According to Gartner, AI, and specifically generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), is creating Rapid increase in power consumptionConsidering the forecast growth of data centers in the next two years that could reach +160%.
Gartner highlights further data: 40% of current AI data centers will be limited in operation by power availability by 2027, given the growing potential. Reduce if not disrupting energy availability. and limit new data center growth through 2026. Gartner recommends that organizations determine this. Risks That potential energy shortages will occur across all products and services.
It is estimated that the power required by the data centers will reach i. 500 terawatt hours (TWh) Every year in 2027: 2.6 times the level in 2023.
Thanks in large part to the boom in artificial intelligence (AI), which requires more computing power, The demand for data centers is increasing. The dizzying global data center capacity will need to double over the next five years, as already highlighted. Moody’s.
IT costs will increase. Overall
An inevitable consequence of energy depletion is a Increase in electricity priceWhich in turn will also increase the cost of operational LLMs.
Gartner recommends that organizations take these elements into account and negotiate long-term contracts for data center support services. Organizations must also take significant cost increases into account when developing plans for new products and services. Alternative methods that require less energy.. Energy impact is not the only factor to consider in terms of sustainability and cost.
gave spesa IT Worldwide, again according to Gartner, it should reach. $5.74 trillion in 2025an increase of 9.3 percent compared to 2024.
gave Expenditure on data center systems In 2024, there is an increase of about 35%, while in 2025, this segment will not see an equal increase. Estimates call for an increase in spending of about $50 billion in 2025. This is driven by server sales, which is expected. Almost three times From $134 billion in 2023 to $332 billion in 2028, including more than $257 billion in 2025.
It is expected that Software costs It will grow by 14 percent to $1.23 trillion in 2025, compared to an increase of 11.7 percent in 2024. IT Services It will grow by 9.4 percent, reaching $1.73 trillion in 2025, compared to 5.6 percent in 2024. According to Gartner, depending on the growth rate, spending will increase by $500 billion per year. IT spending is expected to exceed $7 trillion in 2028.
How much is the sustainable data center market worth?
The approach provided by is very interesting US Sustainable Data Center Market – Industry Outlook and Forecast 2024-2029. The sustainable data center market is estimated. $17 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $35.35 billion by 2029 with a CAGR of 12.98%.
The sustainable data center market is expanding rapidly, driven by the need for environmentally friendly data storage solutions. For example, i Google Data Center It has significantly reduced energy consumption by optimizing its operations with an AI-based energy management system. Political drivers and other regulations, such as the Paris Agreement and RE100, certifications, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and ISO50001, drive the market. Development of Green Data Centers.
Hyperscale operators like AWS, Meta, Microsoft, Apple and Google Sustainable data centers in the United States are leaders in sustainability innovation in the market. Most of the players, notably Equinix, Digital Realty, CyrusOne, Allineati, STACK Infrastructure, Iron Mountain, QTS Realty Trust, Vantage Data Centers and Switch are investing.Use renewable energy. and in the installation of energy efficient appliances.
Data centers are adopting. Advanced cooling techniques To increase energy efficiency, use free cooling methods to lower facility temperatures, leading to significant energy savings.
Key trends in sustainable data centers
- AWS meets 85% of its energy needs from renewable sources.
- Google, Meta and Apple meet 100% of their data center energy needs from renewable sources.
- Microsoft aims to power all data centers with 100% renewable energy by 2025.
- Collocation operators such as Equinix, Digital Realty, CyrusOne, Vantage Data Centers, STACK Infrastructure, Iron Mountain, QTS Realty Trust and others have entered into power purchase agreements (PPAs) to power their data center facilities to meet their sustainability goals. PPAs) and acquiring renewable energy. .
- Digital Reality meets 100% of the data center’s energy needs from renewable sources.
- QTS Realty Trust meets 35% of its energy needs from renewable sources and is targeting 100% renewable energy by 2025.
Green solutions to support the power of data centers
Fuel Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) is increasingly being used in the sustainable data center market as a relevant solution in the drive to reduce sustainability and carbon footprint.
In April 2024, Digital Realty announced its plans to deploy HVO on some of its diesel generators at data center facilities in Oregon and California. Fuel cells are emerging as a promising solution to power your data centers. Numerous benefits. Fuel cells have the potential to revolutionize the data center industry by providing clean, efficient, stable and reliable energy.
In July 2024, CoreWeave, a cloud GPU provider, announced its plans to deploy fuel cells supplied by Bloom Energy at one of its data center facilities in Illinois. Microgrids and smart grids can be adopted by data center operators operating in regions where power supply is uncertain due to several factors such as natural disasters and power fluctuations.
Companies are developing innovative solutions. Lithium ion batteries Designed for data center applications. Google has installed lithium-ion batteries in several data centers, including in Alabama, to improve power efficiency and reliability.
Environmental activists against data centers
As stated in a BBC article “Environmental campaigners fighting against data centers“, of the American state VirginiaIts northern region, in particular, has been an area of great interest for the location of data centers since the 1990s.
Around the city of Ashburn, which is 35 miles (56 km) west of the US capital, there are 133 data centers. While the state, as a whole, is something at the moment. 483. 70% of internet traffic The world Passes through Ashburn and the surrounding area, dubbed “Data Center Street”. gave Texas Ranked second out of 296. California It ranks third with 288 data centers.
Northern Virginia environmentalists oppose the continued expansion of the data center industry in their region, saying it is already having a major negative impact on their quality of life. New power lines, increased water demand and backup diesel generators Affects air quality..
