What Is Green Cloud Computing? The Status of Green Cloud Storage in 2024

Key Takeaways: Green Cloud Computing

Virtualization has been pivotal for green cloud computing, as it reduces the need for large amounts of physical servers.
To minimize carbon emissions, cloud providers are increasingly using low-carbon fuels and renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind and geothermal power.
Building design is crucial to green cloud computing, as it can make cooling and insulation more efficient.

Facts & Expert Analysis: How the Green Cloud Works

Renewable energy: It is estimated that fossil fuels (a class of non-renewable energy) will run out by the 2050s or 2060s, based on the current usage rate;¹ renewable energy sources don’t have that issue.
Building design: Efficient building designs can reduce data center cooling needs. For starters, incorporating shading devices into the building’s design can decrease indoor temperatures by up to 20 F (10 C). With proper insulation, the building will absorb outdoor heat more slowly, reducing cooling needs.²
Software optimization: Software-optimizing features, such as auto-scaling, can reduce cloud energy usage by three-to-five times.³ Auto-scaling matches server fleet size to workloads, which eliminates redundant servers or workloads.

From electricity consumption and cooling resources to indirect emissions and waste generation, cloud computing can harm the environment. Green cloud computing tries to prevent or minimize the negative environmental impacts of cloud computing. It’s a conservative approach to cloud computing that aims to minimize or reduce energy and water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and so on.

Meet the experts

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Adeyomola Kazeem (Writer)

Adeyomola Kazeem is an expert in cloud computing and cloud services, with over five years of experience in writing and technical expertise in Linux and DevOps. Holding a diploma in cloud computing from Altschool Africa and a bachelor of pharmacy from the University of Ibadan, Adeyomola is also an AWS Solutions Architect Associate and AWS Cloud Practitioner, contributing to his proficiency in cloud infrastructure and cloud storage. His expertise encompasses cloud deployment models, virtualization, containerization and serverless computing, making him a valuable asset to Cloudwards in simplifying complex cloud concepts for a wide audience.

More about Adeyomola Kazeem

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Jackie Leavitt (Co-Chief Editor)

Jackie Leavitt is an authority in cloud storage solutions, holding the position of co-chief editor at Cloudwards. With a rich background in editing spanning over a decade and significant expertise acquired over five years in the tech industry, she excels in guiding users through the complexities of cloud storage. Armed with a Master’s in Strategic Communications and Bachelor’s degrees in Journalism and European Culture Studies, Jackie combines her educational prowess with practical experience. She is committed to demystifying cloud storage options, focusing on how users can leverage these solutions for efficiency and data security.

More about Jackie Leavitt

Learn more about our editorial team and our research process.

07/25/2024 Facts checked by Simona Ivanovski

Updated with up-to-date information about the state of green cloud computing and green cloud storage in 2024.
updates

What Is Green Cloud Computing?

Green cloud computing is a cloud approach that prioritizes eco-friendliness. It involves cloud computing management that minimizes or prevents negative impacts that may stem from resource usage. Some aspects of green cloud computing include sustainable hardware, software optimization, renewable energy and resource consolidation.

How Does Green Cloud Computing Work?

Green cloud computing works by optimizing resources and adopting sustainable practices to minimize the adverse environmental effects of running the cloud. It achieves this by changing energy sources, optimizing software, using efficient hardware, consolidating resources and adopting optimized physical infrastructure.

Changing energy sources: Changing to a renewable energy source is one of the easiest ways to tilt toward green cloud computing. Instead of using non-renewable energy, cloud providers are switching to renewable energy sources like wind and solar energy, thus reducing emissions and reliance on fossil fuels.
Optimizing software and technology: Software optimization involves processes that drive the efficient operation of workloads in the cloud. One way to shift software optimization toward green cloud computing is by workload scheduling. This ensures that every workload isn’t running at all times, minimizing energy usage.
Using efficient hardware: More efficient hardware consumes less energy while producing the same or more computing output. You can achieve this by choosing high-efficiency processors and sustainable cooling methods. Hardware efficiency may also involve opting for hardware made from low-carbon materials.
Consolidating resources: Resource consolidation involves merging multiple physical hardware into virtual hardware and stacking them on fewer physical units. In green cloud computing, cloud providers use solutions like virtualization to consolidate resources and reduce the need for extra hardware.
Adopting optimized physical infrastructure: An optimized physical infrastructure is designed to reduce energy consumption while increasing energy efficiency. For example, if the data center design allows for rapid heat dissipation, it’ll depend less on the cooling system.

Core Green Cloud Practices

Various practices can contribute to a green cloud. These practices may vary from one cloud provider or cloud user to another. However, in many cases, they involve the following concepts.

1. High Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Usage

High energy efficiency means producing more computing output while consuming less energy. Switching to renewable energy sources that are replenished faster than they are depleted is also recommended.

Reducing energy consumption with the same or better output is a key part of green cloud computing; it underlines high energy efficiency. An energy-efficient system minimizes waste, thereby promoting sustainability. Also, higher efficiency means more resources can be channeled toward other uses.

To make their systems more efficient, cloud providers opt for solutions like dynamic power management, convectional cooling, energy-saving processors, liquid immersion cooling and so on.

Besides energy efficiency, green cloud systems focus on switching to renewable energy sources. For example, instead of using fuel like natural gas or coal, they opt for solar, hydroelectric, geothermal or wind energy.

2. Waste Reduction, Water Conservation & Recycling

Waste reduction is the drop in the total waste output caused by cloud usage, while water conservation and recycling involve reduced water wastage and increased reuse of water.

