Do you think “green data centers” are wishful thinking? After all the actual implementation is very challenging – what are your thoughts on this and any tips you can share on this?

Wee Wah: All of us are bearing the consequences of climate change one way or the other on a daily basis and it is only getting worse with the passing of time if nothing is done to slow that pace. “Global greenhouse gas emissions are on an accelerating trend and if left unchecked, could lead to a 6.4 degree C (11.5 degree F) temperature increase by the end of the century, exceeding conservative estimates,” said Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) told delegates at the UN on 26 August 2010.

In my opinion, having “green data centers” compared to “traditional data centres” is probably a must, rather than a wish. Building environmentally sustainable data center delivered benefits that went way beyond the simple equation of reducing greenhouse emissions. By consolidating shared resources and improving the agility to scale, while generating less heat and consuming less total power, energy used for equipment manufacturing to data center operations could be drastically reduced. And this goes on to affect the whole eco-system. The question to key decision makers is thus “will we continue to mine, burn and consume resources rampantly for energy or will we try to be more innovative and think of our children and grandchildren?”


* This article is an extract from the media interview I've done with Divya Sangam, Online Communications Manager. For full interview's content, refer to IQPC Worldwide www.iqpc.com.sg