Googles Green Data Centers

Search giant Google claims that, since its inception a decade ago, it has endeavored to make its computing infrastructure “as sustainable as possible,” while making sure as little energy is wasted as possible.

This graph from Google illustrates how Google data centers, including the servers inside, use far less energy than a typical data center. Google has published for the first time a five-step plan for creating energy-efficient data centers.

While as much as a third of the total energy consumed by the average server is wasted before reaching the computing components, Google says its servers only lose 15 percent of the electricity they pull from the wall, thanks to more efficient voltage regulator modules. Moreover, Google’s machines omit parts that aren’t needed for search and other applications, which means no graphics chips. Google servers and racks also only use the minimum amount of fan power.

While the typical data center spends half its energy consumption on powering and cooling the computers inside, Google leverages the resultant cooling from evaporation to keep things running without consuming maximum energy. See the process in this graphic.

Instead of wasting clean, potable water, Google uses a dirty source of water and cleans it so it can be used for cooling Google’s data centers. By the end of 2008, Google claims two of its data centers will run entirely recycled water. Google said it believes by 2010 recycled water will fuel 80 percent of the company’s power consumption.

Google claims that all the servers it retires are reused or recycled at a time when most PCs and other retired electronics are junked. Some 68 percent of Google’s retired server material is repurposed, avoiding the manufacturing of new equipment.

Google data centers are only part of the company’s energy conservation efforts. Google also is backing the Climate Savers Computing Initiative to raise energy efficiency standards for personal computers and servers and is exploring other methods of renewable energy. These are all ambitious goals, but they are also vital for a company that consumes so much energy to provide the world with sustainable Web services, such as search and applications.

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