绿色数据中心和我们气候变化的未来

里奇·米勒 - 2021年1月20日 发表评论

By Rich Miller - January 20, 2021 Leave aComment

2020年，应对气候变化需采取迫切的行动，已成为头条新闻。毁灭性的野火席卷了加利福尼亚，俄勒冈和科罗拉多，同时一系列历史性的飓风袭击了墨西哥湾沿岸。这些灾难是公众意识的一个转折点，它使人们认识到，气候变化不是未来的威胁，而是当前的现实。针对这一点，我们启动了数据中心前沿特别报告系列，以探索绿色数据中心和托管行业的可持续性发展。

The urgent need for climate action is writlarge in the headlines of 2020. Devastating wildfires have ravaged California,Oregon and Colorado, while a historic series of powerful hurricanes slammed theGulf Coast. These disasters have been a tipping point in public awareness,driving home the fact that a changed climate is not a future threat, but acurrent reality. This launches the Data Center Frontier Special Report seriesexploring green data centers and the sustainability push in the colocationindustry.

过去十年来，数据中心行业一直积极地推动的应对气候变化行动，云计算平台率先推动了可持续运营以及企业可再生能源的发展。越来越多的企业放弃碳排放量高的本地数据中心，迁移到由云平台和托管设施运营的更绿色的基础设施，这种影响将在未来几年内进一步扩大。

The data center industry has been a forcefor positive change on climate action over the past decade, with cloudcomputing platforms pioneering advances in sustainable operations and corporateadoption of renewable energy. This impact will be amplified in coming years asmore businesses abandon carbon-heavy on-premises data centers and migrate togreener infrastructure operated by cloud platforms and colocation facilities.

在这份特别报告中，我们将探讨绿色数据中心应对气候变化、减少碳排放影响的具体战略，以及未来可持续性发展的最佳实践。

In this special report, we will examine therole of green data centers as a catalyst for action on climate change, specificstrategies that are reducing carbon impact, and the best ways to embrace thesustainability imperative going forward.

云计算的巨大能源足迹使数据中心行业引领全球转向可再生能源业务。数字化转型扩大了这一机遇的影响，将我们的生活大部分转移到了在线平台上：COVID-19大流行和远程工作的需求加快了数字化转型的趋势，使得非接触式贸易和自动化成为减少病毒的暴露工具。

The massive energy footprint of cloudcomputing enables the data center industry to drive a global shift torenewably-powered business. This opportunity is magnified by a digitaltransformation that is shifting much of our lives to online platforms —a trendthat has been dramatically accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the needfor remote work, contactless commerce and automation as tools to reduce viralexposure.

向云平台的迁移已大大减少了许多IT部门的碳足迹。但是，现在是数据中心用户和运营商提高水平的时候，不仅因为可持续性是一项好的政策，而且这是一项良好的业务。

The migration to cloud platforms hasslashed the carbon footprint of many IT departments. But it is time for the datacenter users and operators to raise their game, not just because sustainabilityis good policy, but because it is good business.

客户和利益相关者需要对气候影响负责，将可持续性作为选择地点和供应商的首要因素。

Customers and stakeholders are demandingaccountability on climate impact, pushing sustainability near the top of the agendain selecting sites and providers.

数据中心行业处于独特的地位，可以加快采用可持续发展的实践，并减少对气候变化的损害。

The data center industry is in a uniqueposition to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices and reduce thedamage to our changing climate.

风能和其他可持续能源对数据中心的战略重要性正在提高。（照片由RawFilm拍摄并在Unsplash上刊登）

Wind power and other sustainale energysources are growing in strategic importance for data centers. (Photo by RawFilmon Unsplash

近年来，随着大型云平台对气候行动做出了积极的承诺，人们对可持续发展的关注日益增强。微软在一月份表示，到2030年将成为“碳排放量为负”的公司，并于2021年7月实施新的采购程序，以激励供应商减少碳排放。

The focus on sustainability has intensifiedin recent years with large cloud platforms making aggressive commitments toclimate action. In January Microsoft said it will become “carbon negative” by2030, and implement new procurement procedures in July 2021 to incentivizesuppliers to reduce their carbon emissions.

与此同时，亚马逊云科技公司承诺，到2025年将使用100％可再生能源，这一行为比2030年时间表更早，以实现亚马逊更广泛的基础设施运营。如果不加快购买可再生能源来支持亚马逊云服务，该目标就无法实现。

Meanwhile, Amazon Web Services hascommitted to use 100% renewable energy by 2025, ahead of the 2030 timeline forAmazon’s broader operations. That goal cannot be met without a majoracceleration of renewable energy purchases to support Amazon Web Services.

这些公告对数据中心行业具有重大影响。随着最大的云建设者加深对绿色能源的承诺，整个数据中心供应链必须以新的方式拥抱可持续发展。超大规模客户群体推动了数据中心提供商在全球范围内强劲的增长，使得他们每年租赁出数百兆瓦的空间。

These announcements have huge implicationsfor the data center industry. As the largest cloud builders deepen theircommitments to green energy, the entire data center supply chain must embracesustainability in new ways. Hyperscale customers have driven much of the growthfor data center providers with a global footprint, leasing hundreds ofmegawatts of space on an annual basis.

超大型企业是推动绿色数据中心发展的领导者，但他们并不孤单。治理与问责研究所指出，标准普尔500指数（S&P 500 Index）中有86％的公司在2018年发布了可持续发展报告，高于2011年的20％。

The hyperscale players are leaders in thedrive for greener data centers, but they are not alone. Eighty six percent ofthe companies in the S&P 500 Index published a sustainability report in2018, up from only 20% in 2011, notes the Governance and AccountabilityInstitute.

