Executive summary

Abstract

sectors in the world. It is apparent that the large amount of information and digital services we consume via the Internet also demands physical resources in the form of large, concentrated information technology (IT) infrastructure. We see this especially in the growth of data centers and their energy and resource consumption. Data centers consumed approximately 270 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity globally in 2019, or about 1% of total global power consumption, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). This is expected to rise as 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), and other enabling technologies unlock a host of new applications. Facing this development in a time where renewable energy is still scarce requires data centers to explore and utilize power supply concepts that support the energy system of the future.