Renewable resources are nothing new. Wind and solar power have been at the forefront of a gradual shift towards clean energy for decades now. But given heightening climate concerns—on both an intra- and international scale—finding alternatives to historic power sources has become an imperative. As pollutants fill the skies and oceans and conventional energy sources prove ever more harmful, countries around the globe are facing public pressure to act.
But the shift to clean energy sources isn’t just about saving the plant; there’s a financial component to the green energy debate, too. It turns out that green energy is, in many ways, more efficient and beneficial for the economy! Solutions like immersion cooling can produce drastic monetary savings, while also reducing carbon footprints. In fact, GRC cooling systems can reduce expenses to half those of traditional air cooling, while also greening your operations. What’s not to like?
These days energy is, understandably, a hot topic in the political arena. Let’s take a look at the politics of clean energy and how solutions like GRC’s immersion cooling systems are paving the way to a new standard.
Renewable Energy and Global Politics
Countries are vying to lead the shift from fossil fuels and their attendant difficulties to clean energy. Resources abound, with most nations having access to some combination of hydroelectric, geothermal, wind, or solar power. But renewable sources have proved particularly popular in countries seeking independence from the more traditional oil-producers. This shift to sustainable solutions has upended international relations in recent years.
Even countries that typically relied on fossil fuels have started to cross over into green energy. China—long infamous for its polluted air—now leads the way in clean energy, and many other large economies have committed to reducing emissions in the coming years. Oil-exporting countries that don’t adapt to reversing market demands will struggle in coming decades.
In places that want to demonstrate their leadership on clean energy, such as the European Union, there’s also the growing pressure of new legislation. Tighter restrictions compel data centers to reduce their carbon emissions; a feat aided by renewable energy sources, and efficient cooling options like GRC’s liquid immersion cooling systems.
The “Cleanest” Countries: Who Leads in the Use of Renewable Energy?
The number one country in terms of renewable energy is China, which has over a thousand gigawatts of install capacity and controls much of the global clean energy supply chain. The United States comes in second, with only 325 gigawatts. Third place goes to Brazil, which also has a thriving bio-ethanol market.
If one only looks at electricity generation (rather than all energy production), countries that use exclusively renewable resources also deserve high praise. For example, Norway produces 99% of its electricity from hydropower and other renewable sources; New Zealand, Brazil, and Colombia all make around three-quarters or more from clean energy sources.
European and Asian countries in general have made big moves towards clean energy in recent years. Japan and India rank high in solar power, while most Western European countries do well in solar and wind power. The trend is global. However. Australia—long known for its emissions-heavy industries—is now striving to become a major player in green energy.
Countries are also linking up with each other via electric cable to share the rewards of renewable energy. A country like Norway basks in hydropower options, while the UK has a lot of wind power. Now they can share the benefits of both via the North Sea Link; the longest underwater electric cable in the world. This power-sharing arrangement shuffles power to where it’s most in demand. Global interconnections like this are tying together producers and users of electricity for a cleaner tomorrow.
The Rise of Immersion Cooling as a Sustainable Alternative
Green energy is not only about how power is produced, but also about how it’s used. Processes that waste massive amounts of electricity are unsustainable, even if they use wind or solar power. By the same token, processes that use electricity sparsely make any power source more sustainable.
When it comes to data centers, the two central uses of power are servers and cooling systems. Servers are necessary to deliver IT functionality to customers, and have already been made quite efficient. Cooling systems, however, remain problematic in their unnecessary energy use.
But a new cooling technology is rising to the occasion. Liquid immersion cooling works far more efficiently than conventional air cooling; as such, immersion cooling has become the sustainable solution for data centers. It’s as simple as it sounds. Immersion cooling solutions like GRC’s rely on a cooling liquid that contain, diffuse, and disperse heat, rather than using more energy to simply blow it away.
By using less and sourcing responsibly, businesses can mitigate the negative side effects of power-hungry data centers. As green energy gains steam around the world, it’s all the more important to upgrade to environmentally friendly processes.
Combine Clean Energy with Immersion Cooling
Clean energy from renewable resources isn’t just a cause for green advocates, it’s also become quite politically expedient in recent years. Data centers—among the heaviest consumers of electricity—should do everything they can to cut emissions.
In addition to using clean energy, you can also cut emissions with super-efficient liquid immersion cooling. This revolutionary technology slices cooling emissions by 95%! In conjunction with green energy, immersion cooling turns data centers into ahead-of-their-time leaders of the transition to sustainable solutions.
Green data centers can be attained through the right steps. Learn how to measure and improve in the Guide to Sustainability Metrics with GRC’s ICEraQ® — Going Beyond the Traditional Data Center.
A sustainable data center is good for your long-term prospects. Green computing is where the industry is heading; and it’s moving rapidly, thanks to the politics of the situation. Contact GRC to make your contribution to a clean environment and achieve cost savings today.
