Latin America. Data Center Market data center industry consumes between 1% and 3% of the world's electricity and is responsible for 0.5% of CO2 emissions. That is why it is worth noting that in Latin America there are already cases of evolution of these centers towards the implementation of sustainable and energy-efficient technologies.
According to Vertiv "one of the most notorious success stories in the region related to the implementation of more efficient technologies has been that of Telefónica S.A., one of the main telecommunications companies in the world, which needed to update the infrastructure of its data center located in Colombia.
The company was looking for a customized solution that included management, electrical distribution and monitoring systems, as well as professional installation and support services to implement efficient cooling solutions for the data center at Celta's headquarters.
Therefore, with the support of Vertiv, Telefónica modernized its infrastructure, but has additionally managed to reduce energy consumption from 68 kW / h to 41 kW / h, with savings of 40% in the air handling units by taking advantage of the operational advantages of the free-cooling cooling plant.
"Industry data shows that IT thermal management systems account for close to 40% of total energy consumption in a typical data center. Efficient cooling systems, such as those used by Telefónica, can significantly reduce data center energy consumption associated with thermal management systems."
Sustainable progress in the region
In the case of Latin America and the Caribbean, the search for energy efficiency in the technology sector is a permanent challenge, as the demand for services is expected to double in the next 20 years, according to IDB.
The pursuit of sustainability has become an important topic for the industry, which is why many companies adopt the use of data center infrastructure more efficiently and sustainably. For example, a Chilean mining company implemented Vertiv™ Liebert® APM uninterruptible power supply units with lithium-ion batteries, which reduced its operating costs and carbon footprint.
In another case, one of the leading IT organizations in Latin America significantly reduced its carbon emissions by implementing renewable energy sources and highly efficient thermal management systems, contributing to an outstanding energy use effectiveness (PUE) of 1.08.
At the same time, a Paraguayan company developed a solution to power mobile phone base stations with solar energy; This made it possible to offer a more reliable electricity supply in an area with low population density and no existing telephone services. Project outcomes included the implementation of optimized cooling for the data center and a continuous increase in energy efficiency.
The use of efficient technologies
Due to the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.52% estimated between 2021 and 2026 in data center construction in Latin America, according to Mordor Intelligence, the implementation of technologies that reduce the carbon footprint should be a priority for the region.
Some of these strategies include the use of renewable energy. This implies the adoption of renewable sources, such as solar or wind energy, can have a significant effect on reducing the carbon footprint.
Finally, another strategy is modular designs. It is undeniable that modular data center infrastructure is gaining ground in operators' sustainability strategies, thanks to the possibility of adding capacity relatively quickly compared to other options and integrating new efficient technologies into design and manufacturing processes, such as intelligent cooling and power systems.
