Facebook data center sustainability In this post of gbc engineers, we explore the data center sustainability challenges in 2025, what’s causing them, and the innovative solutions emerging across the industry. Data center BMO report, Communications Infrastructure, “1Q24 data center leasing: Records are made to be broken,” April 28, 2024; Moreover, due to strong demand from cloud providers and AI workloads, the data center primary market supply in the United States alone was up 26% year over year to 5. Feb 5, 2021 · Here are some examples: Dynamo: Facebook’s Data Center-Wide Power Management System, Coordinated Priority-aware Charging of Distributed Batteries in Oversubscribed Data Centers. We approach sustainability from the ground up. Simply put, sustainability is about using less and wasting less to preserve the future of our planet and its resources for the next generation. Improving Data Center Cooling Efficiency. Comments. It is expected to Hardware and software used in the Facebook data centers are constantly updated in order to stay ahead of the storage needed to process the increasing amount of data, including the photos and the (possibly 360-degree) videos reproduced daily. Jul 7, 2020 · This data center will warm their hearts, or at least heat their homes Two years ago, we announced our commitment to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent and support our global operations with 100 percent renewable energy by the end of 2020. Facebook began building its own data centers in 2011 to gain greater control over infrastructure, improve efficiency, and meet the growing demand for its services. They store, manage, and send back the things you share so you and your friends can access them Jun 21, 2021 · At our data centers, water is mainly used in two ways: evaporative cooling and humidification. fb. 5 Transferring data to and from the cloud is also an energy intensive process, particularly when data centers are far from users. Get Colocation Pricing Now! +1 833-471-7100 Facebook's data centers power and connect our community. Facebook Sustainability Embedding Circular Thinking in Data Centers sustainability. Thanks to innovative design, our data centers are over 80 percent more water-efficient than the average data center, and we are always striving to become more efficient. Microsoft's sustainability goals are imperiled by its May 23, 2025 · Download NLC’s Understanding Data Centers Fact Sheet for a foundational understanding of data centers to help policymakers begin important discussions. Nov 2, 2023 · Data center sustainability is the practice of designing, operating, and maintaining data centers in a way that minimizes their environmental impact. Cloud and hosting services provider Rackspace took part in beta testing the code. This means that the more energy-efficient your cooling system becomes, the more sustainable your data center will likely be. SUSTAINABLE DATA CENTERS Four of our data center buildings in the U. 2. S. May 14, 2025 · Apple Data Centers Apple’s commitment to sustainability is evident in its LEED Platinum data centers, powered entirely by renewable sources like solar and wind, while implementing rainwater collection systems and recycled construction materials. As we continue to make our global operations as sustainable as possible, Breakneck data center growth challenges Microsoft’s sustainability goals | TechCrunch. Jul 7, 2020 · The custom-built Odense Data Center has been online since September, but its sustainability mission began years ago. Mar 31, 2025 · We see our role as protecting people and the planet through responsible operations — reducing our emissions and the energy and water used to power our data centers that enable users to access our products — while protecting workers and the environment in our supply chain. Our second building in Lu lea, Sweden is our first to achieve LEED Platinum, the highest rating possible. Designing a green data center means addressing the environmental and social impact of supply chains. Dell'Oro Group forecasts data center physical infrastructure spending to continue to grow at an 8% compound annual growth rate through 2026 to over $31 billion. What Makes a Data Center Sustainable? - Meta Sustainability. As early as 2011, Facebook was one of the first big tech companies to make a commitment to 100 percent renewable energy. 