Renewable energy is among the top emerging technologies being considered by data center owners to help address power and cooling costs, according to a new survey conducted by construction services provider Mortenson.
The company recently polled corporate data center executives, data center developers and operators, and information technology providers at the 2014 Data Center World conference. Mortenson says energy is by far the biggest cost for data centers, making power and cooling considerations the most important drivers in determining location, design and construction of facilities.
Although the survey found that the top thing data center operators would most like to change about their facilities is greater energy efficiency, the study also discovered that 84% of respondents feel there is a need to consider renewable forms of energy, such as wind and solar, to manage future needs.
‘Worldwide data usage continues to grow, which requires more infrastructure and power to support it, so it's vital that we leverage innovation to help balance energy demand and supply,’ says Scott Ganske, director of operations for Mortenson's Mission Critical Group.
