Saving Water From the Digital Cloud: The Water-Energy Nexus in Data Centers

我们的现代生活取决于数据。该数据的管理是大型业务，并推动了数据中心时代的指数增长。但是，尽管数据在数据中心的帮助下移至基于云的存储模型，但它们的增长会影响用于维持数据中心运营条件的区域资源，即能量和水。 

如何能够设法能够确保数据中心的优化条件并确保我们自然资源的可持续管理？ 

数据使用增加 

数据中心位于全球各地，响应区域需求而弹出，但要维持它们需要电力和/或水进行冷却。在2010年至2018年之间数据中心的计算负载增加了550％。Driven by efficiency gains in data storage, electricity usage only increased by同期6％。到2020年，data usage reached 64 zettabytes，很大程度上是由于大流行和偏远工作的上升。预计全球数据的预测将exceed 180 zettabytes by 2025。数据存储和能源效率的提高是否可以抵消或至少平衡300％数据使用增加的预期电力需求，还有待观察。 

数据中心s and the Water Scarcity Problem 

全球对能源使用和温室气体（GHG）排放的关注一直是迄今为止数据中心的主要重点。减少电力需求的努力在很大程度上依赖于效率提高或将冷却系统更改为水基解决方案。实际上，水冷却是最好的方法之一for data centers to reduce their emissions. However, unlike energy usage, water use efficiency and reporting are lagging throughout a business’ supply chain.

根据最近的晨星可持续发展报告only 16% of companies[of the 122 companies in subindustries that operate data centers] disclose information on their water risk management programs. Historically, water has been undervalued as a resource, largely due to its abundant availability and therefore low cost to acquire. With increasing impacts of climate change on the planet’s water resources, there is growing need to safely and sustainably manage this vitally important resource. 

According to the UN, half of the world’s population lives in a water-scarce area [at least one month of the year] and by 2050,缺水预计将影响近60亿个人。气候变化将减少我们淡水资源的可用性和分配；因此，在数据中心的用水量增加和有效的需求增加。大致五分之一的数据中心从压力的流域中抽水。严重依赖水砂盆地的水供应暴露数据中心增加风险（物理，监管和声誉），并强调了数据中心在促进当地水短缺问题中所扮演的角色。 

Why Data Centers Should Care about their Water Usage 

Community awareness of water-related issues is also on the rise, culminating in heightened tension with data center operators. In 2017, community leaders, residents, and a conservation group in South Carolina pushed back against one data center’s request to increase withdrawal from adepleted aquifer usage by 37.5%.In response to the perceived reputational risk, the data center owner agreed to alternate water sourcing terms with the affected community. As climate change continues to impact regions, some governments arebeginning to restrict new data center construction在起草计划法规的同时，以解决当前和新兴的水域问题。数据中心的压力是承诺进行节水和效率措施等于其能源效率和减少温室气体排放承诺的压力。 

接下来做什么 

对于数据中心所有者而言，重要的是确定其操作中的脆弱区域。这issue has been languishing for years，但是在这种不断变化的监管，环境和社会风险的景观中，积极主动的机会之窗正在关闭。如果您有更多问题或不知道从哪里开始，请联系Antea Group的水管理and设施优化今天的团队。水是一个非常本地的资源，需要当地对该社区的环境和文化因素的了解。188bet网址怎么打不开我们的当地同事通过Inogen Alliance在全球范围内提供这一规模，以支持适合该环境的水管理策略。通过联盟，您可以利用全球水专家网络，确定风险热点，并确定水和能源的效率和循环机会。现在是时候获得帮助，以优化数据中心操作以驱动财务和资源安全。 

关于Antea组
Antea®Group is an environment, health, safety, and sustainability consulting firm. By combining strategic thinking with technical expertise, we do more than effectively solve client challenges; we deliver sustainable results for a better future. We work in partnership with and advise many of the world’s most sustainable companies to address ESG-business challenges in a way that fits their pace and unique objectives. Our consultants equip organizations to better understand threats, capture opportunities and find their position of strength. Lastly, we maintain a global perspective on ESG issues through not only our work with multinational clients, but also through our sister organizations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America and as a founding member of the Inogen Alliance. Learn more atus.anteagroup.com。