Category: IT Energy
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Useful calculations – energy vs carbon
The ultimate goal is a reduction in emissions, but we can’t analyze improvements without reporting energy per unit of work done.
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Extrapolation of data center energy estimates
There are currently only two credible estimates for global data center energy consumption: 196 TWh to 400 TWh for 2020. Why do we see vastly higher reports?
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Paper notes – A systematic review of the costs and impacts of integrating variable renewables into power grids
My notes on the paper: Heptonstall, P.J. & Gross, R.J.K. (2021) A systematic review of the costs and impacts of integrating variable renewables into power grids. Nature Energy. 6 (1), 72–83.
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How energy efficient is application streaming?
As more applications are run through a web browser, even that is beginning to be streamed from the cloud. Is that the best use of our now highly efficient computers? How energy efficient is application streaming?
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Sustainable computing – where to focus?
Progress in renewable energy has pushed IT carbon footprints down, revealing how much more work is needed in manufacturing.
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Zoom, video conferencing, energy, and emissions
It is obvious that Zoom is better for the environment than flying but what about vs driving an EV or public transport? The problem is we can’t be sure.
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How much energy will 5G consume?
5G networks have larger antennas, larger bandwidths, and higher base station density. This means up to x3 more energy consumption. How can the industry expect x20 more energy efficiency by 2030?
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Barriers for startups tackling data center energy consumption
There is scope to start something tackling the problem of data center energy consumption. However, there are significant challenges: how to measure the problem, the uncertainty around the current situation, and the limited number of growth buyers.
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Hiding greenhouse gas emissions in the cloud
The scientific journal, Nature Climate Change, has published a paper I’ve written about how moving to the cloud can result in greenhouse gas emissions being hidden.
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How much water do data centers use?
US data centers are expected to use 660 billion litres of water in 2020. In 2018, Google consumed 15.79bn litres and Microsoft 3.61bn litres, primarily for their data centers. What is this used for and how does it impact the environment?