Managed hosting and IT services provider Datapipe made the decision to purchase 100 percent renewable energy for its New Jersey data centers from Constellation NewEnergy and it was a move that Datapipe CEO Robb Allen should be applauded for making. Not only does Datapipe join the ranks of businesses that are greening their energy portfolio, the company is also setting an example for the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the ICT sector is emitting greenhouse gases at a growth rate that is three times faster than any other part of the economy, and data centers are using electricity at a level that next year is expected to be double what it was in 2006. In fact, Energy Star website reports estimate that data centers are consuming approximately 1.5 percent of the total electricity used in the U.S. It takes a lot of electricity to power the Internet and the rest of the information technology and communications landscape.
With demand growing exponentially, it’s easy to see how this presents a real sustainability problem. It’s also easy to see that there is an opportunity to make big environmental gains by working with data centers to “go green.”
The IT industry is approaching the problem from the technology standpoint, creating equipment that is smarter and more efficient in energy use. It will be important to come at the issue from the electricity supply side as well, and a great way for data centers to support the development of solar, wind and other renewables is by purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs).
Datapipe is utilizing Green-e Energy certified renewable energy certificates through Constellation NewEnergy’s NewMix Wind energy solution to match electricity consumption at its Somerset One data center in New Jersey. Matching renewables to the electricity serving that one facility alone results in an estimated initial reduction of more than 8.5 million pounds of carbon emissions.
We congratulate Datapipe on its aggressive sustainability strategy and serving as a sustainability role model for the information and communications technology sector.