How cloud computing can be CO2-reduced

From today it is possible to opt for cloud computing services that exploit energy produced with reduced carbon dioxide emissions.

Imagine being able to choose which ones computer they will have to receive, store, analyze and process yours data on the basis ofenergy produced with reductions emissions of carbon dioxide.Since last March 17th Google Cloud offers this possibility:opt for devices intended for cloud computing with reduced environmental impact, fueled mostly by renewable sources.

Data centers and energy produced without CO2 emissions

The announcement is part of the strategy promoted by Google Cloud decarbonize the electricity supply of data centers, or data centers.Already in September 2020 the technology giant had declared its intention to use by 2030 100 percent energy "free" from carbon dioxide emissions, CO2, in any location, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The carbon free indicator for cloud computing

THE'energy percentage indicator carbon free, or carbon free percentage energy-Cfe%, will be one of the parameters that the user will have available to monitor cloud computing activity, including many services includingarchiving data or machine learning, in English machine learning.This indicator will include the values ​​of the percentage of clean energy requested and supplied on an hourly basis and its variations.Taking into account two factors:the type of central which at that specific moment produced the energy consumed and the quantity of renewable energy available in the grid.

Google Cloud will share the data for each geographical area, so as to help the customer choose the most environmentally friendly data processing centers and observe the evolution of theenergy supply.

Tips for more environmentally friendly cloud computing

To choose the most environmentally friendly location for your data, there are other options.Among these, the technology giant suggests setting one organizational politics for your data and opt for a subset of regions.If the choice falls on the United States, reports the Google Italy blog, it is better to “limit workloads to Iowa and Oregon, rather than Las Vegas and South Carolina.”So as to "enjoy a diet deriving from carbon-free energy that is 68 percent higher than average".

More information to the customer

In this table we report the most updated values, divided by geographical area and city, of three indicators:the indicator of the percentage of carbon free energy used on an hourly basis;the'CO2 intensity of the network, which reflects the average gross life cycle emissions per unit of energy;the net carbon dioxide emissions based on investments in renewables and carbon offsetting activities promoted by Google Cloud.