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Tools Towards the Sustainability and Circularity of Data Centers
Mohamed Sameer Hoosain1, Babu Sena Paul1, Susanna Kass2
1Institute for Intelligent Systems at the University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Circular Economy and Sustainability
|July 6, 2022
Summary
Data centers are expanding and consuming vast resources, necessitating decarbonization strategies. Integrating circular economy principles and advanced technologies is key to achieving sustainable and efficient data center operations.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Computer Science
- Industrial Engineering
Background:
- Data centers are expanding globally, driving significant energy consumption and resource utilization.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has altered digital infrastructure demands, highlighting the need for resilient and sustainable solutions.
- The global imperative for zero carbon emissions necessitates the decarbonization of data centers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze current research and practices in data center sustainability.
- To assess the impact of data centers on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
- To explore future strategies for creating sustainable and circular data centers.
Main Methods:
- Systematic analysis of data centers using circular economy concepts.
- Application of fourth industrial revolution technologies for resource management.
- Objective assessment of environmental and economic impacts of data center operations.
Main Results:
- Reducing environmental impact and energy consumption alone is insufficient for data center sustainability.
- Both embodied and operational emissions in data center architecture are critical factors.
- Data centers play a vital societal role, enabling communication, commerce, education, and job creation.
Conclusions:
- Transitioning to sustainable and circular data centers requires a holistic approach.
- Circular economy principles and advanced technologies are crucial tools for this transition.
- Future efforts must address both environmental and societal impacts for truly sustainable data centers.
Keywords:
Circular economy (CE)Data centersFourth industrial revolution (4IR)SustainabilityUnited Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)More Related Videos
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