The datacentre industry has certainly come a long way in driving sustainability in centralised and regional datacentre environments.
By George Senzere, solution architect: secure power solutions at Schneider Electric
Traditionally, datacentres have been synonymous with highly efficient PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness), reaching as low as 1.8; now we are seeing datacentres achieving a PUE of 1.17.
It is undoubtedly a feather in the industry’s cap, realised by innovations such as optimised datacentre design and management, cooling, innovation in uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and overall improved and sustainable energy management practices.
However, the above advancements aren’t necessarily filtered down to edge computing. In fact, industry observers have cautioned against edge computing’s growing energy use which could mitigate the enormous strides made by traditional datacentres.
For example, it is estimated that 7.5 million new micro datacentres will be built by 2025 which undoubtedly put enormous strain on overtaxed power grids across the globe including South Africa.
To find a solution, the datacentre industry needs to ensure edge centres are built with sustainability in mind; it needs to be designed and implemented to be energy efficient from both a cost and resource perspective.
Fortunately, there are a number of important steps that can be taken to ensure that edge computing doesn’t grow into a power consuming monster reminiscent of DC or Marvel comic books character.
Increased standardisation and integration
Due to the very nature of edge computing installations, these environments often have limited or no IT staff. The solution is to install simple, standardised environments which not only streamline deployment but also simplify maintenance.
Similarly, integrated systems offer ease of deployment, management, and maintenance. A good example is Schneider Electric’s 6U Wall Mount EcoStruxure Micro Data Center which marries the concepts of standardisation and integration. It’s simple to install, arrive integrator ready and can be remotely monitored.
Managing the sheer amount of edge datacentres at scale is an enormous undertaking. Here, remote monitoring and management with AI is an important feature and will allow teams to stay one step ahead of any issues that might arise at the edge.
A cloud-based monitoring and management solution will provide users with visibility into the performance of their IT infrastructure and can deliver real-time recommendations to optimise performance and, more importantly, ensure uptime.
To this end the following steps must be taken to ensure edge computing runs optimally and energy efficiently:
* Simplify and standardise the deployment space.
* Ensure best-in-class equipment is deployed that allow for longevity and optimised usage.
* Follow a similar design ethos to traditional datacentres; ensure that energy efficiency and sustainability stay top of mind – from inception to deployment.
* Install remote monitoring software platforms to simplify monitoring and maintenance.
Lastly, edge computing can become a vital component of the circular economy.