The average full-scale data center has over 100,000 servers. Now, imagine that most of these were low-power servers. Such a data center’s carbon footprint would be wildly different from others of the same size and capacity.
Low-power or energy-efficient servers have been gaining a lot of traction lately, with both manufacturers and consumers embracing sustainability. As data centers are growing rapidly, so is their power draw. In the US, data centers are projected to consume 9% of total energy by 2030. So energy-efficient servers have become a priority to control energy-related emissions.
This article examines low-power servers to determine their impact on emissions and whether they’re a practical solution.
Servers and Energy Consumption
Because of the components they’re made of, servers can consume significant amounts of power, which has become a major concern for the environment. Servers house components like processors, memory, and storage drives, all of which consume electricity.
While data centers host a lot of other equipment, servers often make up the bulk of the infrastructure. Consequently, they single-handedly consume the most electricity. Servers can consume 1,000 kWh per square meter of data center space. The more servers, the higher the electricity demand.
Individual server consumption varies by model, brand, and use. The last factor is very important, as servers tend to use the maximum energy when they’re used at total capacity.
Servers use all this energy. However, another element contributes to a major power draw and is required by these servers—cooling. Yes, cooling those racks and servers can require a lot of electricity.
Power consumption in data centers causes emissions because of how the energy is generated. So, it’s also important to mention that the source of energy can also make a big difference. Data centers powered by renewable energy would have very little carbon footprint, whereas fossil fuels would have high emissions. Sadly, the latter is the predominant case. Even though some hyperscalers have switched to clean energy, many data centers, particularly smaller ones, rely on power from utilities, which may have been generated from coal or oil.
What Makes a Server Low Power?
A server with low power consumption may have various technologies or architectures that enable it to lower its energy consumption while maintaining the same level of performance.
Servers have come a long way, and manufacturers are improving how their servers use energy with each new generation.
There are several ways manufacturers make servers low power:
- Hardware Components: Low-power servers feature energy-efficient components like processors and memory designed to operate at low-energy modes. Similarly, servers with solid-state drives (SSDs) would consume less power than those containing traditional hard drives.
- Architecture: The design of the server can also affect its energy consumption. Servers with compact form factors tend to require less power for cooling and operating. Their power supply units are also highly efficient, converting all the input into usable power eliminating energy waste.
- Power Management Features: Many energy-efficient servers learn software for efficient energy management. The firmware ensures that the operating system and applications run on only the resources they need, thereby reducing the power consumption to what’s actually needed. Some servers have low power modes, where the energy use is reduced, but that’s often paired with low performance. So such modes are used when servers are idle.
Benefits of Using Low-Power Servers
Low-power servers, by definition, consume significantly less electricity compared to traditional servers. This leads to lower electricity bills and a reduced carbon footprint. Let’s explore these benefits further:
Cost-Effective
Beyond reduced electricity bills, low-power servers offer other cost advantages For instance. they have lower cooling costs. The cooling requirements are reduced as they generate less heat, leading to lower operational costs.
These servers are often more compact, allowing for higher server density in data centers and optimizing space utilization.
Improved Reliability
Low-power servers efficiently balance power consumption and performance. So, they tend not to overheat frequently, as they’re designed to keep heating in check. Reduced heat can extend the lifespan of server components, improving overall system reliability.
Also, lower operating temperatures can potentially contribute to fewer hardware failures, reducing downtime.
Environmental Impact
This is a big one, of course. Low-power servers play a crucial role in sustainable IT practices. Power consumption makes up the majority of the direct emissions of a data center. Whether the energy is generated or purchased, lower consumption can make a big dent in its overall impact, especially if it comes from non-renewable sources.
Not all data centers are aware of the sources of the electricity. Even if a utility provider sources part of its energy from renewable sources, there’s no way of knowing whether the electricity you received was from renewable sources.
Low-power servers can help data center operators effectively reduce their Scope 2 emissions, which are emissions from purchased energy. And if they produce their own energy, the servers can help bring down Scope 1 emissions (direct emissions).
Suitable for Various Applications
Energy-efficient servers are Ideal for powering cloud applications due to their energy efficiency and scalability. That’s why they have been wildly popular with cloud service providers like Amazon and Microsoft.
