Data centre operators that buy large amounts of electricity can make huge strides in carbon reduction by embracing renewable energy across their operations and, as they invest in renewable energy procurement for their facilities, they can pass on these benefits to their customers and thus start the development of a clean energy ecosystem, says information management and storage services company Iron Mountain.

Encouragingly, customers of corporate colocation data centres are increasingly seeking more sustainable energy supplies, which, thanks to recent progress, they will be able to access more and more, the company adds.

"Companies need to focus on solutions that not only help them achieve their carbon reduction goals but assist their customers in achieving their own climate goals too. These positive impact solutions become a force multiplier as we collectively fight with rigour for a net-zero future."

For example, colocation data centres and interconnection platform company Teraco has committed to powering its data centre colocation facilities with 50% renewable energy by 2027 and 100% by 2035 and will maximise its rooftop solar footprint to 6 MW this year.

"Operators in our industry, Iron Mountain among them, have proven that renewables are a reliable and cost-effective energy source by activating innovative procurement solutions, and it is making clean energy more accessible to all," it notes.

"Data centres must recognise that we have a significant opportunity to both serve our customers and work to reverse the damage to our planet. Environmental awareness should be woven into everything we do as we seek to address the challenges to sustainability in our industry and what we can do to overcome them. Our shared goal should be to demonstrate to our customers that we can help them to achieve their own sustainability goals as well," Iron Mountain says.

While it is a small part of the overall information technology sector, data centres contribute substantially to its power use and carbon emissions. The need for such operations in this day and age is unavoidable, but there are ways to minimise the carbon footprint.

Supporting clients in their pursuit of zero carbon is core to this. Data centre companies purchase impactful renewable energy at scale and can provide their customers the power they need as they need it, from a single rack to an entire data hall.

"Developing further renewable supply channels is also key. It is possible to create renewable energy procurement solutions at a competitive cost and, if more data centre companies work towards this, more data centre customers all around the world will be able to enjoy long-term clean energy contracts with stable costs," the company states.

Further, it is also important that the data centre itself is considered as part of the environmental solution so that operations are sustainably minded, end-to-end. Green building certifications are the first step on this journey.

"Fundamentally, renewable energy is not only environmentally and socially responsible, but also cost-effective and reliable. Those with concerns over reliability can rest assured that the colocation data centre space is focused on uptime reliability to clients through onsite generation."

Meanwhile, there have been questions in recent years about the potential for new alternative energy resources being leveraged for backup power and there are plenty of opportunities to be explored. Batteries, for example, are a likely contender in the nearer term, as the ability to add in additional incremental storage can be realised as battery costs decrease. Therefore, designing a new facility to incorporate megawatt storage space may become increasingly efficient, the company says.

"Other solutions, such as hydrogen, are a more difficult proposition today, but should be considered on a long-term basis. South Africa is well-positioned to produce green hydrogen, as the country has some of the best wind and solar resources in the world, as well as vast available and unused land that could be leveraged for green hydrogen production infrastructure.

"Hydrogen certainly has a role in the low-carbon future, but, currently, there are significant barriers to overcome before we can effectively harness it as an energy resource. The cost of hydrogen is high, and the distribution will be challenging, therefore governmental buy-in is necessary before this option can begin to be fully explored."

However, from both an environmental and financial standpoint, there are many opportunities to keep improving once a company has implemented a clean energy system.

"Tracking emissions with both market-based and location-based methodologies is integral, as it allows businesses to recognise the macro-impact of their renewable energy procurement and track how their local grids are also getting greener. The more we can all drive renewable energy on to local grids, the more performance will improve for all of us across the board," Iron Mountain says.

Financially, companies need to gain more awareness of when carbon-free power needs to be placed on the grid to become fully decarbonised. Renewable power is the lowest cost power out there, whereas unmatched (carbon-based) hours are the most expensive.

"Thus, the more a company invests in renewables in local grids, better align their consumption with when clean energy is available, and develop storage to bring these two pieces together, the lower their costs of power will be and the more resilient their grids will become.

"Ultimately, embracing clean energy is very much geared for the greater good of our industry into the future. Committing to sustainability is no longer a nice thing to do, but an essential one for longevity in an environmentally conscious world.

"Together, we must focus on achieving carbon-free energy provision for every hour of every day, as per the United Nations Compact on Energy 2021, and strive for a greener grid overall. The benefits will not only be a healthier planet, but a healthier bottom line," the company states.