Data centers are one of the fastest growing power consumers, something like 1.5-2% of all power today (eg http://www.analyticspress.com/datacenters.html). We should all be excited that Facebook, Google, Apple et al are seriously working on reducing that impact.
Clearly there's a lot more to be done (manufacturing, transportation, etc), but I don't think that undermines the progress being made in datacenters.
I wonder how much of the growth of data centers is due to people moving their computational workload "out of the closet" and into "the cloud"?
If cloud virtualization and app hosting is truly a significant driver of data center growth, it seems likely that DCs represent a category shifting and a net reduction of power consumption. So someone concerned with global or national overall energy consumption shouldn't want anyone "working on reducing that impact", they'd want that impact DCs increased.
From your linked report:
Growth in the installed base of servers in data centers had already begun to slow by early 2007 because of virtualization and other factors. Growth in the installed base of servers in data centers had already begun to slow by early 2007 because of virtualization and other factors. The 2008 financial crisis, the associated economic slowdown, and further improvements in virtualization led to a significant reduction in actual server installed base by 2010 compared to the IDC installed base forecast published in 2007
Also, perhaps more directly:
Because cloud computing installations typically have much higher server utilization
levels and infrastructure efficiencies than do in-house data centers (with PUEs for some
specific facilities lower than 1.1) increased adoption of cloud architectures will result in
lower electricity use than if the same computing services were delivered using more
conventional approaches.
So what's the point? Do you think its still better than not using renewable energy or not? Also there is no mandate to use 100% renewable energy is there?
I don't understand. The article clearly says the data center is using renewable energy right? You say it like its a bad thing. Every one knows the manufacturing side is what it is. Where is the intent to fool anyone here? Please point me to it.
Even there they only say corporate facilities and nothing about manufacturing (which is done by outside companies). Do you think they are lying about their corporate facilities using 75% renewable energy? If so can you please point me to any article contradicting that?
Never said they were lying. I am saying its a purely PR number that doesn't accurately depict the amount of energy that is used for them thrive as much as they have.
I am saying Apple makes physical products and its probably the biggest part of their business and its not represented in their renewable energy numbers. I don't think wrong to want more clarity and less PR when it comes to the environment.