10 Best Practices for Sustainable Data Centers 2024

Data centers are going green to cut energy use and emissions. Here are the top 10 ways they're doing it:

Energy-saving design: Better cooling and airflow
Renewable energy: Using solar, wind, and other clean sources
Water conservation: Efficient cooling and rainwater reuse
Waste reduction: Recycling and reusing materials
Green building standards: LEED and other certifications
AI for energy savings: Predicting use and optimizing resources
Equipment lifecycle management: Extending lifespan and safe disposal
Carbon reduction: Tracking emissions and aiming for net-zero
Green supply chain: Choosing eco-friendly suppliers and products
Ongoing monitoring: Regular checks and continuous improvement

Practice	Key Benefit
Energy-saving design	Reduces power consumption
Renewable energy	Cuts fossil fuel dependence
Water conservation	Lowers water usage
Waste reduction	Minimizes environmental impact
Green building standards	Improves overall sustainability
AI for energy savings	Optimizes resource use
Equipment lifecycle management	Extends hardware life
Carbon reduction	Decreases emissions
Green supply chain	Promotes eco-friendly practices
Ongoing monitoring	Ensures continuous improvement

These practices help data centers use less energy, create less waste, and lower their impact on the environment.

1. Energy-saving design

Modern cooling methods

Data centers make a lot of heat and need good cooling to work well. New cooling ways work better than old ones:

Cooling Method	How It Works	Benefits
Liquid cooling	Uses liquids to remove heat	More efficient than air cooling
Direct-to-chip cooling	Coolants flow right over hot parts	Targets heat sources directly
Immersion cooling	Puts parts in special liquid	Cuts energy use for cooling a lot

Better airflow and temperature control

Making data centers that use less energy is key. Here's how to do it:

Use modular designs that can grow as needed
Plan the layout to help air flow better
Put racks and parts in the right spots

These steps help data centers use less power and cost less to run.

2. Using renewable energy

Solar, wind, and other clean energy sources

Data centers can cut their impact on the environment by using clean energy like solar, wind, water, heat from the earth, and plant-based power. This helps them rely less on fossil fuels and support a cleaner future.

Benefits of Clean Energy	Description
Less pollution	Reduces harmful emissions
Lower costs	Can save money over time
More reliable power	Less dependent on one source
Good for business image	Shows care for the environment

Getting clean energy on-site and off-site

Data centers can use clean energy in two main ways:

1. On-site:

Put solar panels on roofs
Store extra energy for later use

2. Off-site:

Buy clean energy from other places
Get certificates to show they use clean energy
Choose special energy plans from power companies

To make this happen, data centers can:

Build their own clean energy systems
Work with others to make the power grid cleaner
Put money into projects that add more clean energy to the grid

3. Saving water

Water-efficient cooling systems

Data centers can use less water by:

Using rainwater and recycled water for cooling
Collecting water from air conditioning units
Using systems that cool with less water

Some cooling methods that use less water:

Method	How it works
Liquid cooling	Uses liquids to cool hot parts
Immersion cooling	Puts computer parts in special liquid
Ambient cooling	Uses outside air when it's cool enough

These methods help data centers save water and power.

Collecting and reusing rainwater

Data centers can save water by:

Collecting rain from roofs
Using rainwater for:
- Cooling systems
- Toilets
- Other tasks that don't need clean drinking water

This helps in two ways:

Less use of drinking water
Less strain on water treatment plants

Other ways to save water:

Method	What it does
Use recycled water	Reuses water that's been cleaned
Smart watering for plants	Waters only when needed
Fix leaks quickly	Stops wasting water

4. Cutting waste and recycling more

Handling electronic waste

Data centers make a lot of e-waste, like old computers and parts. This waste can hurt the environment and put data at risk. It's important to get rid of it safely.

Reusing and recycling materials

Data centers can cut waste by reusing and recycling. This helps the environment and saves money. Here's how:

Fix and reuse old equipment
Recycle parts from old machines
Give working equipment to groups that need it
Work with trusted recyclers

These steps help data centers make less waste and be better for the planet.

What to do with old equipment	How it helps
Fix and reuse	Makes equipment last longer
Recycle parts	Uses less new materials
Give away	Helps others and reduces waste
Use certified recyclers	Ensures safe disposal

Benefits of reusing and recycling:

Benefit	What it means
Less waste	Fewer old parts in landfills
Save resources	Need less new materials
Save money	Buy less new equipment
Keep data safe	Get rid of old machines safely

5. Green building standards

Green building standards help data centers be better for the environment. These standards guide how to build and run data centers in ways that use less energy and resources.

Types of green building certifications

Data centers can get different green certifications:

Certification	What it looks at
LEED	Energy use, water use, materials, indoor air quality
ENERGY STAR	How well the building uses energy
Green Grid Data Center Maturity Model	How well the data center runs
EU Code of Conduct for Data Centers	Best practices for European data centers

LEED is a well-known certification. It gives points for:

Using less energy
Saving water
Using good materials
Having clean air inside
New ideas in design

Data centers can get different LEED levels: Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum.

