A new study about Data Centre and Energy Systems Synergies (DCESS) will analyse how local energy systems can use the waste heat and water generated from data centre operations. The contractors carrying out the study are now approaching stakeholders for feedback and other input.
The DCESS study aims at learning how data centres can be more effectively integrated into energy networks.
Active and interested parties working in this field are encouraged to participate in a survey.
The study officially kicked off in January 2023 and will spread over 18 months. It will represent an important step in achieving the Green Deal and Digital Decade goals of having highly energy-efficient and climate-neutral data centres by 2030.
As such, the study aims to reconcile the increasing energy consumption of data centres with their importance for European digital transformation, particularly in the green sector, with regard to competitiveness, sustainability, social inclusion and technological sovereignty. On the one hand, increasing digitisation (with data centres as one of the enablers) can help reduce the carbon footprint, but on the other hand, efforts need to be made so that the facilities supporting our digital infrastructure are not consuming more energy than they save.
Ultimately, the study will provide recommendations and actionable advice to address identified drivers and barriers limiting the synergies between data centres and the energy grid. The recommendations and advice will support more sustainable operationalisation of data centres, which will bring benefits to all.
Source: European Commission I Digital (https://bit.ly/3JJiLoQ)