[The material impact of the immaterial 2/2] Solutions to reduce the impact of servers.
![[The material impact of the immaterial 2/2] Solutions to reduce the impact of servers.](https://www.eclaira.org/data/sources/users/3/infomaniak.webp)
Alexandre Patti, Data protection officer, energy & environment manager at Infomaniak.
Infomaniak is a Geneva-based data hosting company (with sites, videos, mailboxes, backups, etc.), created in 1994, with 110 employees. Its purpose is to offer efficient, independent services, allowing users to maintain control over their personal data.
Energy and rare-earth metal consumption are the main impacts of servers on resources. Aware of these impacts, the director has committed the company to a sustainable development initiative.
Activity is growing, as is the need for computing power. Infomaniak is anticipating the renewal of its equipment (every 3 to 4 years) to have more efficient, less imposing equipment. In this way, the company will save both space and energy. In addition, customers are encouraged to choose an offer tailored to their needs and not to over-size their server space.
Infomaniak is powered by 100% renewable energy (a blend of hydraulic energy and so-called green energy), and does not use air conditioning. This is because the servers can withstand up to 60° C, a temperature rarely reached. Cooling is done only with filtered outdoor air using a technique developed in-house. The company plans to create a data centre with heat recovery but must find the right location, with an existing heat network and activities that can take advantage of the heat produced.
Infomaniak's activities (electricity consumption, travel, etc.) are translated into CO2 emissions and offset by as much as 200% by two projects: the conservation of a primary forest in the Jura, considered as a CO2 stock, and a reforestation project in Nicaragua run by the Myclimate foundation. In addition, Infomaniak has put in place a mobility plan that provides financial incentives for employees to reconsider their means of transport and opt for a green mode.
For more information: Infomaniak’s web site / Infomaniak is an active member of GENIE.ch, the industrial ecology network in the Geneva area, see its factsheet
> ON THE SAME SUBJECT, YOU CAN ALSO READ: [The material impact of the immaterial 1/2] Free software in response to obsolescence
Source: ECLAIRA - Newsletter No. 13 / March 2019
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