2"Other data center-related facilities" includes facilities where Facebook used less than 100,000 MWh of electricity in the reporting year, such as warehouses or colocation facilities. Cooling systems are among the most energy-intensive components of a typical data center. watersheds near our data center communities. It involves prioritizing energy efficiency, utilizing renewable energy, conserving water and reducing waste. Read more about our efforts in the data center network. As we continue to make our global operations as sustainable as possible, The Mesa Data Center will use at least 60% less water than the average data center. Apr 17, 2023 · Data centers enable everything we do online, from powering the internet to making digital communication and connection possible. May 25, 2025 · Discover why hyperscale data centers are adopting liquid cooling in 2025 for better performance, sustainability, and energy efficiency. Apr 2, 2025 · Data centers, often viewed as energy and water-intensive resource consumers, have come under scrutiny from a sustainability perspective. The company is building nearly 2. These complex supply chains are often built à la carte for each data center and are not very standardized. Key Milestones in their Development Sustainability. ” Facebook Sustainability Data 2020 1,2 Published June 2021 1 Values are rounded and totals are calculated before rounding throughout this report. In the 10 years since we built our first data center in Prineville, the fundamental concepts of our original design have remained the same. com A solution In 2014, we began testing the use of lithium-ion batteries in place of traditional lead-acid batteries in our battery backup units (BBU), a core component of our Open Rack V2 configuration that provides power as the hardware switches from Meta designs and operates some of the most sustainable data centers in the industry, but they still account for the highest percentage of our energy and water use. Some of them are a quarter-mile long and a couple hundred yards wide, over a million square feet and in there is a lot of servers. 2 “Other data center-related facilities” includes facilities where Facebook used less than 100,000 MWh of electricity in the reporting year, such as As another part of our commitment to sustainability, Mesa Data Center’s electricity use, like at all of our data centers, is matched with 100% clean and renewable energy. Read More: Top Trends Shaping Data Center Sustainability in 2025 - gbc engineers . During construction, data centers have community and work impacts during rapid construction. However, they also provide environmental benefit by supporting remote work, which reduces emissions from employee commuting. sustainable data centers in the world. - They are large facilities. Facebook (Meta): Data Centers and Energy Realities Facebook (Meta): Data Centers and Energy Realities (image credits: unsplash). But what does it really mean for a dat Each year, 660 million tons of construction waste goes to landfills or incinerators in the U. Partnerships and collaborations Minimizing water use – With data centers generating the highest water consumption, we continuously strive to design and operate sustainable data centers. Investments in data center sustainability have gained so much traction that they may almost no longer feel like a trend. The approach to sustainability focuses on using less energy, water, unnecessary infrastructure, and waste. Aug 25, 2021 · A new $800-million data center for Facebook has begun construction on a 390-acre site in Mesa, Ariz. One of those is advanced cooling technologies, which can significantly reduce energy consumption and enhance efficiency. Facebook to Double the Size of DeKalb Campus Using More Sustainable Concrete Facebook to Double the Size of DeKalb Campus Using More Sustainable Concrete. We approach data center sustainability from the ground up—from design and construction to operations by prioritizing energy efficiency, renewable energy, water stewardship and responsibly managing the end of life of our equipment. “This data center has been a tremendous boon to the local economy and we’re extremely grateful for Facebook’s ongoing investment in our state. Jan 25, 2025 · When and why Facebook Started Building Data Centers. Future Trends in LEED for Data Centers Jul 14, 2021 · Curious about what’s going on inside the new Eagle Mountain Data Center? Check out this video for a virtual tour! See less. Owned data centers are always reported by site, even if they were below this threshold. In fact, data centers typically employ around 50 long-term employees after construction. Facebook Sustainability Denmark data center to warm local community sustainability. 5 million square feet of data center and admin space for tech giant Meta, the parent company of Facebook. The move also enabled the company to innovate and achieve sustainability goals. Facebook data centers also use an estimated 32 percent less electricity than an average data center. com The impact Once completed, our facility’s heat recovery infrastructure will help recover 100,000 MWh of energy per year – enough to warm 6,900 homes. Sustainable Data Center Design . All of our operational data centers are LEED Gold Certified or higher. Here Facebook's data centers power and connect our community. Aug 19, 2021 · We're going to learn about sustainability and data center design. Our Operations Our data centers are 80 percent more water-efficient than the average data center. Learn more about Facebook data center efficiency on the Tech@ blog, and read our latest Sustainability Report on Newsroom. Low-Carbon Construction Practices - Key Goal: Minimize embodied carbon and material waste during construction. 