Articles from Vertatique

Location is becoming increasingly important to the Green Data Center marketplace. I've previously noted the popularity of the Columbia River Valley for mega data centers due to its inexpensive and low-carbon hydroelectricity, its temperate climate and water for cooling, and its fiber optic infrastructure. An Icelandic data center is now putting location front and center in its promotion. US company Verne Global cites what it calls the "Icelandic Advantage" of its data center: (Read Full Article)

Product download is now a delivery option for sellers and purchasers of large digital items such as movies, games, and software. A study comparing digital delivery with off-the-shelf retail purchasing gives us an idea of digital download's carbon reduction potential. The WPS study of Microsoft Office distribution concluded that "digital delivery reduced total tonnes of carbon emissions by 88%." Is this a realistic savings for digital delivery purchases from most sellers and distributors? Probably not, for two reasons. First, Microsoft is driving the energy efficiency of its data centers very aggressively, aiming to dramatically reduce the energy going to cooling and other supporting functions. Second, the WPS/Microsoft analysis is based on 10 million downloads, which allows for exceptionally good capacity utilization. Many data centers inside or serving small businesses operate below these efficiency and utilization levels. This is a compelling argument for virtualization and other Green ICT strategies ... (Read Full Article)