Green cloud data centers reduce wastage by refurbishing or repurposing their waste. This minimizes the pressure on landfills and removes the need for waste disposal methods like incineration. When they can’t refurbish or repurpose, green cloud centers recycle their waste appropriately.

Water is crucial to data center operation, especially for cooling purposes. Green data centers that use water for cooling will recycle it and use water-efficient methods like liquid immersion cooling. They also combine water cooling with other cooling techniques to reduce water usage.

3. Sustainable Data Center Design

Designing sustainable data centers involves tailoring the physical layout to allow eco-friendly practices.

Data center building designs impact their eco-friendliness. Green cloud computing encourages the use of recyclable building materials in construction. Also, these structures are built to promote natural light, optimal insulation and natural cooling.

4. Strategically Located Data Centers

Strategically located data centers refer to data centers with locations that allow for more efficient data delivery.

Having a data center in a region with abundant renewable energy makes it much easier to transition to green cloud computing while ensuring energy grid stability. That aside, if data centers are closer to most users, then less energy will go into maintaining network connections, as the data packets would travel shorter distances.

5. Hardware Virtualization & Optimized Workflows

Hardware virtualization is the simulation of hardware, such as storage and networks, through the use of software. Optimized workflows involve ensuring that your work processes follow the most efficient path.

Instead of letting underused servers consume power, green cloud computing opts for hardware virtualization. You have fewer physical servers and multiple virtual servers, which minimizes the energy wastage caused by excess hardware. It also saves money and physical space.

Workflow optimization can be achieved in many ways, such as provisioning only the servers needed to run the workload, storing only necessary data to prevent redundant storage devices, using auto scaling and deprovisioning unused resources. The bottom line here is to ensure that workloads and resources don’t run needlessly.

6. Advanced Monitoring & Management

Advanced monitoring is more specific than regular monitoring. Regular monitoring focuses on the nitty-gritty of the resources, while advanced monitoring goes beyond typical management practices by integrating AI, machine learning and data analysis.

Advanced monitoring allows granular tracking; you can discover which workloads and servers are redundant, and you can take them down. It also involves monitoring temperature to improve cooling in data centers. There’s even power usage effectiveness (PUE) tracking to check for efficient power usage, and environmental impact monitoring to track data like carbon emissions.

With advanced management, green cloud systems can implement predictive maintenance using AI, machine learning and data analysis. This makes them more prepared for situations that introduce inefficiencies into the system. It also involves dynamic provisioning and scaling resources to meet your needs.

How Green Are the Top Cloud Service Providers?

The top three cloud providers — AWS, Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) — are green to varying degrees. These companies have different practices in place to make their processes more green. Below is a rundown of how green each provider is.

1. AWS

As of 2022, Amazon — AWS’s parent company — reported that it runs 90% of its processes via energy from renewable sources, with 19 out of 30 regions using 100% renewable energy.⁴ It also switched to using hydrotreated vegetable oil as a renewable alternative for powering its backup generators.

In 2023, AWS used low-carbon building materials and steel in the construction of 43 data centers.⁴ Currently, about 20 of its data centers use recycled water for cooling. Generally, it has a water efficiency of around 0.18 liters per kilowatt-hour.⁵

Besides the buildings themselves, AWS uses high-efficiency hardware, such as Graviton3 processors and Inferentia2 (a machine-learning inference chip). It adopts seasonal cooling techniques, which optimize cooling resources depending on the weather.

2. Azure

Azure uses liquid immersion cooling, which is one of the most effective and efficient cooling methods. Beyond that, Microsoft — Azure’s parent company — helps to promote water conservation in regions like Cape Town and Washington. It also contributes to reforestation initiatives in Ireland and urban reforestation projects in Iowa.⁶

Azure has integrated grid-interactive UPS batteries into its data center power supply and uses low-carbon fuels, thereby reducing its carbon footprint. In addition, it aims to be carbon-negative by 2030.⁶ Check out our Microsoft Azure Review to learn everything there is to know about the service.

3. Google Cloud Platform

Google Cloud runs some of its data centers on solar and wind energy. Alongside its sustainability partners, it’s moving away from potable water usage while increasing water circularity efforts. Currently, it has replenished up to 18% of its freshwater consumption.⁸

Additionally, GCP is helping to restore wildlife with an initiative involving endangered monarch butterflies in California.⁷ It’s also trending toward using reduced plastic and plastic-free products.⁸

As of 2023, Google had gone 64% carbon-free across its data centers and offices. However, Google’s total greenhouse gas emissions had increased by 13%.⁸

Final Thoughts: Environmental Challenges & Cloud Computing

Green cloud practices protect the environment from the aftereffects of cloud resource consumption. They also ensure operational efficiency and reduced wastage.

Currently, the top three cloud providers have green cloud targets for 2025 and 2030, plus other broader environmental initiatives, and many other cloud service providers are following suit. That means customers can expect green cloud computing to be more prominent in the years to come.

What do you consider to be the most effective green cloud practice so far? What are the most important green strategies that cloud companies can implement? Which cloud provider do you think is the greenest right now? Let us know what you think — leave a comment below. Thanks for reading.

FAQ: Green Cloud Solutions

The green cloud is another term for the use of sustainable solutions in the cloud. It represents cloud usage that reduces negative environmental impacts while promoting sustainability. Basically, the green cloud is eco-friendly cloud computing.
The effects of green cloud computing include reduced carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, reduced wastage, higher resource conservation, increased cost savings, improved efficiency, enhanced social systems and so on.
Some examples of green cloud computing include using liquid immersion cooling and high-efficiency processors, running data centers on wind, solar or geothermal energy, enacting server virtualization and establishing dynamic power management.
Green cloud storage services include AWS, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox and Google Drive.

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