Data centers are the foundation of our connected world, powering everything from cloud storage to streaming services and online transactions. But this essential infrastructure comes at a cost – data centers require massive amounts of energy to keep servers, networking equipment, and cooling systems running around the clock. As global demand for digital services rises, so does the energy footprint of data centers, with some projections suggesting they could consume as much as 20% of the world’s energy by 2025. This high energy demand drives up costs and has a significant environmental impact, putting pressure on organizations to find sustainable clean energy technology for data centers, thereby embracing Green Energy for Data Centers.
Adopting green solutions is a vital strategy. Data centers aim to reduce both their costs and carbon footprint. Renewable energy solutions like wind power are combined with battery storage advancements and energy-efficient technologies. They offer data centers reliable and cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels. Embracing green energy sources helps reduce the carbon footprint. It also lowers operational costs by reducing reliance on conventional energy sources. Data centers continue to expand and gain importance. Shifting to sustainable energy is quickly becoming essential.
High Energy Demand of Data Centers
There are five sources responsible for the huge amounts of power consumed by data centers:
– server and storage needed for running the computational workloads and store data
– cooling of the servers
– network hardware (cables, routers, etc.)
– supply systems, transformers (power-conversion energy)
– lighting
There is also another very important factor. Because data centers can’t afford to rely solely on the grid, which at times can be unreliable, they have to use backup generators. In most cases, they run on diesel fuel, and because they are always working, they use a lot of fuel and with that cause a huge amount of pollution.
For data center efficiency companies need 200 terawatts per hour each year globally. 90 terawatts are used by only three corporations: Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. These astonishing numbers, as well as customer and shareholder pressure, push data centers to look for alternative sources of energy. They are also needed to power the new AI applications, which in the future will be another huge consumer of energy.
Dangers of Power Outages for Data Centers
With rising global power demands and increasing threats from extreme weather, the need for alternative sources of energy. For data centers has never been greater. Last summer highlighted these vulnerabilities: in the UK, record heat strained the power grid. And a company Oracle had to shut down two data centers, causing IT outages in several hospitals. Similarly, in Virginia, Dominion Energy, a major U.S. utility, struggled to keep up with energy demands. From the area’s dense network of data centers.
Switching to renewable sources like wind doesn’t just lower a data center’s energy costs – it also provides a more resilient power supply. By reducing dependence on the main grid, renewable energy offers an additional layer of security against disruptions caused by climate-driven events, helping ensure that essential services remain online.
European Union Plans to Lower Data Center Carbon Footprint
Customers and shareholders are not the only ones who demand change from data centers. On March 14, 2024, the European Union introduced a new act that sets up a unified EU framework to assess the sustainability of all data centers with a power requirement of 0.5 MW or higher. From 2026 data centers will have an obligation to report different sustainability factors, for example total electricity consumption and what percentage of it comes from renewable energy sources.
Many countries also want to be active participants in the switch from fossil fuels to green energy. For example, Germany adopted a new Energy Efficiency Act in 2023, which states that all German data centers have to cover 50% of their electricity demand with renewable electricity (unsubsidized) from 2024 and 100% from the beginning of 2027.
Can Data Centers Fully Rely on Green Energy?
More and more data centers provide proof that it’s possible to create a facility powered by 100% renewable energy, while not sacrificing any of the safety and efficiency. A perfect example is Polish data center and cloud service provider Beyond.pl. They are the first facility in Poland, as well as in the region, that is 100% powered by renewable sources. They are a perfect example of a green data center.
What Is a Green Data Center?
It’s a relatively new term created for data centers that reduce environmental impact through energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. By using these sources, they can support backup generators and day-to-day operations. Thanks to them, green data centers lower their reliance on fossil fuels. With that, they minimize pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. There are of course other ways in which energy-efficient data centers try to reduce their carbon footprint. For example, they also extend the life of their equipment by repurposing materials. They use the heat produced by servers, which further enhances energy efficiency.
Wind energy solutions for data centers not only help meet sustainability goals but also reduce operational costs over time. Transitioning from traditional power sources to renewable options allows data centers to reduce carbon emissions and improve resilience against fluctuating energy costs. While shifting to green energy may require an initial investment, the long-term savings from reduced operational expenses and increased efficiency are substantial.
Are you interested in making your data center go green? Contact Freen to explore small wind energy solutions.
How Can Data Centers Use Wind Energy?
Data centers can effectively harness wind energy to meet their power needs in a cleaner, more flexible way. By investing in small wind turbines, data centers can gain access to a renewable, often abundant energy source that complements peak demand periods when electricity from traditional, nonrenewable sources becomes costly. During high-demand times, wind energy can step in to help offset these costs, providing a stable and greener alternative.
Excess electricity generated from wind turbines can be stored in batteries for later use. It can also be sold back to the grid, creating an additional revenue stream. This reinforces the data center’s energy independence. Battery storage technology and other dispatchable options make it easier to balance energy use from wind and renewables. This way, data centers reduce their carbon footprint. They also gain flexibility in managing power sustainably and cost-effectively. Wind energy is an impactful choice for green operations.
Reduce costs and the carbon footprint of your data center—schedule a meeting with Freen’s experts to discuss green energy options for your facility.
How Small Wind Turbines Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Small wind turbines can be a great solution for data center providers who search for alternative energy sources that will reduce their energy costs and lower their carbon footprint at the same time. Wind energy has some unique benefits over different renewable energy sources.
Firstly, small wind turbines for business are much more efficient than other sources of sustainable energy, like solar power. Especially in windy regions, it can be the best source of energy for data centers. Small wind turbines can also generate electricity 24/7 with the right wind conditions, which means that the facility can have a constant source of needed power.
What is very interesting, small-scale wind turbines can use wind made by… data centers. A study performed in 2024 demonstrated that smaller wind turbines can produce electricity from the wind generated by chilling devices in data centers. That wind, while usually completely wasted, can help power small wind turbines, which in turn can help power the chilling machines themselves. The researchers used vertical-axis wind turbines due to their light and compact design.
Maximizing Efficiency: The Capacity Factor of Small Wind Turbines
Do small wind turbines have enough capacity to power data centers? To prove that yes, they have, we can use the example of the flag small-scale wind turbine by Freen – Freen 20 kW. Its capacity factor is 26%. Of course, it will depend on the available wind sources and can be even higher. Compared to solar panels, which have a capacity of around 10-15%, small wind turbines are a much better choice.
Freen constantly works on new designs and on maximizing the efficiency of our wind turbines. With time, their capacity may be higher, which will mean more power for data centers and different businesses.
The Future of Green Energy for Data Centers
Each year, the number of data centers increases all over the world. This trend will hold for many years to come. With fossil fuels bound to expire in a few decades, companies, data centers, and governments need to find a solution. They must address the high energy demand of these facilities.
While renewable energy sources are surely the answer, wind energy is the most efficient one. Small wind turbines are a most logical solution for data centers located in areas with big wind resources but also the ones in urban areas.
Data centers that consider wind energy as their future source of power can not only count on reducing their energy costs but also on lowering their carbon footprint and gaining energy independence and safety.
