| |December 20199credits to offset its carbon footprint, the company does not actually build and use renewable resources for all of its data centers. Facebook, on the other hand, has fewer data centers and is primarily using renewable energy.Using renewable energy is one way in which major corporations can demonstrate sound corporate stewardship. High renewable energy targets, however, can be especially challenging for data center operators in Indonesia and India, where coal remains the primary baseload feedstock. In developing Asian markets with unreliable power supplies, investing in their own renewable energy resources and onsite generation ­ including microgrids - offers data center operators greater energy reliability and independence.Renewable energy sources alone, however, may not provide sufficient energy - or sufficiently consistent energy - to ensure a data center's uninterrupted and reliable operation. Thus it is not uncommon for data centers to have hybrid power supplies incorporating multiple sources of renewable power ­ wind and solar for instance ­ coupled to battery storage, and augmented by conventional power generation ­ often fuelled with natural gas.The largest energy requirement is for cooling. To operate reliably data centers require a stable temperature consistent with American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers guidelines and/or original equipment manufacturer recommended operating temperatures. The high ambient temperatures and humidity in many Asian countries present a challenge to data center operators, and may preclude the use of mechanical systems such as adiabatic cooling in favour of more traditional mechanical systems such as chilled water. Renewable energy is not the only sustainability consideration facing data center developers and operators. A reliable supply of high quality water is vital for data center cooling systems. A reliable water supply, of predictable quality, is also vital indirectly; because water is a vital component of most baseload power generation. The water consumed directly at US data centers, and the water used to generate the electricity that powers them, is expected to reach 660 billion litres by 2020.In India, where pressures upon water resouces present a growing challenge in many regions, the issue of water is something that needs to be given full consideration in a data center project. ST Telemedia, for instance, has installed rainwater harvesting systems on many of its data centers. In addition the company says that by treating and re-using blow down water from chillers, it is saving more than 336 kilolitres of water per annum.High-speed, low latency network connections and the low cost to move big data is as important as reliable power and available land for the data center owner/operator. Connection to undersea fibre optic cable systems is also very important in a global digital economy. In India, this nexus of reliable power and water supplies ­ and good connectivity - is not always readily available to data center developers. For investors, owners and operators to achieve speed to value, therefore, they should look for delivery partners with proven expertise in each of these individual disciplines and ­ perhaps most vitally ­ demonstrable expertise in their efficient integration. High-speed, low latency network connections and the low cost to move big data is as important as reliable power and available land for the data center owner/operator
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