Top Countries with Sustainable Data Centres

Data centres play a role in our modern digital landscape, supporting online shopping and video streaming activities. 

However, these centres harm the environment. They consume a lot of energy, mostly from fossil fuels. This impact is crucial to consider in our pursuit of sustainable solutions. 

Data centres use 1%-1.8% of global energy. This shows a critical need for sustainability. As a result, there is a growing movement to make data centre cooling more sustainable. This means reducing their energy consumption and carbon footprint. 

This article will look at the top countries with sustainable data centres. We will also discuss what makes these countries leaders in green data centre tech.

These centres are data hubs and a beacon of hope for a greener future by using energy-efficient sources and reducing wastewater and e-waste. These centres are not just data hubs. They reduce energy use, water use, and e-waste. They are beacons of hope for a greener future. 

These centres' power operations use 100% renewable energy. The energy use comes from solar panels, wind, and hydropower. Sustainable data centres use energy-efficient hardware and cooling systems to cut their carbon footprint.

In some regions, data centres must meet environmental standards. These include the EU Code of Conduct and the ENERGY STAR program. They want to promote best practices and rule compliance, like the Energy Efficiency Directive.

These standards promote energy audits, efficiency measures, and reporting on consumption and savings. 

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly increased the importance of sustainable data centres. AI technologies, especially large language models, need much computing power and energy.

Goldman Sachs Research estimates that AI could increase centre power by 200 terawatts hours annually. The same report highlights that by 2028, AI will demand about 19% of power use at the data centres. This rise in energy demand makes sustainability efforts vital. 

Also, a University of Massachusetts Amherst study found that training one AI model can emit as much carbon as five cars over their lifetimes. This highlights the urgent need for sustainable practices in data centres.

As AI grows, we must make data centres greener. We must use energy-efficient tech and renewables to reduce our digital impact on the environment.

We conducted an in-depth search to identify top countries in eco-friendly data hubs. Here’s how we did it:

Combining all these methods, we created a clear picture of the top countries making strides in sustainable data centres.

In ranking countries, we considered several key factors. They affect data centre sustainability.

Sweden is leading the way in data centre initiatives due to its ambitious environmental objectives. The innovative energy strategies aim to make it a fossil-free welfare country by 2045. A global first in emission reduction goals has sparked great interest. It has also led to investments in eco-friendly data centres. These are projected to expand to £2.13 billion by 2029. 

Stockholm is Sweden's central hub for data. It handles 55% of the Nordic region's internet traffic. This is due to its prime location and top-notch infrastructure. The city's location and infrastructure make it ideal for data centre investments.

Sweden's data centres harness renewable power to slash carbon emission output. Also, the nation has led the use of heat from data centres to warm homes. A notable project is the Stockholms Open District Heating program. It collaborates with data centres to use recovered heat to heat 30,000 apartments each year.

In Falun, the EcoDataCenter uses green electricity. It repurposes energy wasted. This helps reduce carbon emissions. This centre is part of the local energy system. It uses surplus heat for district heating and renewable biofuel production.

Sweden's environmental consciousness is making its data centres eco-friendly. They are adopting energy-efficient practices and solutions. 

Iceland is known for its eco-friendly data centres. Like Sweden, Iceland has enough renewable energy supply. The country generates electricity from geothermal power at 27%, while 73% comes from hydroelectric power. The country's cold environment allows natural cooling measures.

The mild weather in Iceland benefits data centres. Winter temperatures are just above freezing. In summer, they reach about 54°F (12°C). Iceland's climate lets data centres cool themselves without AC. This results in a PUE of 1.05 to 1.2, showing high energy efficiency.

Tech infrastructure and advances in data centres also boost growth. The country has many undersea fibre optic cables. They enable low-latency data transfer between North America and Europe.

Companies like Verne Global and atNorth are at the forefront of operating data centres powered by renewable energy. They cater to high-performance computing needs while minimising environmental impact. This contributes significantly to Iceland's economy by boosting GDP and creating jobs.

Some of these factors boost the demand for green data solutions. They align with global efforts to reduce the environmental impact of data centres.

Norway is a top leader in data centre sustainability. It derives nearly 98.9% of all its electricity from hydropower and other renewables. Norway's renewable energy lets its data centres cut their carbon footprint. This makes them appealing to companies seeking to reduce their environmental impact.

Norwegian hydropower averages 3.3 g CO2e/kWh with a low carbon footprint. Optimal natural conditions enable sustainable hydropower. This gives a low carbon footprint. 

Hydropower is clean energy, but it can harm the environment. It may affect river ecosystems and fish migration. This led the country to impose strict environmental rules. They aimed to reduce the impact and ensure hydropower plants operate sustainably.

The country aims to be a top European data centre hub. To do this, it will launch some strategic initiatives. The government seeks to attract data centre investments. It also promotes sustainability, like reusing heat from waste.

Finland's climate and innovations make it perfect for sustainable data centres. The cold climate offers free cooling, especially in southern Finland. It has over 8,000 hours of free cooling each year. 

Innovative cooling solutions enhance this natural advantage. Yandex's data centre design channels cool air into the ventilation system. Google's Hamina facility uses seawater for cooling. These examples show advanced, sustainable technology. 

