Could cloud computing do more to save the earth than switching to electric cars? According to Wired, the answer is yes.
Zach Rosen, who runs an online company called Pantheon, is one of the main proponents of this idea. He believes we can dramatically reduce the world’s energy consumption simply by switching to cloud computing solutions, instead of startup and established companies setting up their own servers. One of the main benefits of cloud technology, and one of the reasons it falls in line with reduced energy consumption, is that it can run huge software applications much more efficiently than traditional hardware.
“I think you can say -… with an absolute straight face — that the containerization of software applications in the age of the cloud will save more CO2 emissions than electric cars,” said Rosen, who is passionate about both cloud solutions and the environment. His estimates are based on studies of the amount of power used by both cars and data centers.
He also cites his own business. Thanks to cloud containers, Pantheon is able to run its servers at approximately 90% efficiency — a number most companies would be thrilled about. Google, which uses similar technology and places an emphasis on data efficiency, reports similar numbers. According to one study, though, providers like Amazon only run their virtual machines at about 10% efficiency. Even though Amazon’s cloud is efficient, customer utilization of the technology is much lower.
Could cloud hosting services help save the planet? It could certainly help. And with the adaption of additional technology that places emphasis on efficiency and the elimination of data redundancy, it certainly seems possible that businesses both large and small can make a sizable impact, while conveniently reducing their cost of overhead.
Has your company chosen to adopt cloud solutions? Let us know about your experience with it in the comments. More on this.