New dimension of green economy – green data centers

The accessibility and use of modern technology in private life, business environment, science and technology, as well as all other areas of human activity generate data by the exponential rate. Photos, music, movies, business correspondence, documents, research data rapidly take up space on the servers. The availability of data and their safety is a major challenge for companies that provide services based on the data. Data Centers are technological solutions that offer a safe environment for different types of data. They include computers (servers), telecommunication equipment, and supporting infrastructure which includes: systems for uninterruptible power supply (generators), security systems, cooling systems, fire protection systems etc. Functioning of Data Centers, especially of the big ones, like Facebook or Google, have a huge impact on the environment, in the context of power consumption and pollution as the result of system cooling. The paper analyzes the concept of Green Data Centers. This type of Data Centers has been designed with the aim of maximizing energy efficiency while minimizing the impact on the natural environment. We will describe solutions that are used in green data centers and their results measured by two indicators: data center infrastructure efficiency (DCiE), and the efficient use of electricity (PUE).