To be carbon neutral by 2035, the country must renew its energy system. Finland offers incentives for data centres that use over 5 MW of power. These include lower energy tax rates.

Since July 2022, data centres that resell waste heat to district heating networks have had their electricity tax cut. This promotes a heat recovery system and helps communities reduce CO2 emissions.

These incentives and Finland's energy and regulations make it a top spot for data centres. They want to cut their environmental impact and save costs.

Denmark's data centres are serving as interfaces between electricity and district heating. Microsoft's data centre in Høje-Taastrup will heat 6,000 homes. Facebook's facility in Odense will recover enough energy to heat 6,900 homes each year.

Denmark follows EU regulations to assess the sustainability of data centres. Operators must report KPIs by September 15, 2024, and annually after. The goal is to boost transparency and efficiency. Data centres use nearly 3% of the EU's electricity.

This growth comes from a flexible power supply and links to neighbouring systems. 

The US leads in sustainable data centre practices. Major tech firms like Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple use renewable energy. They drive this.

These companies have bought over 45 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy worldwide. Their strong commitment to green energy has boosted U.S. data centres' wind and solar power by 50%. Northern Virginia is a central hub for data centres, with almost 50 million square feet of space dedicated to them.

Top data centre firms, like Iron Mountain and Digital Realty, have invested 1,500 MW in renewable energy. These companies and large operators, called hyperscalers, will use 100% renewable energy. Google, Microsoft, and Iron Mountain want to use only clean energy. By 2030, Google plans to run on carbon-free energy 24/7. 

The data centre industry is helping cut carbon emissions. It is supporting many grid-scale, carbon-free energy projects.

Singapore is a hub for sustainable data centres in Asia. They created new standards to help data centres use less energy for cooling in hot climates. This is important because cooling usually takes up a lot of power in data centres.

The government recently introduced guidelines allowing data centres to run safely at higher temperatures. For every 1°C increase in temperature, data centres can save 2-5% on cooling costs.

The Singapore government is actively promoting green data centre technologies. New rules push companies to build data centres that use less power and water.

Singapore's businesses are working to improve their data centres for the environment. Data Centre operator Digital Realty tested the new temperature guidelines and reduced energy use by 2-3% in some of its data halls. Another company, OVHcloud, opened a new data centre in 2023 that uses advanced water cooling to save energy. 

Singapore plans to add at least 300 megawatts of data centre capacity soon. It will focus on energy efficiency and green energy use. This shows the country's commitment to sustainably growing its data centre industry.

Brazil's commitment to renewable energy attracts more tech companies to build data centres there. Brazilian companies like Scala are showing other Latin American countries what's possible.

Scala Data Centers, a major company in Brazil, uses 100% renewable energy for all its operations. They're proving that data centres can grow and succeed while being environmentally friendly.

This means they balance out any carbon emissions they produce by investing in projects that remove carbon from the atmosphere. For example, they support efforts to prevent deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.

Scala recently made a big deal to get more wind power starting in 2025. They'll use energy from wind farms in Bahia, a state in northeast Brazil. This will give them even more clean energy to run their data centres.

As more Brazilians and businesses use the internet, demand for data centres is growing fast. Other companies, like Scala, are building new, sustainable facilities to meet this demand.

The UAE is making significant progress in the data centre industry. It is focusing on sustainability and renewable energy. This effort is shown by the launch of the world's largest solar-powered data centre in Dubai, the Moro Hub Data Centre.

This facility is 16,031.925 square meters. It is powered entirely by solar energy and has a capacity of over 100 megawatts (MW). Guinness World Records recognised it for its size and sustainability. It uses 100% renewable energy.

Moro Hub, a Digital DEWA subsidiary, is key to Dubai's digital transformation. It provides digital services and benchmarks in sustainability. It powers its data centre with solar energy. Moro Hub's projects support Dubai's Clean Energy Strategy 2050. It aims for 100% clean energy by 2050.

Other companies like Khazna Data Centers are leading this movement. They aim to improve the country's digital infrastructure while being eco-friendly.

Scotland is now seen as a great place for green data centres. Its cool climate and strong renewable energy make it ideal for sustainable operations.

In the past decade, the country's renewable energy capacity has grown. It reached 15.3 gigawatts by the end of 2023. This makes it easier to power data centres with clean energy.

The Scottish government is very supportive of renewable energy projects. They have a plan, the Green Datacentres and Digital Connectivity Vision and Action Plan. It aims to make Scotland a leader in zero-carbon, cost-effective data hosting.

The June 2023 update of the Data Centre Site Selection Report found 20 top sites in Scotland for green data centres. These sites have the necessary conditions to become operational quickly.

Ark Data Centres and DataVita are among the UK's top notable leaders, and Galsgrow highlights the growing data centre market. 

Japan will be making significant strides in developing carbon-neutral data centres by 2040. To achieve this, the Japanese government is incentivising up to 50% of the establishment of data centres outside major urban areas like Tokyo and Osaka.

Companies like Marunouchi Direct lead by example. They power their data centres with renewable energy. This includes non-fossil fuel energy certificates. It ensures a sustainable energy supply.

