What Counts as Sustainable Cloud Computing
If you’re trying to make a sustainable decision when it comes to cloud computing options, you’ll need to do some investigating. While green practices have become a customer expectation for many different services and products, not all options deliver on their sustainability promises. Green cloud computing relies on careful management and energy sourcing, and customers play a role, as well.
When you’re pursuing sustainable cloud computing, you’ll want to understand how to assess your options. Keep reading as we explore what counts as sustainable cloud computing.
Ongoing Carbon-Free Energy
Cloud computing practices that embrace carbon-free energy (CFE) are a perfect example of sustainability at work. With this approach, renewable energy powers the system 24 hours a day, helping reduce emissions and greenhouse gas output from data centers.
CFE means the computing system won’t need fossil fuels to operate, as typical cloud computing systems do. CFE provides a more energy-efficient approach to computing, with data centers powered by wind, nuclear, or solar energy. CFE cloud computing aims to match energy use with carbon-free electricity for a truly greener approach.
Transparency Regarding Efficiency Metrics
If investing in sustainable technologies is your focus, measurements matter. When you’re looking at cloud computing, you can’t overlook PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) and WUE (Water Usage Effectiveness). With PUE, you’ll determine a score by dividing the total facility energy used in a data center by the total power used by IT equipment.
The lower the number, the more energy efficient the data center is. And that means the environmental impact will be lower, as well. With WUE, you’re looking at a data center’s use of water. Responsible water consumption results in a lower score.
Cloud providers should be transparent about both their PUE and WUE so you can understand if you’re investing in an option that prioritizes sustainable practices. You should be able to track these metrics, too. When you’re exploring a shift in your cloud computing, you need to be careful to keep your data secure while understanding how sustainability and compliance come into play.
This is especially true in professional industries, such as healthcare and law. The best law firm IT solutions, for example, will keep sensitive information secure, offer optimal performance through greener practices, and provide ongoing support.
Detailed Carbon Data
In sustainable cloud computing, data monitoring is critical. And if you’re considering a cloud computing option, you should be able to view emissions reports through a variety of scenarios.
In other words, you should see emissions reports for each product or service offered. That way, you can adjust workloads and compare results over time. Steer clear of situations where you only see a single data point or experience delays in carbon data reporting.
Hardware Design and Reuse
Yes, electricity use is a core consideration when you’re weighing cloud options. But you’ll also want to consider hardware design, lifespans, and reuse. Does the provider recycle materials when they’ve exhausted their usability? Are refurbished components involved in hardware construction?
Recirculating hardware can be a big part of cloud sustainability and limit embodied carbon. It’s fair to ask a prospective vendor what they do with system components that are no longer in service.
Choosing a More Sustainable Cloud
Ultimately, when you’re trying to make the move to a more sustainable cloud system, plan on asking the right questions. Ask to see WUE and PUE numbers, and note any significant changes over months or years. And ask to see emissions data connected to specific projects or services.
Clarify how the cloud provider handles hardware recycling, and ask whether the system’s energy is carbon-free at all times. When you ask these questions of a prospective vendor, you’ll be able to make a more informed decision with a lower environmental impact.