Here are the terms you need to follow the data center sustainability debate
This article provides a glossary of key terms related to data center types, operations, and sustainability metrics for residents and municipalities in the Lehigh Valley. It aims to clarify concepts like various cooling methods, energy sources, and efficiency metrics amidst ongoing debates about environmental impact and zoning. The resource helps understand how communities and the state, through initiatives like Governor Shapiro's GRID standards, are addressing data center development.
The Morning Call published a glossary of terms to help Lehigh Valley residents and municipalities understand the ongoing debate surrounding data center construction and the crafting of related zoning ordinances. The article defines different types of data centers, including colocation, edge, enterprise, and hyperscale facilities, mentioning companies like Equinix, Digital Realty, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta as examples of operators in these segments. It also clarifies concepts such as Artificial Intelligence (Traditional and Generative AI), cloud computing, and streaming.
A significant portion of the glossary focuses on energy and environmental considerations. Terms like "behind-the-meter" power are explained in the context of Gov. Josh Shapiro's Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) standards, which propose that data centers generate their own power. "Demand response" programs, where commercial customers reduce electricity consumption during peak demand, are also discussed in relation to potential data center participation requirements.
The article details various cooling methods, contrasting air cooling with several liquid cooling techniques, including evaporative/open-loop, closed-loop, direct-to-chip, and immersion cooling, noting environmental concerns like the use of PFAS chemicals. Furthermore, it explains key efficiency metrics: Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), which measures total facility energy against IT equipment energy, and Water Use Effectiveness (WUE), which measures water usage per kilowatt hour of IT energy. Andrew Higgins, Global Head of Master Planning and Sustainability for Equinix, is quoted on the critical need to balance PUE and WUE, warning that aggressive targets for one without considering the other and local conditions could lead to unintended increases in energy or water consumption.