Some companies are at the forefront of energy-efficient technology development, particularly in cooling systems. KDDI and NTT Data are experimenting with liquid immersion cooling systems, dramatically reducing energy consumption. 

These systems can reduce cooling electricity use by up to 94% compared to traditional air systems. Liquid immersion cooling involves submerging servers in a special oil. It efficiently transfers heat to the outside air.

Japan is also focusing on sustainable practices by utilising natural cooling methods. For instance, DataDock Inc. uses melted snow water and cold air to cool its facilities, while Sakura Internet Inc. In Hokkaido, it operates without air conditioning for several months each year. This significantly cuts energy use.

Ethiopia is a rising star in Africa with abundant renewable energy. This makes it a great place for data centres. They need reliable, sustainable power. Companies like IXAfrica are looking to build data centres in Ethiopia. 

The country's push to expand its digital infrastructure, including 4G and 5G networks, supports the growth of data centres.

The BitCluster Data Center in Addis Ababa uses 100% renewable energy from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. It shows the potential for green data centres in the region.

Wingu Data Centre, another facility in Addis Ababa, is the first in Ethiopia. It aims to provide uninterrupted, sustainable, energy-efficient services.

However, Ethiopia has only tapped a small fraction of its renewable energy potential. Hydropower accounts for about 90% of its electricity. 

The country can generate up to 10,000 MW from wind energy. Wind power is instrumental in the dry season when water levels are low and could complement hydropower.

Germany's Energy Efficiency Act (EnEfG) aims to make data centres more sustainable. The law applies to facilities with a non-redundant load of 300 kW or more.

It requires data centres to reach specific energy use targets over time. By 2024, centres must get 50% of their power from unsubsidised renewables. This must rise to 100% by 2027.

The EnEfG requires data centre operators to have energy management systems by July 1, 2025. Centres using over 2.5 GWh a year must publish plans. They must list economic energy-saving measures. Facilities with 1 megawatt or more of non-redundant power must certify their energy management systems starting in 2026.

Germany leads Europe in data centre numbers, ranking third globally. The industry is pioneering renewable energy. 88% of electricity in colocation centres comes from green sources.

Power purchase agreements (PPAs) are popular, and 69% of surveyed firms use them to secure renewable energy. The EnEfG focuses on waste heat. It requires new centres to reuse 10-20% of energy, based on their commissioning date.

Amsterdam is a crucial hub for data centres in the Netherlands. In the Amsterdam area, data centres have strict rules to keep Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) below 1.2. Also, the Dutch Data Centre Association reduced its data centres for better management. An impressive 80% of its members' electricity comes from renewable sources. 

The sector aims to be climate-neutral by 2030. Many centres will likely reach this goal sooner. They finance new wind and solar projects through long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). This boosts green energy growth.

The goal is to increase recycling and recovery of these materials to 24% within ten years. Also, Dutch data centres are leaders in using waste heat. Cities like Amsterdam, Eindhoven, and Aalsmeer have projects in which they use leftover heat to warm homes, offices, and public buildings.

Belgium's data centres are making strides in renewable energy adoption. Heat reuse from data centres presents a significant opportunity in Belgium. The EUDCA reports that nearly all the electricity IT equipment uses becomes waste heat.

This heat could contribute 12% (221 TWh/year) to the EU's 2025 heat demand. Google plans to pump heat from its new data centre into a local heat network via Igretec in Belgium.

As an EU member, Belgium must follow new rules to improve data centre sustainability. From January 1, 2025, European data centres must use PUE metrics to measure energy efficiency.

These rules should boost data centre design and renewable energy use. This supports the EU's goal to boost renewable energy use in industry by 1.6% a year.

Data centres are increasingly adopting renewable energy sources to reduce carbon emissions. Major companies like Google, Apple, and Amazon want 100% renewable energy in their buildings. This shift involves using solar, wind, and geothermal power.

Battery systems and other energy storage solutions help manage renewables. They improve grid stability and allow for more flexible use of energy.

However, cooling innovations could significantly enhance energy efficiency in data centres. Liquid cooling, including direct-to-chip and immersion methods, is better than air cooling at removing heat.

Free cooling, using outside air, proves cost-effective in cooler climates. Some facilities, like Facebook's in Luleå, Sweden, use cold Arctic air for cooling. 

Governments are mandating data centres to be more transparent about their environmental impact. For example, the EU has a scheme that requires data centres to report on sustainability metrics. 

As technology continues to advance, data centres are becoming more important but also more energy-intensive. The future of sustainable data centres looks bright. Key trends and innovations are leading the way.

As our reliance on digital services expands, we need eco-friendly data centres. New technologies and practices can cut data centres' environmental impact. Sustainable data centres help the planet and offer business benefits.

GreenMatch Sustainability Expert Inemesit Ukpanah explained: 

They can lower operating costs, improve brand reputation, and build stakeholder trust. The push for greener data centres will grow as more companies see these benefits.

In conclusion, the journey to sustainable data centres is underway. With innovation and commitment, data centres can help. They must tackle global environmental issues and the demand for digital services.