This study focuses on the analysis of the environmental impact of data centers, fundamental infrastructures in the digital age, and on the challenges and prospects to increase their sustainability. In the first chapter, the foundation of data centers is explored, including their structure, functioning, and importance in today's digital landscape. The different types of data centers, such as on-premises, public cloud, and managed, are examined, along with their main components and evolution. Finally, some data is provided on the impact that these facilities have on sustainability and how, due to the growing use of artificial intelligence, the sector will increase exponentially in the coming years. In the second chapter, the practices of large multinationals in the data center industry are examined. Their efforts to increase the sustainability of their data centers are presented, through the use of renewable energy, the optimization of energy efficiency, and the reduction of water resource usage. The third chapter analyzes the environmental situation of data centers in Italy, including the current scenario of data centers in the country, national sustainability initiatives, best practices and pilot projects. Finally, future prospects and opportunities to improve the sustainability of data centers in Italy and around the world are discussed. The aim of this thesis is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of data centers, analyzing environmental challenges and presenting perspectives and solutions to increase their sustainability, thus contributing to a more responsible management of digital infrastructures that are fundamental to our society.
Il presente studio si concentra sull'analisi dell'impatto ambientale dei data center, infrastrutture fondamentali nell'era digitale, e sulle sfide e prospettive per aumentarne la sostenibilità. Nel primo capitolo, vengono esplorate le fondamenta dei data center, compresa la loro struttura, il funzionamento e l'importanza nell'attuale panorama digitale. Vengono esaminati i diversi tipi di data center, come quelli on-premise, su cloud pubblico e gestiti, insieme alle loro principali componenti e alla loro evoluzione. Infine si forniscono alcuni dati sull'impatto che queste strutture hanno sulla sostenibilità e di come, a causa del crescente utilizzo dell'intelligenza artificiale, il settore aumenterà esponenzialmente nei prossimi anni. Nel secondo capitolo, vengono esaminate le pratiche delle grandi multinazionali del settore dei data center. Vengono presentati i loro sforzi per aumentare la sostenibilità dei propri data center, attraverso l'utilizzo di energia rinnovabile, l'ottimizzazione dell'efficienza energetica e la riduzione dell'utilizzo di risorse idriche. Infine, il terzo capitolo analizza la situazione ambientale dei data center in Italia, includendo l'attuale scenario dei data center nel paese, le iniziative nazionali per la sostenibilità, le best practices e i progetti pilota. Vengono infine discusse le prospettive future e le opportunità per migliorare la sostenibilità dei data center in Italia e nel mondo. L'obiettivo di questa tesi è fornire una panoramica completa sull'attuale stato dei data center, analizzando le sfide ambientali e presentando le prospettive e le soluzioni per aumentarne la sostenibilità, contribuendo così a una gestione più responsabile delle infrastrutture digitali fondamentali per la nostra società.
I data center italiani alla prova della sostenibilità: analisi di casi di studio.
BIZZOTTO, GIACOMO
2023/2024
Abstract
This study focuses on the analysis of the environmental impact of data centers, fundamental infrastructures in the digital age, and on the challenges and prospects to increase their sustainability. In the first chapter, the foundation of data centers is explored, including their structure, functioning, and importance in today's digital landscape. The different types of data centers, such as on-premises, public cloud, and managed, are examined, along with their main components and evolution. Finally, some data is provided on the impact that these facilities have on sustainability and how, due to the growing use of artificial intelligence, the sector will increase exponentially in the coming years. In the second chapter, the practices of large multinationals in the data center industry are examined. Their efforts to increase the sustainability of their data centers are presented, through the use of renewable energy, the optimization of energy efficiency, and the reduction of water resource usage. The third chapter analyzes the environmental situation of data centers in Italy, including the current scenario of data centers in the country, national sustainability initiatives, best practices and pilot projects. Finally, future prospects and opportunities to improve the sustainability of data centers in Italy and around the world are discussed. The aim of this thesis is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of data centers, analyzing environmental challenges and presenting perspectives and solutions to increase their sustainability, thus contributing to a more responsible management of digital infrastructures that are fundamental to our society.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12608/68890