by renewable energy with one of the lowest Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) in the industry. This focus was consciously taken to meet both a social commitment to reduce the damage done to our environment and as an investment into a power source that is more stable when compared to conventional electricity sources. This guarantees long-term fixed contracts with significant cost benefits that translate into more attractive prices for all customers.

2. Empowering Customers With Sustainable Credentials

IMDC’s mission of sustainable operations completes only when their customers can realise the benefits of leveraging a sustainable option for their data needs. This is where IMDC’s Green Power Pass (GPP) creates an authoritative green credential that all IMDC customers can utilise to gain recognition for their investments in clean energy.

A GPP is recognised globally as a benchmark for green power transfer down the value chain of customers. IMDC’s customers can proudly add the GPP to their sustainability credentials and use it as an authentic attestation to enrol in any beneficiary programs that require them to be operating on clean energy.

3. Credible Partnerships For Better Compliance

To ensure that its investments in sustainable energy consumption are in the right direction, IMDC has partnered with several leading green energy and sustainable global alliances. IMDC is an active member of the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA) which works to remove barriers to procuring renewable energy through active collaboration between government regulators, customers, and vendors. Furthermore, IMDC has partnered with ‘Future of Internet Power’, a consortium of the world's 10 largest Cloud and Internet users’ groups that actively deals with best practices and reporting standards for offsite Data Centers.

4. Pledge For Carbon Neutrality

In its relentless effort to reach the goal of carbon-free operations by 2040, IMDC is consistently investing in green technologies and sustainable practices.

For better green credentials, IMDC is poised to have all its new facilities set up in accordance with BREEAM certifications for enabling a sustainable Data Center ecosystem.

A Sustainable Future Is The Only Future

Studies estimate that the global Data Center energy needs will exceed 353 TWh by 2030. With a rapidly deteriorating climate health, it is important for enterprises to put sustainable operations at the heart of their digital ambitions irrespective of their domain.

IMDC is leading the direction of transforming Data Centers from a threatening energy risk into a critical, yet sustainable, digital asset. The sustainability initiatives spearheaded by IMDC should be an inspiration for other Data Center operators to eventually work together in the journey to make every Data Center sustainable.

As a Joint Venture partner of IMDC, Web Werks is geared up to emulate IMDC’s sustainable business practices in its state-of-the-art Tier III Data Centers spread across Mumbai, Pune, and Delhi-NCR with more coming up in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

Stay tuned to learn about our upcoming sustainable Data Center practices…