The study, by US expert Dr Jonathon Koomey using data from industry analysts IDC said the Asia-Pacific’s (excluding Japan) world share of data centre energy use would jump from 10 per cent in 2000 to 16 per cent in 2010.
The absolute electricity consumption for servers in the Asia/Pacific region under this scenario would more than double from 2005 to 2010, requiring electricity capacity equal to output from two new 1000 megatwatt power plants.
The US share of total world server electricity use from datacenters will likely decline from 40 per cent in 2000 to about one-third by 2010,
Examining electricity use by region from 2000 to 2005, Dr Koomey found that server electricity use in the Asia/Pacific region (excluding Japan) grew at a 23 per cent annual rate, compared to a world average of 16 per cent a year, making this region the only one with server electricity use growing at a rate significantly greater than the world average.
“Our hope is that this research helps bridge the gap between knowledge and action by furthering worldwide understanding of the economic and environmental costs associated with escalating data centre energy consumption,” AMD server and workstation marketing director Bruce Shaw said.
AMD has launched a program called AMD Green that seeks to develop more energy efficient data centre solutions.
“Clearly, we must work harder than ever to not only deliver more efficient server and cooling technology, but also just as importantly, to work with our industry and government partners to develop environmentally sustainable solutions in areas where we see the most dramatic increases in energy use,” the company said.
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