ShareChina making push to reduce data center energy and water use.
The City of Beijing recently issued a ban on data centers with a power usage effictiveness (PUE) higher than 1.5.
China’s 1.37 billion people, many of them fully connected to the internet, use an enormous amount of energy. The Chinese government estimates that the country's data centers consume more energy than the total energy use of Hungary and Greece combined.
Last year, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology launched the country’s first green data center pilot program. Most data centers in China are inefficient, operating at a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 2.2. Also, a large amount of water is being used to cool data centers, further exacerbating shortages in the already water-stressed nation.
While there are no national-level data center efficiency regulations yet, the City of Beijing recently issued a ban on data centers with a PUE higher than 1.5. Beijing's restrictions have already forced some companies to leave the city.
But there are signs of change. Some operators are now installing advanced cooling systems with reduced water consumption.
Last year, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology launched the country’s first green data center pilot program. Most data centers in China are inefficient, operating at a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 2.2. Also, a large amount of water is being used to cool data centers, further exacerbating shortages in the already water-stressed nation.
While there are no national-level data center efficiency regulations yet, the City of Beijing recently issued a ban on data centers with a PUE higher than 1.5. Beijing's restrictions have already forced some companies to leave the city.
But there are signs of change. Some operators are now installing advanced cooling systems with reduced water consumption.