The move to and refinement of cloud computing will create a ripple effect of energy savings over the next decade, according to new findings from
In its new report, “Cloud Computing Energy Efficiency,” the green market intelligence firm pegs data center energy consumption to drop by 31 percent from 2010 to 2020 due to the continued adoption of cloud computing and other virtualized data options.
Standardization of cloud and as-a-service data centers hold a more streamlined and efficient use of energy than traditional, in-house data centers. And increased adoption has started a “virtuous circle” of products built for greener virtual data environments, according to Pike senior analyst Eric Woods.
“[T]he reduction in energy consumption will be even more significant” during the next decade, Woods says. “Massive investments in new data center technologies and computing clouds are leading to unprecedented efficiencies."
The annual growth rate for cloud computing revenue will be bullish over the next decade, with Pike predicting a 29 percent expansion to $210 billion by 2015, according to the report. And data centers overall will be going green in the next five years, as Pike forecasts spending on energy-efficient data options to grow nearly sixfold to more than $41 billion worldwide in that time.
In addition, the growing use and access of unstructured and big data is increasing cloud adoption, particularly on the public cloud front, Woods says. Along with the increase in cloud adoption, outsourcing and software and infrastructureas-a-service markets, Pike expects energy use to drop, as well as related energy expenses and greenhouse gas emissions.
This article was used with permission from Information Management.
