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Global warming: Data centres to consume three times as much energy in next decade, experts warn
(The Independent, 23 Jan 2016) 416.2 terawatt hours of electricity world’s data centres used last year was far higher than UK’s total consumption.
The amount of energy consumed by the world’s data centres – the repositories for billions of gigabytes of information – will treble in the next decade, putting an enormous strain on energy supplies and dealing a hefty blow to efforts to contain global warming, experts say.
Whether you’re “liking” something on Facebook, streaming the latest Tarantino movie or posting an instagram from the pub, every internet activity involves huge amounts of data that needs to be stored somewhere. And as the “internet of everything” brings innovations such as driverless cars and high-definition video watches ever closer, the vast network of data centres that have sprung up in the past decade will spread.
This wouldn’t be a problem if these facilities – which range from a small room with a few servers to vast 150,000 square metre “farms” – didn’t consume such enormous amounts of energy.
The Independent, 23 Jan 2016: Global warming: Data centres to consume three times as much energy in next decade, experts warn
