SG Cross Asset Research 2009
Mar. 2009
Data Center Power Usage:
Silent Problem With Serious Consequences
| Equipment | Power consumption |
|---|---|
| Chiller | 33% |
| IT Equipment | 30% |
| Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) | 18% |
| Computer room air conditioner (CRAC) | 9% |
| Power distribution units (PDUs) | 5% |
| Humidifiers | 3% |
| Switch/generator | 1% |
| Lighting | 1% |
Source : The Green Grid, SG Equity Research
Today's high performing data centers are huge consumers of power, with the average data center consuming as much energy as 25,000 households. Besides electricity needed to run IT equipment, the largest power drain lies with Facility Power, which includes Cooling system components such as Chillers, Computer room air conditioning units (CRACs), Power Supply (UPS), Power Distribution Units (PDU), as well as miscellaneous component loads such as a center's lighting. If infrastructure power and cooling are not optimized, energy costs can even easily exceed the cost of the servers themselves.
In addition, data centers are becoming a large source of carbon emissions. The sector's CO2 emissions already account for 1.3% of total global emissions and are expected to overtake the aviation sector by 2020.
Data Center Cost Factors
Green IT: A Key Enabler
Data centers need to be singled out for added scrutiny with energy use projected to increase significantly as their numbers grow to over 120m by 2020. They are expected to account for up to 50% of IT budgets at some companies. As a result, some companies are starting to feel sharply increasing cost pressures, while regulators are taking notice and the industry is waking up to the severe energy implications.
Green IT makes good business sense considering the tens of billions in potential savings for data centre-reliant companies with every $1 in energy savings driving up to $3 to $8 in operational savings (Source: IBM).
Companies developing software and hardware for green-minded data centers - including companies involved in consolidation, center design, data de-duplication, infrastructure management, thin provisioning, virtualization, heating, cooling and power management - should all benefit. Moreover, IT will be key to the development of the potential $20 billion/year smart grid market - intelligent energy networks that connect suppliers and consumers through ICT. The sector should be ripe for receiving funding to stimulate greater energy efficiency levels in the coming years. The market is potentially huge with over 90% of the world's electricity, gas and water meters using antiquated 1970s-era technology.
Semiconductors: Essential For Substantive Energy Savings
Due to its vast size, the semiconductor industry both drives the market and is driven by it.
Superior semiconductor technology alone has the ability to substantially boost the efficiency of the IT industry.
Years of Production
BACK TO THE LIST
