Just Do IT: Getting a grip on energy efficiency in the IT landscape

In the world of information technology, everything revolves around speed, processing power and innovation. But as AI and high-performance computing process ever-increasing amounts of data, the energy requirements of data centers are also growing. The challenge? Doing more with less. And that starts with insight. Nike's slogan, “Just Do It,” is a powerful call to action in this context: take proactive steps to improve energy efficiency.

AI: the promise and the challenge

AI is a driving force behind countless innovations, but training and running AI models is energy-intensive. GPUs and CPUs in data centers guzzle power and without efficient management, consumption skyrockets. A smart approach to energy management is necessary to keep AI widely accessible and sustainable.

To measure is to know

Many organizations look at the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of a data center, but this only tells part of the story. It is time to go one step further:

• Monitoring at the hardware level: CPUs and GPUs contain built-in sensors that measure real-time energy consumption and load. By using this data intelligently, overcapacity can be avoided.‍
  
• Optimization of power management settings: Experiments such as the LEAP pilot show that correctly tuned server settings can yield energy savings of up to 40%.
• Dynamic workload distribution: AI models and other compute-intensive workloads can be distributed more efficiently across servers, limiting peak consumption and optimizing hardware use.

Markets that Benefit from Energy Efficiency

The impact of energy-efficient IT solutions is noticeable in various sectors:

• Data centers: From hyperscale to colocation, all types of data centers can benefit from efficient cooling and energy management strategies.
  
• Cloud Service Providers: Suppliers of cloud solutions can save costs and improve their sustainability through better energy management.
• AI & High-Performance Computing: Companies and research institutions that process large amounts of data benefit from energy-efficient hardware and smart workload distribution.
  
• Government and Regulators: Government agencies and policymakers can stimulate efficiency through regulations and guidelines for sustainable energy management in the IT sector.
• Industry & Manufactering: Smart energy management in the IT infrastructures of factories and industrial processes reduces operational costs and CO2 emissions.
  

Smart Management: The Next Step

Energy efficiency begins with insight and ends with action. Platforms such as the ones offered by Zirrow.nl offer real-time monitoring solutions that allow data centers and IT users to get a handle on their consumption immediately. Through automation and intelligent control, energy waste can be reduced without compromising performance, and investments in hardware and software can be limited through better use.

Innovative Strategies for Energy Efficiency

In addition to monitoring and optimization, advanced techniques are available that can significantly improve energy efficiency in data centers:

1. Implementation of Power Management: Activating the eco-mode on servers can lead to immediate energy savings of up to 10%, without compromising performance.
2. Direct Liquid Cooling: Innovative direct liquid cooling systems can reduce energy consumption for cooling by 90% compared to traditional air cooling.
   
3. Use of energy-efficient hardware: selecting energy-efficient components and technologies such as Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) contributes to lower consumption.
4. Extending the technical lifespan: more efficient use of hardware can extend the technical lifespan, which saves the environment and your wallet.

From Monitoring to Regulation

There is much talk about making IT more sustainable, but real progress requires cooperation. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires companies to report more transparently on their energy consumption. This will also be relevant for companies that do not have to report, because their customers will ask them about energy consumption in their supply chain. This offers an excellent opportunity for the sector to make joint agreements and structurally optimize energy consumption.

Conclusion: Just Do IT!

The tools and data are already there. It is time to use them. By monitoring smartly, optimizing and working together, we can reduce the energy consumption of data centers without limiting the growth of AI and IT. Energy efficiency is not a trend, but a necessity – and the first step is simple: Just Do IT!

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Marco Verzijl is co-founder of Zirrow and board member of the Save Energy Foundation.

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