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Views: 52 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2022-04-12 Origin: Site
Despite this positive news, study leader Eric Masanet warns, "While the historic efficiency gains made in data centers are significant, our findings do not mean that the IT industry and policymakers can rest on their laurels. We believe there is enough remaining efficiency potential to last for several years. But growing data demand means that everyone, including policymakers, data center operators, equipment manufacturers and data consumers, must step up their efforts to avoid a potentially dramatic rise in energy use later this century."
ArmanShehabi, one of the scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and co-author of the study, added, "Given that data centers are energy-intensive enterprises in a rapidly growing industry, we do need to be rigorous in our analysis of them. The less detailed analysis predicts rapid growth in data center energy use, but does not fully account for the industry's historical progress in efficiency. When we include the missing pieces, a different picture emerges of how we live digitally."
Shehabi said such research could be further improved with greater industry transparency, and urged data center operators to contact the newspaper's researchers to share detailed information about their facilities in a confidential manner. Everyone in this industry could be more open, but the data that is particularly difficult to access comes from companies with in-house data centers.
Jonathan Koomey, co-author of Koomey Analytics, said, "For years, a lack of data has hindered our understanding of global data center energy use trends, and this knowledge gap has made business and policy planning incredibly difficult."
The models and data sets used in the recalibration of the global data center energy use estimation study will be made publicly available.
The researchers also made three specific policy recommendations.
Extend the life of current energy efficiency trends by strengthening IT energy standards (e.g., Energy Star), providing financial incentives and disseminating energy efficiency best practices. Increase R&D investments in next-generation computing, storage, and heat removal technologies to reduce future energy use while encouraging renewable energy purchases to simultaneously reduce carbon emissions. Invest in data collection, modeling and monitoring activities to eliminate blind spots and make more reliable data center energy policy decisions.
In its conclusion, the paper warns, "Given the important role that data centers will play in the future energy system and the historical lack of knowledge about their energy use, the mixed signals that contradictory findings present to policymakers are unacceptable. Global data center energy use is entering a critical transition phase; to ensure a low-carbon and energy-efficient future, we cannot wait another decade for the next reliable bottom-up estimate."
