Cloud computing continues to grow in prominence for businesses looking for alternative models for IT solutions, and it has been forecasted that the widespread adoption of cloud computing will lead to a 38 per cent reduction in data centre energy use by 2020.

As the relatively new technology enters the mainstream, power use and carbon emissions from data centres around the world will be cut, according to a recent report from Pike Research entitled "Cloud Computing Energy Efficiency."

"The growth of cloud computing will have a very significant positive effect on data centre energy consumption," said senior Pike analyst Eric Woods.

Cloud computing has long been touted for its potential to enhance business functions through its scalability and flexibility, but the researchers reinforced the idea that, in tandem with its cost-saving appeal, the technology also lessens the impact of computing technologies and their use on the environment.

Woods said this makes cloud computing a unique tool in the data centre.

"Few, if any, clean technologies have the capability to reduce energy expenditures and GHG production with so little business disruption," he said. "Software as a service, infrastructure as a service, and platform as a service are all inherently more efficient models than conventional alternatives, and their adoption will be one of the largest contributing factors to the greening of enterprise IT."

The report found data centre energy expenses should be driving down from $23.3 billion this year to $16 billion a decade from now. In addition, the cloud could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 28 per cent in that time.

Written by Jason Morton
 

Cloud to facilitate 38 per cent energy reduction by 2020