Hitachi Vantara Explores Building Green Data Centres

The International Energy Agency reports that data centre emissions need to halve by 2030 to become inline with The Paris Agreement. However, as the use of AI continues to rise, so do the requirements for data centres.

Hitachi Vantara – a fully-owned subsidiary of Hitachi – provides hardware, software and services to help companies manage their digital data. Its storage and hybrid cloud-centric data infrastructure services portfolio means that it is a data centre expert.

Originally created as an electrical engineering company, Hitachi was founded in 1910, Hitachi is a Japanese multinational conglomerate. The company has evolved and expanded into a global company that describes itself as ‘driving social innovation business, creating a sustainable society with data and technology.’

Lynn Collier, Director of Global Solutions at Hitachi Vantara, shares her expert insight on the future of sustainable data centres. 

Why is it important to decarbonise data centres?

As the world grapples with the urgent need to curb carbon emissions, organisations are facing mounting challenges to comply with stringent regulations. The UK, for instance, has set a bold target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 100% by 2050. As government regulations evolve, businesses must act swiftly and strategically realign their commitments to meet these pressing demands.

Data centres are an important part of reducing carbon emissions but for some, particularly those who are reliant on their existing IT infrastructure setup and are reluctant to change, the next steps aren’t always clear. Add to that the additional challenges of lack of standardisation in metrics, insufficient auditing, and unreliable ESG ratings, and there is a confusing web of considerations to navigate. 

Despite the lack of clarity that many organisations face regarding ESG reporting and emissions targets, one thing we do know is that large, optimally utilised data centres are the most efficient way to process and store data. And because data centres contribute a large proportion of a company’s carbon footprint, it should become a focus for both innovation and reliable reporting in order to track progress.

What are the key considerations when working to decarbonise data centres?

When it comes to making data centres more efficient, there are three areas that should be front of mind:

• Cooling or reusing waste heat
• Primary energy source
• Optimised infrastructure

Let’s start with reusing waste heat first. If you can address heat waste and find ways to reuse it, you will suddenly have a more efficient data centre. As a result, you’re indirectly making every watt of power work harder for you by, for example, using them to heat residential buildings or offices.

In terms of primary energy source, data centres are actively contributing to a more sustainable planet by gaining an increasing proportion of their power from renewable sources. But there’s still work to do. Self-generation will become an increasingly important part of the energy mix through photovoltaics on the roof or wind power, but this will only be effective when there is either a sufficient supply of sun and wind or adequate storage. Currently, this isn’t commonplace. 

This takes us to an optimised infrastructure. Energy and space needs can be lowered by updating the IT infrastructure and using technologies like server virtualisation and consolidation, which reduce the number of physical devices required. 

How can AI be used to boost optimisation? 

When discussing an optimised infrastructure, we’re talking specifically about the relationship between hardware and software performance. This is an area that can be further enhanced by AI. 

AI can provision and deprovision virtual machines based on workload requirements, meaning loads can be optimally distributed throughout the data centre in a way that wouldn’t be possible with time- or event-based scheduling. 

But if not managed properly, AI can become a double-edged sword. Although it can facilitate the smarter use of existing resources, AI can also contribute to the growth of data, particularly when training new models. 

To limit data growth, data can be analysed and consolidated at the “edge”. Unused data can also be moved to lower priority storage technologies so that existing storage systems don’t reach their capacity limits so quickly. 

How can suppliers positively – or negatively – impact data centre decarbonisation?

As a global data infrastructure and storage organisation, it’s the responsibility of Hitachi Vantara and other similar businesses to actively contribute to the drive towards lower emissions. It’s not always straightforward, but it is always worthwhile. For us at Hitachi Vantara, it’s important to evolve our own sustainability as well as assist customers in tackling their sustainability challenges, and we’ve shown that our data storage technology helps reduce power consumption by 30-40%.

We delivered a seamless storage migration for BMW Group, which led to a 70% smaller footprint and requires 80% less power, making it much more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Gijima, a South African Information and Communications Technology company, deployed our Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform systems to consolidate their physical infrastructure, which led to a 66% reduction in power consumption and a reduction in CO2 emissions. Türk Telekom, a Turkish information and communications technology company, implemented a new data architecture that is more environmentally sustainable, reducing their total footprint from 23 cabinets to nine and decreasing power and cooling requirements by approximately 60%. 

The journey toward sustainable business transformation hinges on strategic decisions and innovative practices within the realm of green data centres. In embracing green data centre management, businesses not only fulfil global sustainability demands but also unlock new avenues for growth, innovation, and resilience. It’s a positive and optimistic step towards the future where environmental stewardship and business excellence go hand in hand.

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