They can also be deployed outside the data centers. They’re suitable for edge deployments where power consumption is a critical factor.
How Much Emissions Can You Reduce with Low Power Emission?
That’s an excellent question! The answer depends on various factors, such as the number of servers, their use, location, and temperature. Most importantly, power consumption varies by model. Some servers only run on low energy when they’re in low-power mode, so their power consumption changes depending on their usage.
Since data centers use thousands of servers, even a small difference in energy consumption can translate into a significant reduction in overall power usage. That results in lower emissions with Scope 2 emissions targeted directly (if energy is bought).
The number of emissions you can save mostly depends on how much energy consumption you can reduce with the servers. For instance, if a new server uses 10 percent less energy than its predecessor, you may be able to see a similar reduction in emissions associated with it. The impact may not be exact as there are other factors at play. But when those energy savings are scaled up with major refreshes, the combined impact can be significant on your environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting.
Governments and climate advocates are also pressuring data centers to reduce their emissions. The need for data centers is only poised to increase with more people getting online and advancements like Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, low-power servers provide a viable solution to mitigate the impact of climate change.
How to Choose Energy-Efficient Servers
Choosing energy-efficient servers is a crucial step towards reducing environmental impact and lowering operational costs.
Here are key factors to consider:
- Understand Your Workload: Determine the type of applications and workloads your server will handle. Power-hungry applications like AI may not run in an energy-efficient mode, but other applications can that don’t require too much processing. So, provision workloads accordingly so fewer servers operate at higher energy levels. Also, avoid overprovisioning. Match server capacity to your actual needs.
- Look at Energy Efficiency Metrics: Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) measures the total amount of energy used by a data center compared to the energy delivered to IT equipment. Similarly, watts per rack indicates the total power consumption of a rack of servers. These metrics can help you find low-power servers.
- Energy Star Rating: The easiest way to find low-power servers is to procure those that are certified Energy Star. These products have been tested for energy efficiency and can deliver a lower environmental impact. Many top-notch brands like HPE, Dell, Cisco, and Supermirco have Energy Star-rated enterprise servers.
- Prioritize Efficient Hardware Components: Opt for energy-efficient CPUs with low TDP (Thermal Design Power) and lower-voltage memory modules. SSDs consume much less power than traditional hard drives, so ensure the server is SSD-powered. Similarly, select high-efficiency power supplies with 80 PLUS certification.
Procure Low-Power Servers with PivIT
Ready to reduce your carbon footprint with efficient, low-power servers? PivIT can help, whether you’re looking for low power rack mount server or tower server!
Our expert procurement specialists can help you refresh or expand your servers with new, powerful servers from major OEMs that prioritize sustainability. With series like HPE’s ProLiant or Dell EMC’s PowerEdge, you can achieve performance excellence while also bringing down energy consumption in your data centers or branches.
But that’s not all you get—thanks to a strong partnership with vendors, PivIT can offer CapEx savings, as much as 60%.
FAQs
How can I reduce my server power consumption?
Reducing server power consumption requires a comprehensive approach. You can optimize server utilization by consolidating workloads, virtualizing, and scheduling tasks efficiently.
Similarly, take advantage of power management features like dynamic frequency scaling and power capping. Upgrade to energy-efficient hardware and optimize cooling systems.
How much power are my servers using?
To calculate the total power consumption of your servers, first multiply the number of servers in each rack by the power consumption of a single server (in kilowatts). This will give you the total power consumption per rack in kilowatts. Then, multiple this number by the total number of racks you have.
Keep in mind that if you use various models of servers, the exact power consumption may vary.
Can low-power servers be used for heavy workloads?
While low-power servers offer energy efficiency benefits, they may not be suitable for all heavy workloads like AI or ML. These servers typically have limitations in terms of processing power, memory, and storage compared to their high-performance counterparts. For applications demanding high computational resources, multiple low-power servers can be clustered together to handle the workload.
Some low-power servers may be capable of handling heavy workloads but they’ll utilize more energy than they would in low-power or energy-efficient modes.