What Makes a Modular Data Center Sustainable?

With a focus on scalability and energy efficiency, the sustainable modular data center is a lower-carbon-footprint option.

With the exponential growth in demand for data storage and processing, adopting efficient and sustainable solutions has become essential. In this context, the sustainable modular data center stands out as a strategic alternative, providing a digital infrastructure with lower energy consumption, reduced carbon emissions, and optimized use of natural resources.

It is estimated that data centers account for 1% of global electricity consumption, according to the World Economic Forum.

In Brazil, data center expansion is significant. According to an article by Valor Econômico, the Brazilian Data Center Association estimates the country’s installed capacity at approximately 580 MW, with expectations to surpass 2 GW by 2028.

In this scenario, modular data centers emerge as a strategic and innovative response. By combining intelligent design, energy-efficient technologies, and flexible deployment solutions, they offer a cleaner and more adaptable alternative compared to traditional models.

Based on a study by Gartner, by 2027, 75% of companies will have a sustainability strategy for their data centers, compared to just 5% in 2022. This reinforces the growing trend of modular and circular models as a low environmental impact solution.

What Is a Green Data Center

A green data center, also known as a sustainable data center, is a facility that uses advanced energy-efficient technologies to minimize its environmental impact. Typically, green data centers reuse the heat generated by their systems, rely on renewable energy sources, and implement practices to reduce waste, optimizing energy use, lowering operational costs, and promoting a more durable infrastructure.

Check Out the Key Aspects That Make Modular Data Centers a Sustainable Solution:

1. Scalability to Optimize Resources

Modular data centers are built in scalable blocks, allowing the infrastructure to be sized according to business needs. This feature prevents over-provisioning, meaning the excessive allocation of space, equipment, and energy that often occurs in traditional models. Additionally, this flexibility simplifies future expansions, reducing the use of unnecessary materials and energy.

Unlike conventional structures, which typically require large initial investments and high-scale construction to support uncertain future demands, modular models enable gradual and planned expansion. This means companies can deploy only the resources they need at that moment, avoiding over-provisioning and significantly reducing energy consumption, deployment costs, and material usage.

The chart above shows the difference in the PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) indicator, which measures a data center’s energy efficiency, between modular and traditional data centers. From the image, it is clear that in traditional data centers, even at the start of operation with low load, there is a problem with energy management and efficiency, since the total load, not yet utilized, is much higher compared to the portion in operation.

On the other hand, modular data centers can reduce this “penalty” by up to 50%, as their scalability allows modules to be deployed as needed, eliminating the need for the data center to operate with more space than necessary. This provides a significant economic advantage, lowering operational costs and, consequently, the total cost of ownership, or TCO.

In summary, the scalability of modular data centers goes beyond operational benefits. It is a strategic sustainability tool. By enabling smarter and more controlled use of resources, it prevents excess and makes each stage of growth more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible.

2. Optimized Energy Efficiency

The modularity of these data centers facilitates the implementation of efficient cooling technologies, such as advanced climate control systems like liquid cooling and thermal management, which can account for up to 40% of a data center’s total energy consumption.

The sustainable modular data center is designed with more efficient cooling and power generation systems, using technologies such as hot and cold aisle containment and intelligent power distribution. These elements are essential for significantly reducing PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness), a key indicator of the infrastructure’s energy efficiency.

Implementing intelligent power distribution plays a critical role in lowering this metric, as it ensures that energy is used more effectively and directed within the data center. This not only minimizes energy waste in the systems but also reduces excess heat, relieving pressure on the cooling systems.

3. Manufacturing vs. Construction

Traditional construction is considered one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the world. According to the UN, the construction sector was responsible for 38% of total global energy-related CO2 emissions.

On the other side, modular data centers, being manufactured in more controlled environments and delivered ready for operation, offer several environmental advantages, such as:

Waste Reduction: Prefabricating the modular data center allows for more effective control of material use, reducing waste and debris accumulation.

Lower Pollutant Emissions: Reducing large on-site construction works also significantly lowers emissions associated with material transportation and the operation of heavy equipment.

Additionally, modular construction can reduce deployment time by up to 40% compared to conventional methods, further decreasing the environmental impacts associated with the construction process.

Migrating to modular data centers is an effective alternative to reduce environmental damage caused by traditional construction. This infrastructure allows for reduced GHG emissions, energy consumption, and waste generation, ensuring alignment with the principles of a sustainable modular data center and the circular economy. In this way, modular data centers contribute effectively to a more efficient and environmentally responsible future.

4. Reuse and Circularity

Built with prefabricated units, these modules are designed to be relocatable, reusable, and adaptable, allowing their deployment or decommissioning to generate less material waste. Additionally, their ability to adapt to different demands and operational contexts not only helps reduce costs but also contributes to lower emissions, making them more resilient and sustainable.

Amid the ongoing advance of digital transformation, the sustainable modular data center stands out as an intelligent and necessary response to the environmental and operational challenges of IT infrastructure. Its scalability, energy efficiency, and low-impact deployment allow companies to reduce costs, increase resilience, and achieve their ESG goals in a tangible way. More than a trend, it represents a strategic path for those who want to innovate responsibly, combining technology and sustainability toward a greener digital future.

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