Colocation Centers are Thinking More Green as Market Demand Increases

With the 2015 demand for colocation services surpassing previous records, interest in the data center solution is expected to continuously grow as companies seek alternatives to building out their own data center facilities.

Along with that surge in interest for colocation centers is an increased focus on green initiatives that address the environmental footprint left by the massive data center industry.

According to Greenhousehousedata.com, the environmental impact in this $27 billion industry is extensive, going beyond the obvious energy consumed by utilities. The impact also encompasses data center use of batteries, coolants, cleaning materials, diesel fuel and electronic waste.

Addressing the drain

As pointed out in an article for TechTarget, a focus on green and renewable energy is among the top trends shaping the colocation market in 2017 — and it will come about as a result of companies demanding higher standards.

Kelly Quinn, research manager at IDC, said that enterprise companies, in particular, will expect sustainability as part of the criteria when seeking requests for proposals in 2017 and beyond.

In 2017, the industry will see more of an emphasis on green energy, as enterprises demand sustainability as a part of their requests for proposals, according to Kelly Quinn, research manager for data center trends and strategies at IDC.

This means that innovations focusing on alternative forms of data center cooling and power will come to the forefront. A Sweden colocation company, for example, recently opened the world’s hydro-powered data center.

Companies with green initiatives can meet their standards with the assistance of colocation centers — both at the micro and macro level. For instance, at the macro level, renewable energy can prove to be an alternative to the electrical grid, Quinn said.

“It’s providing opportunities for data center operators to maintain availability and uptime even when the electrical grid goes down,” Quinn told TechTarget. “And, in some instances, they’re offering lower rates than the electrical grid.”

Want to learn why EMP shielding, FedRAMP certification, and Rated-4 data centers are important?

Download our infographic series on EMP, FedRAMP, and Rated-4!

Rich Banta

Managing Member at Lifeline Data Centers

Rich is responsible for Compliance and Certifications, Data Center Operations, Information Technology, and Client Concierge Services. Rich has an extensive background in server and network management, large scale wide-area networks, storage, business continuity, and monitoring. Rich is a former CTO of a major health care system. Rich is hands-on every day in the data centers. He also holds many certifications, including: CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor CRISC – Certified in Risk & Information Systems Management CDCE – Certified Data Center Expert CDCDP – Certified Data Center Design Professional