Author:: gcn.com
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Published on March 2nd, 2020
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“Less detailed analyses have predicted rapid growth in data center energy use, but without fully considering the historical efficiency progress made by the industry,” said study coauthor Arman Shehabi, a research scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. “When we include that missing piece, a different picture of our digital lifestyles emerges.”
“While the historical efficiency progress made by data centers is remarkable, our findings do not mean that the IT industry and policymakers can rest on their laurels,” said Eric Masanet, Northwestern associate professor of mechanical engineering who led the study. “We think there is enough remaining efficiency potential to last several more years. But ever-growing demand for data means that everyone -- including policy makers, data center operators, equipment manufacturers, and data consumers -- must intensify efforts to avoid a possible sharp rise in energy use later this decade.”