How Green Data Centers Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

This article is part of a special issue of VB. Read the full series here: Smart Sustainability.

One of Microsoft's largest data centers is near the Columbia River in Quincy, Washington. Everyone loves the scenery, which is breathtaking, and the rural vibe, which is a welcome respite from Seattle and Bellevue. Accountants, however, like the fact that local electricity is cheap because it comes from hydroelectric dams.

And there is one more thing: hydroelectric power is also considered one of the greenest forms of energy with a very low carbon footprint. That's why some consider Microsoft's complex to be one of the greenest data centers ever.

"It's actually one of my favorite places in the world," Microsoft President Brad Smith said during the launch of a video tour during the pandemic lockdown. "Why? I think it represents the most important infrastructure of the 21st century.

Smith calls the massive data center with nearly half a million servers spread across more than 20 buildings "an incredible intersection between digital technology, energy technology, environmental science and the need of innovation".

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The company began construction in 2006 and has been expanding its footprint ever since. The lure of low hydropower prices may make CFOs happy, but the marketing team likes to celebrate the low carbon footprint.

What makes a data center green? Building one is a challenging mix of architecture, network science and heat transfer. Many companies, not just Microsoft, are also wondering how they can do a good job on environmental issues.

It's not hard to see why. Some believe that a green sales pitch can attract and retain customers. Some just think it's the right thing to do. They want to build the best green data centers because they think the world will demand it.

However, a major challenge is trying to understand exactly what makes a data center green. Some factors, like the carbon footprint, are simple, although not always easy to measure. Other factors are more philosophical, and companies can make elaborate or sometimes strained arguments about how their strategy is good for part of the environment.

Microsoft's Big Data Center is one of the easiest to adopt. The low price of hydropower makes it a popular choice with CFOs, but it also comes with a nice environmental bonus as no carbon dioxide was emitted into the atmosphere when the power was created. 'electricity. The sun evaporates the water, and then as it falls in the mountains and rushes down the valleys, some of that energy can be captured by the huge dams the United States has built along the rivers of the northwest.

Some, however, are starting to report issues caused largely by the massive size. Data centers turn electricity into heat and getting rid of the heat isn't always easy. Some biologists, for example, protest that dumping too many kilocalories into the waters of the Columbia River distorts the ecosystem.

Further down the Columbia River, near The Dalles, Oregon, Google built a data center for much of the same reason Microsoft did. Now the company and some residents are arguing over how many gallons per day Google should be allowed to use to cool computers.

The dispute has unfolded over a number of years and largely revolves around...