{"id":5566,"date":"2025-05-17T08:09:58","date_gmt":"2025-05-17T00:09:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cicserver.com\/redefining-data-center-sustainability-for-the-ai-era\/"},"modified":"2025-05-17T08:09:58","modified_gmt":"2025-05-17T00:09:58","slug":"redefining-data-center-sustainability-for-the-ai-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cicserver.com\/de\/redefining-data-center-sustainability-for-the-ai-era\/","title":{"rendered":"Redefining Data Center Sustainability for the AI Era"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Data centers are under pressure to scale fast while minimizing their environmental footprint. But what does \u201csustainability\u201d really mean in an industry that consumes vast amounts of power, land, and water?<\/span><\/p>\n

In a recent webinar hosted by sustainable building certification firm BREEAM, data center sustainability experts discussed prevailing myths, mounting challenges, and emerging innovations across the sector.<\/span><\/p>\n

Topics ranged from the complexities of site selection and power scarcity to breakthroughs in construction methods and on-site energy generation. The conversation began by tackling a fundamental question: Are data centers real estate, infrastructure, or both? And what does \u201csustainability\u201d mean in this context?<\/span><\/p>\n

While panelists agreed there\u2019s no single definition, they were unanimous in their view that data centers \u2013 now essential to everything from remote work to education and healthcare \u2013 are undeniably critical infrastructure. Yet their physical presence demands access to land, power, and water \u2013 resources that are becoming increasingly constrained.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c[Data centers] are critical infrastructure,\u201d said Miranda Gardiner, executive director of <\/span>iMasons Climate Accord<\/a><\/span>. \u201cThis is how you access medical records; this is how school is being taught; this is how we got through COVID working from home. It\u2019s not a commodity that is just nice to have.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Related:<\/span>AI Factories Need Homes: New Data Center Markets Are Opening Up<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIf data center providers and sustainability experts are not coming together to resolve things that help support efficiency, it\u2019s a missed opportunity because data centers are not going away. The question should be: How can we become solution providers to support how growth is happening?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Common Data Center Sustainability Myths<\/h2>\n

The perennial challenge of the data center industry has been <\/span>keeping pace with soaring demand<\/a><\/span>. This challenge is only complicated by the many misconceptions that surface in discussions of data center efficiency and sustainability.<\/span><\/p>\n

One such misconception is the conflation of inefficiency and growing power usage. The constant stream of headlines about the <\/span>exorbitant amounts of energy<\/a><\/span> needed to power data centers has led to the belief that data centers aren\u2019t doing enough to reduce their power consumption, which is simply untrue, argued Amanda Abell, senior director of sustainability at Stream Data Centers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cData centers use a lot of power, but it doesn\u2019t mean they are inefficient. I think sometimes there\u2019s a belief that we need to focus only on sustainability, but there are so many market drivers pushing energy efficiency in data centers outside of sustainability.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Related:<\/span>Nuclear and Natural Gas Offer a Fast-Track to Data Center Power<\/a><\/p>\n

She added: \u201cWe need to make sure we are being efficient, but the financial drivers are huge. If you have not <\/span>designed your data center for maximum efficiency<\/a><\/span>, you\u2019re not going to be in business very long.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The business of data centers is also a key part of the sustainability debate. During the BREEAM webinar, Chris Pennington, director of energy and sustainability at Iron Mountain Data Centers, noted that while sustainability has become synonymous with \u201cenvironmentally friendly,\u201d it also refers to a data center\u2019s financial viability. This encompasses many factors, including efficiency, site location, construction, and supply chain, and requires innovation if the industry expects to meet the expectations of exponential demand and rapid growth.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cData centers are sustainable, and there\u2019s a really good business reason behind energy efficiency, water conservation, and biodiversity-focused efforts beyond saving the planet,\u201d Pennington said. \u201cThe reality is that sustainability is not just doing green things, it is actually doing smart things for business in order to thrive going forward.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Meta<\/p>\n

Data centers are migrating beyond traditional internet hubs as the industry redefines sustainability to encompass power, water, and community impact. Image: Alamy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Power Hungry, Resource Strapped<\/h2>\n

One thing is certain: the demand for data centers will continue to accelerate, which means more will be built, despite shortages of land, power, and water. Geographic location creates situationally specific demands, especially where resources are concerned.<\/span><\/p>\n

Related:<\/span>The Data Center Sustainability Shift: From White Space to Green Buildings<\/a><\/p>\n

While data centers were traditionally concentrated in major internet hubs, they are now migrating to areas where power grids and water sources can be accessed. These locations are becoming scarcer, spurring engineers and designers to consider new ways to shift the existing paradigm between utility companies and data centers through on-site power generation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The hope is that soon, data centers <\/span>will be able to utilize onsite power generation<\/a><\/span>, not only for redundancy, but to lessen the burden on local power grids, creating a mutual transference of energy.<\/span><\/p>\n

During the BREEAM webinar, Pennington discussed how Iron Mountain hopes to achieve this: \u201cWe\u2019re working on adding <\/span>energy storage<\/a><\/span> to our data centers so that we can become a flexible grid resource rather than a burden on the grid.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He added: \u201cThere are significant points in time where we can use on-site energy storage to lower our consumption on the grid, not reduce the output of the data center \u2013 serving customers and keeping critical systems operating but build in flexibility through really big onsite energy storage batteries at our sites.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tackling the Data Center Power Challenge<\/h2>\n

Reducing energy consumption is a top priority for data center operators, but it is by no means the only critical focus. Data centers can reduce their energy consumption significantly, achieving very low <\/span>PUE<\/a><\/span>, but it is a trade-off that requires large increases in water consumption, and finding ways to reduce water usage is just as urgent a priority for data centers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a challenge that we have been aware of,\u201d Gardiner said. \u201cNow we are coming closer and closer to that horizon of <\/span>water shortages.<\/a><\/span> How we use [water] for cooling has shifted a lot. How we\u2019re using it again for potable and non-potable sources is different when we\u2019re in water-stressed areas, which a number of data center growth markets are. We must evaluate that and become more strategic in how we use water.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Careful consideration of trade-offs like this is the only way to measure true data center sustainability. Designing, constructing, and operating data centers in the most sustainable way requires a holistic, comprehensive approach before construction begins.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many different factors and stakeholders to consider, not only for a data center’s immediate sustainability but also for its future sustainability.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s extremely important that the designers of data centers are considering these things because water and energy are going to be consumed over a 20 or 30-year period,\u201d said Graham Langton, global head of sustainability at CTS Group. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to be using a 30-year-old HVAC system that you\u2019ve never upgraded.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As data centers begin to populate residential and urban areas in larger numbers, community buy-in is often tenuous. Because many people are apprehensive about inviting data centers into their neighborhoods, transparency and <\/span>collaboration with local community members<\/a><\/span> and experts become a crucial component of building and operating sustainable data centers.<\/span><\/p>\n

The challenges reach beyond so-called \u201cNIMBYism\u201d and resources, though, and concern quality of life and potential impact on biodiversity. While data centers don\u2019t often receive public acknowledgement, many operators will decide to forego building in locations where facilities could significantly impact resources or harm wildlife.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, true sustainability is far more complex than just achieving low energy usage. It requires deep collaboration between engineers, developers, environmental experts, utility companies, and end users. It\u2019s not just about sustaining the systems we already have \u2013 it\u2019s about imagining better ones and being willing to work together to build them.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n