09 and Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) of 0. The new data centers presented by Facebook are modular disaggregated systems. The facility was located and designed with heat recovery in mind from the outset. But what does it really mean for a data center to be sustainable? Jul 9, 2019 · - [Woman] A datacenter is the nuts and bolts, the heart, the soul of what is the actual Internet. The facility aims to be "water positive" by 2030 and powered entirely by Nov 10, 2022 · Gartner expects spending on data center systems to rise more than 11% in 2022, making it the fastest- growing segment of all IT infrastructure. For years, making data centers more sustainable has been a priority not just because it helps meet ESG goals, but also because sustainability enhancements go hand-in-hand with lower energy bills and improved data center reliability. Meta Data Centers demonstrate a deep commitment to sustainability within their practices. The 960,000-sq-ft project is the company’s first data center in Arizona. Jan 21, 2020 · Efficiency and renewable energy are Facebook’s first line of defense to help curb our carbon emissions and fight climate change, especially when it comes to our data centers. In 2020, Facebook locally restored nearly as much water as we consumed to the watersheds where we operate. In addition, we also support projects that restore local watersheds near our Nov 9, 2021 · Strategies like this have allowed us to build data centers that use at least 50 percent less water than typical data centers. The Fort Worth data center is one of the most advanced and energy-efficient data centers in the world says VanderZanden, and features what he calls Facebook’s “hyper-efficient” hardware design, a template the social media company openly shares to drive innovation, efficiency, and sustainability in the data center industry. The company strives for net-zero emissions, invests in renewable energy sources, and actively fosters positive relationships within the communities they serve. officially earned LEED Gold certification. We approach data center sustainability from the ground up — from design and construction to operations — by prioritizing energy efficiency, clean and renewable energy, water stewardship and responsible management of equipment across our global fleet at end-of-life. Optimization and sustainability. They store, manage, and send back the things you share so you and your friends can access them anytime. But we’re continually making optimizations. Once its Altoona, Iowa, data center, which is currently under construction, comes online, it will get an efficiency dashboard of its own. Explore Local Guidelines for Data Development in a resource guide by the ULI Americas Data Center Product Council. 26. Our first data center was 38% more Data Center Efficiency • Create the most efficient data centers possible by prioritizing energy efficiency; renewable energy; water efficiency and sustainable materials during design, construction and operation Page 39 Water Stewardship • Reduce workplace and data center water use and improve the quality of discharged water We approach data center sustainability from design and construction to operations and end-of-life by focusing on energy efficiency, matching 100% of our electricity use with clean and renewable energy, water conservation and restoration, and circularity principles. In this article, we revisit data center sustainability and propose a forward-looking vision for improving data center sustainability. 2 GW in 2023, and more are under construction. Jul 13, 2016 · Facebook is committed to being as sustainable and energy efficient as possible in all of our operations. alone. May 12, 2025 · In 2025, the sustainability of data centers has emerged as a critical concern, prompting industry leaders to seek innovative solutions to mitigate their impact on the planet. May 24, 2024 · Future Innovations in Green Data Center Technologies Looking ahead, several promising technologies and strategies could further enhance the sustainability of data centers: Quantum Computing Quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize data center operations by performing complex calculations more efficiently than classical computers. Data centers enable everything we do online, from powering the internet to making digital communication and connection possible. For the Earth For Meta, efficiency and renewable energy are key components of our approach to designing, building and operating sustainable data centers. Jan 31, 2025 · Meta's new data center in Mesa will be its 27th globally and represents a significant investment of more than $1 billion. data centers generate the highest percentage of our energy use, water use and GHG emissions, which is why increasing their efficiency is critical in maintaining net zero operations and striving for a net zero value chain. View a map of Data Centers across the country. Feb 5, 2021 · Part of Facebook’s sustainability efforts involve data center efficiency — from building servers that require less energy to run