Such practices assume importance as the information and communication technology (ICT) sector accounts for 1.8%-3.9% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and data centers take up 3% of annual energy consumption, a rise of 100% in the last decade.
Sustainable computing or green computing is a practice of maximising energy efficiency and minimising the negative impacts on the environment. It involves green practices in the ways computer chips, data storage systems and software are designed and used.
According to a report published by the Association for Computing Machinery, “The energy demands and carbon output of computing and the entire ICT sector must be dramatically moderated if climate change is to be slowed in time to avoid catastrophic environmental damage.”
Sudhir Goel, Chief Business Officer of Acer India, says, “We have joined the global RE100 initiative, pledging to utilise 100% renewable energy by 2035. In 2021, we achieved a remarkable 45% renewable energy usage. Acer is also actively reducing its carbon footprint by implementing measures such as using post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic content in its core products, shipping millions of units with PCR plastics, and ensuring up to 85% of notebook packaging cushions have been made from recycled paper pulp. Moreover, Acer has set ambitious goals to achieve a 45% reduction in energy consumption by 2025 compared to the baseline year 2016.”
Sustainable computing products
Experts see product design and manufacturing as key areas that can help reduce the impact of technology on the environment. These areas would help to cut the heat generated by these computing products, lowering the carbon price tag of computing. For instance, sleep mode is one of the earliest examples that designers applied to conserve energy. Generating less waste in manufacturing devices, too, is important. Another key area is increasing the lifespan of computing devices and components so they are not required to be replaced as frequently.Talking about Acer’s sustainable product line, Goel says, “Vero demonstrates our commitment to environmental responsibility. Within the Vero range, we offer diverse products, including laptops for commercial and consumer needs, all-in-one desktops, monitors, projectors, routers and more. We are actively expanding the Vero portfolio to include more of Acer’s products, emphasising our dedication to integrating sustainability into all aspects of our technological innovation. The Vero line embodies our ethos of blending technology with eco-conscious practices, aligning with our goal of integrating sustainability into the tech landscape. Through Vero, we aim to set a standard for responsible product design and inspire others to prioritize sustainability in their product lines.”Sustainable data storage solutions
Industry stakeholders say it is also essential to build sustainable technology infrastructure to bring down global warming and blunt the worst impact of climate change. For instance, data centers are estimated to be responsible for 1% to 2% of global electricity consumption currently and are projected to touch 4% by 2030. In addition, the rising problem of e-waste has only added to the existing woes.
Experts say that there is an enormous potential for saving energy, particularly in the case of storage solutions. Storage solutions and services support companies and their IT departments in achieving their sustainability goals. With the help of modern storage solutions, companies can look at becoming more energy efficient, reduce their CO2 balance and at the same time, generate less electronic waste and extend the service life of their infrastructure.
Ajeya Motaganahalli, Vice-President, Engineering and Managing Director, R&D India , Pure Storage, says, “There has been a surge in demand for data services. Building a sustainable model for the future requires data storage that is engineered to require significantly lower power, lower cooling, and far less waste, with the potential to make a significant and immediate impact on reducing global data-center carbon emissions. Pure Storage enables businesses and organisations to drive out direct energy usage in their data storage systems by up to 80%. Our core technologies integrate software and hardware architecture to deliver not just unmatched density, longevity and efficiency, but to continually improve and drive further efficiencies over time.”
Throwing light on the company’s sustainable products, Motaganahalli says Pure Storage arrays use “direct flash modules” that consume significantly less power and take up far less space than HDD-based storage — up to a tenth lower in both. In this way, a company can improve its energy efficiency by lowing cooling requirements, while keeping the costs for air conditioning in data centers low, adds Motaganahalli.
“Pure Storage FlashArray//X TM solutions can even save up to 80% more energy than competing all-flash arrays. In addition to modern technologies, consumption models make a significant contribution to minimising electronic waste. Storage-as-a-service solutions not only reduce the underutilisation of storage resources, they also extend the lifespan of arrays,” adds Motaganahalli.
