Data Centers Use Renewable Energy to Contain Costs
Robust Outlook
86% of survey respondents predicted that the current state of strong data center growth will last more than five years, with one in five saying it will last for at least another two decades.
Expansion Plans
51% of data center owners have increased data center capacity within the last five years, and nearly seven out of ten expect to do so over the next five years.
Drivers of Data Center Growth
Cloud-based services and apps: 41%, The overall digitization of information: 36%, Devices such as smartphones and tablets: 25%
Data Center Disruptor
More than half of survey respondents believe the industry will see a tech game-changer in the very near future.
Promising New Data Center Technologies
Data center information management: 13%, Immersion/liquid cooling: 13%, Containment: 11%, Modular/containerized construction: 10%
Factors in Data Center Location
Operating expenses, including power/cooling costs: 32%, Proximity to existing operations/headquarters: 29%, Proximity to fiber: 11%, Quality of life: 10%, Caliber of work force: 9%
Wishful Thinking?
19% of owners said that if they could change one thing about their data centers, it would be to make them more energy-efficient, and 15% would want a better cooling/HVAC system.
Going Green
57% of the respondents either currently operate a LEED-certified data center to lower energy usage, or anticipate seeking LEED certification on their next project.
Conservative Estimate
47% believe that data center efficiency levels will average 1.3 PUE (power usage effectiveness) or lower within the next five years, compared to the 1.7 PUE industry average as of June 2014.
Recycling Initiative
84% of data center owners feel there is either definitely or probably a need to consider renewable forms of energy to manage future data center requirements.