the cloud is a data centre

techuk.org |@techUK | #techUK

The Cloud is a Data Centre

Thoughts from techUK

techuk.org |@techUK |#techUK

How do data centres use energy?

• Data centres concentrate IT function into purpose built facilities

• So data centres are energy intensive

HOWEVER

• This improves performance, security…and efficiency

• Data centres have high carbon and energy productivity

• Data centre efficiency (MB per Wh) has improved by orders of magnitude.


Why should we care?

• Demand for digital data is exploding, driven by:• Policy (eGovernment, eCommerce, Digital Agenda,

Smart Grid, Superfast Broadband, etc. )• Consumers (Facebook, YouTube, online

transactions…)• Technology / business (IoT/M2M, internet

trading..)

• Business models changing: cloud the big growth area

• But that cloud is still a data centre

• So we need to understand energy impacts

techuk.org |@techUK | #techUK

It’s not like we haven’t tried…S

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ICT

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sp

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ICT

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Scope of environmental focus

Carbon (GHG) All environmental impacts

PAS 2050

WRI / WCBSD:

GHG protocol

ISO 14067

GHG

Protocol

ICT Sector

supplement

MIT PAIA

Project (Product

attribute impact

assessment)

iNEMI eco-

impact evaluator

for ICT

equipment

ITU Study

Group 5,

Q18:

L 1410

Carbon / GHG

Environmental

impacts in

addition to

carbon

Related

initiative

Database

LCA SW tools

PCRs

Methodology

approaching

completion

Methodology Hierarchy

Evaluating the Carbon Impact of ICT

ETSI LCA

of ICT

(TS103-

199)

IEC TR

62725

ISO 14040 & 14044

ELCD

PE

EcoInvent

Se

co

nd

ary

em

issio

n fa

cto

r

da

tab

ase

s

Product category rules

Key to scope of

methodology

JRC product

footprint

guide

SimaPro,

GABI,

etc

IPP for mobile

phones

LC

A

so

ftw

are

too

ls


Why is it tricky?

On the one hand we have Moore’s law and on the other hand, we have Jevons’ Paradox

• Horizontal industry, embedded across multiple sectors• Energy impacts unclear due to freemium models (faster

innovation but no price signal) • Disruptive technology, business models evolving rapidly

• RESULT: lots of rubbish being talked.


The Known Knowns, The Known

Unknowns and the Unknown Unknowns

• We now know more than we did.• We know some claims are nonsense• Some previous predictions proving unfounded• Good data now available – we should use it• Yes it is complex• The process will be iterative• And slow

• But the sector takes this very seriously. Otherwise we wouldn’t be here.

the cloud is a data centre

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