In August 2020, the French government commissioned Ademe and Arcep to carry out a study. The primary aim of the study was to measure the environmental footprint of the digital sector in France. It also aimed to identify action levers and best practices for reducing it.
The study highlighted the significant environmental impact of data centers, particularly in terms of their high energy consumption and use of electronic equipment.
Datacenters: what impact do they have on the environment?
Data centers consume a lot of energy. This energy is used to power the servers, cooling equipment and other infrastructure required for their operation. What’s more, according to some estimates, data centers can account for up to 3% of the world’s electricity consumption. Yet this energy is often generated from fossil fuels, resulting in greenhouse gas emissions and thus contributing to climate change.
Data centers also use a wide range of electronic equipment. These include servers, switches and routers. These devices generally have a limited lifespan. The management of electronic waste can therefore pose environmental problems. Obsolete equipment may contain hazardous materials and is often not recycled properly.
Then again, data centers often use water for cooling, which can pose problems in regions where water is scarce. Cooling towers can also release water vapor, which can contribute to air pollution.
A less than cheerful assessment, which highlights the need for action on the subject. It’s time to opt for greener solutions like our Hyperion datacenter.
ADEME study figures
Data centers are electricity-intensive buildings. The January 2022 ADEME-Arcep study “EVALUATION DE L’IMPACT ENVIRONNEMENTAL DU NUMERIQUE EN FRANCE ET ANALYSE PROSPECTIVE, rapport 2/ 3” even gives the following figures:
- In France in 2020, 63.6% of digital energy consumption is due to terminals (computers, telephones, screens, consoles, printers, IoT …). 22.3% is due to datacenters and 14.1% to networks.
- Electricity consumption by datacenters is estimated at 11.6 TWh in 2020.
- Average Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of data centers in France: 1.69 (vs. only 1.10 for our Hyperion solution)
Energy consumption in the digital sector: what does the future hold?
The ADEME study shows that the digital sector is responsible for almost 17 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, or 2.5% of France’s carbon footprint, and 10% of its electricity consumption, or 48 TWh.
If no action is taken in the future, greenhouse gas emissions due to French digital usage could be multiplied by almost three by 2050, according to a joint study by Arcep and Ademe (3rd part, March 06, 2023).
In this scenario, the digital industry’s carbon footprint would increase by 187% by 2050…