to developing a liquid cooling system that uses less water. Explore our project: FRA31 Data Center - gbc engineers . Data center buildings we completed in 2021 exhibit a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Angela Santiago, Critical Operations Manager: At Facebook, we define our data centers to be water efficient and they use 80 percent less water than a typical data center. SUSTAINABLE WORKPLACES Feb 12, 2021 · “Facebook’s sustainable expansion in Eagle Mountain shows the long-term commitment this global tech leader has to Utah,” said Utah Gov. 4 million square feet of data center space at once, in a single location. Through our partnership with Salt River Project , three Meta-supported projects are adding 450 megawatts of new renewable energy in Arizona. practitioners on ways to optimize Facebook's capabilities to advance their water efforts. GPRS | Read about: The Mesa Data Center, first announced in August 2021, is a greenfield development of a five-building campus encompassing over 2. Many times, the most sustainable option of the material or product in question does not exist or is too the green data center imperative customers are driving the sustainable shift 05 the data center industry’s sustainability journey 06 the negawatt factor 07 beyond efficiency: sourcing renewable energy 08 data centers bring renewable energy to the it mass market 11 building a greener tomorrow sustainable construction strategies 13 Mar 15, 2014 · Facebook plans to launch dashboards for its newest Luleå, Sweden, data center in the coming months. The size of the land used by data centers is comparable to a distribution warehouse, yet data centers create relatively few jobs. We approach data center sustainability from the ground up—from design and construction to operations by prioritizing energy efficiency, renewable energy, water stewardship and Apr 17, 2023 · But what does it really mean for a data center to be sustainable? Simply put, a sustainable data center is one that minimizes its environmental impact while still providing reliable and secure data processing and storage services. Transparency – We publish detailed information about our water withdrawals, restoration projects and progress as we work toward our goal of Water Positive in 2030. We also added three new restoration projects in New Mexico, Utah, and California. We argue that data center sustainability encompasses more than just energy efficiency and Feb 10, 2025 · This trend pressures McDonald’s to avoid “greenhushing” while maintaining profitability, ensuring that their sustainability efforts are genuine and transparent. The current goal is to recover and donate 100,000 MWh of energy annually from its servers — enough to warm 6,900 homes. Our approach to data center sustainability focuses on using less — less energy, water, unnecessary infrastructure, and We approach data center sustainability from design and construction to operations and end-of-life by focusing on energy efficiency, matching 100% of our electricity use with clean and renewable energy, water conservation and restoration, and circularity principles. “Arizona has become one of the leading destinations for data centers anywhere in the world, and When it comes to data center sustainability, Anthony Seiler shares three main items to focus on. “We’re excited to welcome Facebook’s state-of-the-art data operations to Arizona,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. Most relevant Mar 5, 2025 · Through our Data Center Community Action Grants program, Meta Kuna - We’re thrilled to announce Meta’s 2025 Data Center Community Action Grants recipients! Through our Data Center Community Action Grants program, Meta provides funding for nonprofits and schools to support the long term vitality of Ada County. Oct 19, 2018 · EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY ARE BUILT INTO THE DESIGN. May 12, 2025 · - Innovative Example: Facebook’s data center in Luleå, Sweden uses the region’s cool climate for free-air cooling and 100% hydroelectric energy. Spencer Cox. May 31, 2023 · As energy-intensive entities, data centers are associated with significant environmental impacts, making their sustainability a subject of growing interest in recent years. We have 28 Feb 19, 2019 · Curious about sustainability at Facebook data centers like ours here in Papillion? Learn what makes our data centers cutting edge. Nov 5, 2024 · Voices of the Industry: We Now Know More About Data Center Sustainability In this informative guest article, Stuart Lawrence and Amanda Abell, Stream Data Centers’ sustainability leaders, revisit Apr 2, 2024 · The 2023 US Data Center Market Overview Report notes that data center power consumption at the end of the decade is on track to double its 2022 level, propelled by demand for AI and machine-learning ready racks. Dec 11, 2023 · Meta’s data centres generate the highest percentage of energy use, water use and GHG emissions, which is why increasing their efficiency is vital. wfuj hyyrsrfcq onlu stpa hbsvjqb qyma eiizzqx mnquvcuh gootk hdxioe