451 Research的最新调查发现，近三分之一的多租户数据中心（MTDC）代表表示，他们的所有客户都希望对效率和可持续性做出具有合同约束力的承诺；而另外44％的代表则表示这是大多数客户的诉求，并不是全部。

A recent survey from 451 Research foundthat almost a third of multi-tenant data center (MTDC) representatives said alltheir customers want contractually binding commitments to efficiency andsustainability, while another 44% said it is true for most of their customers.

451提到：“大型企业和IT服务提供商（尤其是大型云公司）通常对基础设施效率有严格的要求，因为它们会筛选并放到各自的可持续性报告中。简而言之：他们无法使用没有优先考虑高效和可持续性标准的MTDC提供商。”

“Major enterprises and IT service providers(particularly larger cloud firms) typically have stringent infrastructureefficiency demands because it filters through to their own respectivesustainability reports,” 451 said. “Simply put: they cannot afford to use MTDCproviders that do not prioritize high efficiency and sustainability standards.”

数据中心行业可持续发展之旅

数据中心行业的绿色创新经历了两个主要阶段。

There have been two major phases of greeninnovation in the data center industry.

第一阶段，大约为2007年至2014年，最大的数据中心运营商大大提高了其IT设备和数据中心设施的效率。对于像Google，Facebook和亚马逊云科技这样的公司，意味着从为服务器供电的芯片到电力基础设施和冷却系统的各个运营方面都在进行创新。这种对效率的不懈关注使得他们极大地节省了电力，从而削减了这些互联网业务的碳排放影响。这些在效率方面的努力带来了更绿色的底线和更环保的数据中心。

In the first phase, from roughly 2007-2014,the largest data center operators dramatically improved the efficiency of theirIT equipment and data center facilities. For companies like Google, Facebookand Amazon Web Services, this meant innovating in every aspect of operations,from the chips powering servers to the power infrastructure and coolingsystems. This relentless focus on efficiency yielded huge savings inelectricity, slashing the carbon impact of these Internet businesses. Theefficiency efforts brought a greener bottom line as well as greener datacenters.

通过在数字业务的供应链上施行可持续发展的实践，数据中心行业将成为采取气候行动的更强大力量。

By imposing sustainable practices upon thesupply chain for digital business, the data center industry will be an evenmore potent force for climate action.

在该行业可持续发展旅程的第二阶段，大型数据中心运营商将重点放在采购可再生能源上，来为其运营提供动力，而不是使用基于煤炭的能源。其他云服务商和数据中心房地产投资信托基金已采用Google对可再生能源的电力购买协议（PPA）。因此，领先的技术公司现在是可再生能源的最大用户，也是太阳能和风力发电能源市场上最活跃的买家。

In the second phase of the industry’ssustainability journey, large data center operators have focused on procuringrenewable energy to power their operations instead of electricity sources basedon coal. Google’s use of power purchase agreements (PPAs) for renewable energyhas been adopted by other cloud providers and data center REITs. As a result,leading technology companies are now the largest users of renewable energy, andthe most active buyers in energy markets for solar and wind power generation.

可再生能源采购最初集中在超大型企业，但多租户数据中心服务提供商最近开始与非营利组织合作，开发最佳实践，使托管客户可以要求其数据中心提供商给予可再生能源直通抵扣券。

Renewable purchasing was initiallyconcentrated at hyperscale players, but multi-tenant data center serviceproviders have recently begun working with nonprofits to develop best practicesfor allowing colocation customers to claim pass-through credits for therenewable energy arranged by their data center provider.

由于最大的参与者要求其供应商记录其采购流程并通过可持续性视角对其进行审核，这为数据中心行业的绿色之旅的下一阶段奠定了基础-即带来整个供应链的全面转变。

This has laid the groundwork for the nextphase of the data center industry’s green journey—a wholesale shift of theentire supply chain, as the largest players require their suppliers to documenttheir procurement processes and vet them through a sustainability lens.

通过在数字业务的供应链上施加可持续发展的实践，数据中心行业将成为采取气候行动的更强大力量。为了实现其最大的影响，该行业需要赢得企业客户的信任，否则这些客户会继续将 IT 运营托管在包括许多含大量碳足迹旧设施的本地数据中心。

By imposing sustainable practices upon thesupply chain for digital business, the data center industry will be an evenmore potent force for climate action. To realize its greatest impact, theindustry will need to win the confidence of enterprise customers that continueto house IT operations in on-premises data centers, including many olderfacilities with an outsized carbon footprint.

由于数据中心极大地提高了其能源效率，在云计算和在线服务爆炸性增长的时期内，工业用电量略有增加。

Data centers have dramatically improvedtheir energy efficiency, resulting in a small increase in industry electricityuse during a period of explosive growth for cloud computing and onlineservices.

随着企业IT用户加倍关注可持续性发展，他们将寻求合适的数据中心服务提供商，这些提供商可以充当合作伙伴，以减少碳排放，履行企业气候承诺并打造绿色地球。

As enterprise IT users redouble their focuson sustainability, they will be seeking data center service providers who canserve as partners as they slash carbon impact, deliver on corporate climatecommitments, and build a greener planet.

在接下来的几周中，请继续关注本报告系列，报告会包含诸如节水和管理、消除柴油发电机、热回收等相关的主题，并与来自可持续数据中心未来的主要声音进行对话。

Follow this report series over the comingweeks as explore topics like water conservation and management, eliminatingdiesel generators, heat recycling and more, as well as share a conversationwith leading voices on the future of sustainable data centers.