A one-hour shutdown of all data centers creates chaos

In today's world, digital services have become an integral part of our everyday lives, and their use has led to a significant increase in energy use in data centers. But is the link between energy use in data centers and the benefits we get from these services well understood?

You use many data centers every day

You visit at least 40 data centers per day! Without these facilities, many aspects of life, from paying for the subway to participating in a video call, would not be possible. A one-hour shutdown of all data centers would create chaos and end with the highest alert for all critical sectors at The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB). 

We must open our eyes to the data centers' positive business effects, and the impact on business and energy policy goals. The use of information and communication technologies could reduce energy use in other sectors by about ten times, according to the Global e-Sustainability Initiative.

Comparisons with other industries

Energy use in the data center sector is often compared to the aviation industry's energy use and is said by some to be equal. In fact, the total ICT sector accounts for 1.3% of the global carbon footprint, which is half the impact of the aviation sector during the pandemic. Data centers make up less than 20 percent of the ICT sector, so the comparison is ten times off the mark. Aviation supports only 1% of all people, while data centers serve almost all people on earth for many hours a day.

In the media, it is common to highlight the low number of employees of a single cloud data center company, but the fact is that internal subcontractors and construction work create hundreds of jobs for the energy used. If you compare with certain process industries, for example Kvarnsveden's paper or Kubal industries, we can see around 450 employees for about 1.6–1.9 TWh/year. That is less jobs than data centers create with 1.6 TWh of energy.

Sustainability is more than energy use

Sustainability is another critical aspect of data centers. Sustainability is more than energy use! The environmental impact of data centers can be significant if the electricity they use is produced from fossil fuels. However, Sweden offers electricity with a low environmental impact, which could help the rest of Europe run data centers. Southern Sweden has twice as much environmental impact as northern Sweden. Germany has about 20 times the environmental impact. A large 10 MW data center in northern Sweden is equivalent to 1 car driving approx. 300 laps around the globe. For Germany it will be 6000 laps. It is also important to take into account the environmental impact of materials used in data centers and transport of goods and people.

Although energy use in data centers is significant, it is important to understand their role in supporting digital services that are essential to our daily lives. By using electricity with a low climate impact and taking environmental impact into account, data centers can contribute positively to sustainability goals.

How can RISE help?

We at ICE data center are happy to help you if more questions about data centers and energy use come up—please get in touch if you have any questions!