Can energy-hungry Singapore data centers reduce their carbon footprint?

Empyrion operates one data center in Singapore and has facilities in South Korea, Taiwan and Indonesia.

The Singapore data center has exterior walls with green plants to minimize cold air loss and increase the energy efficiency of the building.

“In places like Singapore, where renewable energy is scarce, the local grid supplies power generated from natural gas,” Seraya Partners said, adding that “where physically possible,” the required He added that 5% to 10% of its natural electricity comes from on-site renewable energy. .

A Singtel spokeswoman said the solar power installed at the Bedok data center accounts for 10% of the facility’s energy demand and the company is committed to using power only from reputable renewable sources. said.

Singtel says it is also working to keep its systems from getting too cold to meet its goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

Data centers use large amounts of energy to keep the infrastructure at optimal temperatures in Singapore’s hot and humid tropical climate.

But Singtel says some data centers have gone overboard and are using energy unnecessarily as a result.

What more can you do

Dr. Lee of NUS said that the sustainability of Singapore’s data centers will depend on the specific practices and technologies employed, but the facilities here stand out in terms of energy efficiency compared to their global peers. said to have a tendency to

“There may be some inertia from business as usual, but the industry recognizes the importance of sustainability and the need to reduce its environmental impact,” he said.

Clear and measurable standards for sustainability could help address greenwashing concerns, he added.