Why green building standards are good

Green building standards help data centers:

Use less energy and water
Run better
Look good to customers

Benefits	How it helps
Save money	Use less energy and water
Better image	Show they care about the environment
Keep customers happy	People like green businesses
Follow rules	Meet government standards

6. Using AI to save energy

AI for predicting energy use

AI helps data centers use less energy by looking at past and current data. It can:

Spot where energy is wasted
Help make better choices about energy use
Improve cooling systems
Manage server work better
Distribute power more efficiently

Machine learning for better resource use

Machine learning, a type of AI, helps data centers use their resources better. It does this by:

Looking at how servers are used
Checking storage space
Watching network traffic

This helps data centers:

Save energy
Reduce waste
Work better overall

What Machine Learning Does	How It Helps
Manages server work	Uses resources better
Checks cooling systems	Cuts energy use
Looks at lighting	Finds ways to save power
Watches other equipment	Spots chances to use less energy

7. Managing equipment lifespan

Making equipment last longer and getting rid of old parts safely are key for data centers to be more eco-friendly.

Making equipment last longer

Here's how data centers can make their equipment work for a longer time:

Strategy	What to do
Regular checks	Look at equipment often, clean it, and fix worn parts
Updates	Add new parts to old machines to make them work better
Smart use	Use tools like server virtualization to make machines work less hard

Safe disposal and recycling of old hardware

When it's time to get rid of old equipment, data centers should:

Action	Why it's important
Recycle	Saves materials and makes less waste
Erase data safely	Keeps private information safe
Give away	Helps others use still-working parts

To do this right, data centers can:

Work with good recycling companies
Use special ways to erase data, like strong magnets or breaking hard drives
Find groups that can use or fix old equipment

8. Lowering carbon emissions

Data centers need to cut down on carbon emissions to help the environment. This means keeping track of how much carbon they use and taking steps to use less.

Tracking and reporting carbon use

Data centers can measure their carbon footprint by:

Checking how much energy they use
Figuring out how much carbon this energy makes

They can use tools like the Greenhouse Gas Protocol to do this. By keeping track, data centers can see where they need to improve.

Steps to reach zero carbon emissions

To stop making carbon emissions, data centers can:

Step	What it means
Use clean energy	Switch to power from sun, wind, or water
Use less energy	Make machines work better so they need less power
Make less waste	Reuse and recycle more
Help other green projects	Put money into things like planting trees

These steps can help data centers cut down on carbon and be better for the planet.

What to do	How it helps
Use clean energy	Less dirty fuel used
Use less energy	Less power needed overall
Make less waste	Less stuff thrown away
Help green projects	Makes up for carbon still made

9. Green supply chain practices

Data centers can make their supply chains better for the environment. This means picking suppliers who care about nature and setting rules for buying equipment.

Picking suppliers who care about nature

When choosing suppliers, data centers should look for those who:

Use clean energy
Make less waste
Make things in ways that are good for the earth

Picking these suppliers helps data centers:

Make less pollution indirectly
Get other companies to care more about nature

Rules for buying equipment

Data centers can set rules for buying equipment to help the environment:

Rule	What it means
Check energy use	Buy machines that use less power
Look at materials	Choose things made from recycled or plant-based stuff
Think about the end	Pick equipment that's easy to recycle when it's old
Check supplier's record	Work with companies that show they care about nature

By following these rules, data centers can:

Use less energy
Make less waste
Help companies that care about the earth

This helps data centers do their part to keep the planet healthy.

10. Regular checks and improvements

Watching green performance as it happens

Data centers need to keep an eye on how well they're doing with being green. They should check things like:

What to Check	What It Means
Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE)	How well the center uses power
Carbon Usage Effectiveness (CUE)	How much carbon the center makes
Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE)	How well the center uses water
Waste Diversion Rate	How much waste is kept out of landfills

By watching these things, data centers can:

Find ways to do better
Fix problems quickly
Use less power and water
Make less waste

Getting everyone to help make things better

To keep getting better at being green, data centers should:

Teach workers about being green
Ask for ideas from everyone
Say "good job" when people help

They can also make green teams to:

Look after green projects
Make sure green plans fit with the center's big plans

When everyone helps, data centers can:

Come up with new ideas
Keep getting better at being green
Help the earth more

Conclusion

As we wrap up our look at the 10 best ways to make data centers better for the earth in 2024, it's clear that green data centers are very important. With more people using digital services and worrying about the climate, data centers need to focus on being eco-friendly to help the planet.

Using these 10 ways can help data centers:

Use less power
Make less pollution
Create less waste

Being green can also:

Save money
Help data centers work better
Make people like the company more

Benefits of Green Data Centers
Less power use
Less pollution
Less waste
Save money
Work better
Better company image

As data centers keep changing, it's key to stay up-to-date and use green ways that fit with what the company wants to do. By working together, we can make data centers that are better for the earth now and in the future.

10 Best Practices for Sustainable Data Centers 2024