FEATURE
MODERN OPERATING
CONDITIONS ARE ALSO CAUSING DATA CENTRE OPERATORS TO CONSIDER NEW
VARIANTS OF LIQUID COOLING .
Data centres are the foundational building blocks of today ’ s digital and electric world . In 2020 , their importance was well and truly amplified , with demands for mission-critical applications and connectivity surging , and the growth of data that ensued .
According to IDC ’ s Global DataSphere , more than 59 zettabytes ( ZB ) of data would be created , captured , copied and consumed across the world in 2020 . This has been driven by an increase in the number of employees working from home , greater use of video communication and a surge in the consumption of downloaded and streamed video .
IDC also states that the creation of new unique data and the increased consumption of replicated data has fuelled the growth of the DataSphere , which is forecast to continue at a five-year compound annual growth rate ( CAGR ) of 26 % through 2024 .
Today , data centres and the professionals that work within the digital infrastructure sector , continue to play a crucial role in meeting connectivity and application demands . So significant has the industry become that during the course of the Coronavirus pandemic , many engineers and service providers were named key workers , helping to ensure operational continuity for the many businesses transitioning their organisations to remote working .
The sector itself is built upon a reputation for reliability and there ’ s no doubt that key requirements of any data centre include performance , resiliency , security and efficiency . Yet looming large in the conscience of operators and customers is a factor that ’ s become more pivotal than any single facet of the technology realm . Now , with greater awareness of the impacts of data centre carbon emissions on the environment , sustainability has become a key focus for the industry .
Data centre sustainability
Climate change , and in many respects , sustainability , is now driving government and corporate agendas . Concern for the health of the planet is a matter of global importance and has become the responsibility of both businesses and consumers alike . The Paris Climate Change Agreement calls for < 2 ° C warming by 2030 , while the current projection is at + 3 ° C !
In January 2020 , The Guardian reported that the climate crisis fills the top five places of the World Economic Forum ’ s risks report . By 2035 , it is anticipated that IT will consume 8.5 % of global electricity , up from 5 % in 2018 , and with data centres responsible for a large share , the industry will play a key role in driving more sustainable operations .
Looking inwardly , a recent survey of more than 800 global data centre providers by Schneider Electric and 451 Research found that nearly all ( 97 %) of respondents had customers who demanded contractual commitments to sustainable practices ; the majority ( 57 %) believed that efficiency and sustainability will be important competitive differentiators within three years – a large increase on the 26 % who believed that such was the case at the time of asking ; and nearly half of respondents ( 43 %) had already put in place strategic sustainability initiatives and efficiency improvements for their data centre infrastructure .
Clearly , market forces as well as regulatory pressures , are encouraging www . intelligentdatacentres . com
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