Various Renewable Energies for Data Center Sustainability
Various Renewable Energies for Data Center Sustainability
The demand for data centers continues to rise. However, a major challenge is the high energy consumption. According to the International Energy Agency, energy consumption by the data center industry accounts for over 1% of the world’s total power consumption and is projected to reach 8% by 2030.
Globally, data centers consume about 200 terawatt-hours (TWh) per year, with approximately 90 TWh directly attributed to the three largest hyperscalers: Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. Data center energy demand is expected to increase about 15 times by 2030 to reach 8% of the projected total electricity demand.
Climate change, shareholder pressure, and sustainability regulations are driving providers to seek clean energy alternatives to power their data centers. However, only new colocation builds that incorporate energy efficiency and overall sustainability practices will ensure robust operations and grid connectivity.
Indonesia, as a rapidly growing economy, has set a target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 or earlier. Therefore, it is crucial for the data center industry in Indonesia to adapt and innovate to face these challenges. What are the solutions? Let’s find out below.
Renewable Energy: A Solution for Data Centers
Renewable energy offers a promising solution. By utilizing it, we can create sustainable data centers and reduce the carbon footprint on our planet.
Although renewable energy offers a promising solution, its comprehensive application faces challenges such as location and resource availability. However, by optimizing its use, we can create sustainable data centers and reduce the carbon footprint on our planet.
Some examples of renewable energy that can be used are solar, wind, hydro, and bioenergy. Additionally, geothermal energy is a promising option, especially in Indonesia, which has the second-largest geothermal potential in the world.
Currently, the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) in Indonesia is still dominated by Geothermal Power Plants, but with significant geothermal potential, this could be an opportunity to diversify renewable energy sources.
However, despite its promise, the application of renewable energy in data centers requires careful consideration. For instance, energy consumption by the data center industry is expected to reach 8% of the world’s total electricity consumption by 2030.
Therefore, a collective effort between the government, companies, and investors is necessary to achieve energy system decarbonization.
This includes utilizing renewable energy such as geothermal energy, but also requires demand management solutions like grid updates and energy storage solutions.
EDGE DC and Its Transition to Renewable Energy
EDGE DC at the EDGE1 data center has officially implemented the 100% Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) from PLN since 2023, making it the first data center to operate in the heart of Jakarta using renewable energy.
The new EDGE2 data center will be the first facility in Indonesia to use innovative cooling technology from Nortek, making EDGE2 one of the most efficient data centers in Indonesia today. EDGE2 is also in the process of obtaining REC and LEED Gold certifications as part of its commitment to supporting sustainability in the Indonesian data center industry.
Read more: Green Data Centers: The Future of Sustainable IT Infrastructure
Conclusion
Given the increasing demand for data centers and the challenge of high energy consumption, renewable energy offers a promising solution to create sustainable data centers and reduce the carbon footprint. Although it offers promising solutions, the application of renewable energy in data centers requires careful consideration, including location issues and resource availability.
Indonesia, with the second-largest geothermal potential in the world, has the opportunity to diversify renewable energy sources. However, collective efforts between the government, companies, and investors are needed to achieve energy system decarbonization. This includes utilizing renewable energy like geothermal energy and demand management solutions such as grid updates and energy storage solutions.
EDGE DC has shown its commitment to this transition. The EDGE1 data center has implemented a 100% Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) from PLN since 2023, making it the first data center to operate in the heart of Jakarta using renewable energy.
Furthermore, the new EDGE2 data center, using innovative cooling technology from Nortek, is in the process of obtaining REC and LEED Gold certifications.
For more information on how EDGE DC can help your data center transition to renewable energy, please contact us.
