ESG與資料中心：标準化和透明度如何為行業賦能
ESG and data centres：How standardisation and transparency can empower the industry
BY MARK GARNER, VP, SECURE POWER DIVISION, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC UK & IRELAND
譯 者 說
為促進資料中心行業可持續化發展落地，施耐德電氣提出了一套環境可持續化名額架構。此架構幫助行業将可持續發展從一個定性的概念量化成了一個個細項名額，友善營運者以及行業全面、定量、标準化地判斷不同組織的可持續化程序，也有利于資料中心營運商對自身可持續化舉措效果進行量化評估，進而不斷調整資料中心的營運政策。
氣候變化的關注度日益增加，這給資料中心和數字基礎設施部門帶來了很大的壓力。驅動資料中心走向可持續發展的力量包括：一系列政府法規，客戶和投資者的需求，以及越來越多的人認識到，引領可持續化發展，與企業的增長期望緊密關聯。例如，2021年施耐德電氣與451 Research調研了全球800餘家主機托管公司，發現97%的受調研組織的客戶要求在商務合作中做出可持續發展的承諾。
GROWING CONCERN about the effects of climate change has placed much pressure on the data centre and digital infrastructure sectors. Forces influencing the move toward sustainable data centres include a combination of government regulations, the demands of customers and investors, as well as a growing understanding that by leading on sustainability it is interlinked by our desire to grow. For example, in 2021, Schneider Electric and 451 Research surveyed over 800 global colocation organisations and found that 97% of providers’ customers were asking for contractual sustainability commitments.
最近的研究調查發現，雖然大多數公司群組織提高了對環境、社會及管治(ESG)報告的重視程度，但實踐情況卻是相對滞後的，同時Uptime Institute的近期調研發現，大多數組織并未密切關注自身的生态足迹。為了支援資料中心營運者的努力，賦能行業去控制他們的可持續發展目标，施耐德電氣建立了首個“用于衡量資料中心環境可持續性的名額架構”。
While sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting have grown in importance, practices are lagging and recent research from the Uptime Institute found most organisations, still, are not closely tracking their environmental footprint. To support the efforts of operators, Schneider Electric has created a first of-its-kind ‘Environmental Sustainability Metric Framework’, empowering the sector to take control of its sustainability goals.
此架構包含23個關鍵名額，對于初級，進階及行業領先階段的資料中心營運者而言，這些名額可以幫助行業以一種标準化的方式去衡量和上報資料中心營運對環境的影響。架構還提出了五個關鍵類别，包括：能源消耗，溫室氣體的排放，水資源的使用，廢棄物的産生和土地利用以及生物多樣性。
The framework includes 23 key metrics for operators who are in the Beginning, Advanced and Leading stages of their sustainability journey, which helps the industry to standardise the way it measures and reports its environmental impact. It also proposes five key categories, which include energy use, GHG emissions, water, waste and land use and biodiversity.
關鍵名額
Key metrics
能源作為資料中心營運成本中占比最大的一項，是需要被監控測量的首要類别。并且，化石燃料、可再生能源産出受地緣政治影響，價格波動較大。是以最大限度地提升能源使用效率在商業和長期環境保護角度上均有重要意義。
Energy is the first category to monitor and measure. As the single most expensive operating cost associated with a data centre, and one that is subject to major price fluctuations due to the geopolitical nature of fossil fuels and renewable energy production, maximising energy efficiency makes both commercial and long-term environmental sense.
其次，溫室氣體排放
Second, are greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
由CO2(二氧化碳)、CH4(甲烷) 、PFC（全氟化物）和 HFC（氫氟碳化物）引起的碳排放是氣候變化的主要因素，所有業務領域均應該做出行動和努力來減少此類氣體的排放。
Carbon emissions resulting from the generation of gases such as CO2 (carbon dioxide), CH4 (methane), PFCs (perfluorinated chemicals) and HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) are a major contributor to climate change and efforts to minimise such gases are ongoing across all areas of business.
例如，SF6是一種廣泛存在于中壓開關裝置中的溫室氣體，其帶來的溫室效應為等量CO2的23000倍。是以，施耐德電氣等營運者們研發了不含SF6的技術，直接解決了上述問題。
SF6, for example, is a greenhouse gas over 23,000 times stronger than CO2 and is found in most existing medium-voltage switchgear, so operators such as Schneider Electric have developed SF6-free technologies to directly address this.
水資源利用同樣是一個重點，一個15MW的資料中心每天都要消耗多達36萬加侖的水，(1363噸)。冷卻塔和其他蒸發冷卻技術因其高效和強大的冷卻能力在散熱領域很受歡迎。但是相應的，蒸發散熱同樣需要消耗大量的水資源。通常來講，一個使用傳統蒸發散熱方式的1MW的資料中心每年會消耗2500萬升水。
Water use is another key to address with a 15-megawatt data centre typically consuming up to 360,000 gallons of water a day. Cooling towers and other evaporative cooling techniques are popular methods of heat rejection because of their high efficiency and large cooling capacity. However, the evaporation requires the consumption of significant amounts of water. Typically, a 1-megawatt data centre with traditional cooling methods can use about 25m litres of water a year.
資料中心在建設和營運階段不可避免地會産生廢棄物，其通常包含必須被妥善處置的危險物。循環經濟設計方法論、綠色生态标簽(Green Premium™)技術和更好的流程可以幫助改善資料中心的可持續化表現性，包括不間斷電源（UPS）電池的報廢産品回收也是如此。資料中心建設階段對土地和生物多樣性的潛在傷害也必須保持在最低限度。尤其應對項目和開發商提出額外的要求，可持續性不僅關乎資料中心設施本身，同樣包含其配套的可再生能源基礎設施，例如太陽能發電闆和風力發電機。
Inevitably, data centres generate waste, both during their construction and operation, which often includes hazardous materials that must be disposed of properly. Circular economy design methodologies, Green Premium™ technologies and better processes can support sustainable improvements - as can recycling of end-of-life products including uninterruptible power supply (UPS) batteries. The potentially harmful effects of data centre construction on land and biodiversity must also be kept to a minimum. This is especially true when extra demands on real estate are made, not just by the facility itself but by the associated renewable energy infrastructure such as wind turbines and solar panels.
當選擇上面的任何一個名額時，其驅動可持續性顯著改善的成果應是可落實的，同時可能的話，應盡量适用于所有的地區。
When selecting metrics for each of the above categories, it is essential that they should lead to actionable outcomes that can drive significant improvements in sustainability, and, where possible, be applicable across all geographies.
基于能源的名額
Energy-based metrics
舉例來說，處理能源相關事項的前提是資料中心營運商計量其設施的總能耗，PUE以及可再生能源的使用占比。可再生能源可以通過本地擷取、從能源公司購買可再生能源名額或簽訂長期電力購買協定(PPAs)的方式獲得。
For example, dealing with energy-related issues requires data centre operators to first measure the total energy consumption of their facilities, calculate the PUE and measure the amount of energy utilised from renewable sources. Renewables could be located on site, bought from energy companies by purchasing renewable energy credits or through longer-term power purchase agreements (PPAs).
根據這些計量結果，可以計算出REF可再生能源因數名額，其展現了一個地點的所有能源消耗中可再生能源的占比。REF為1意味着整個資料中心使用的能源均為可再生能源。另一項關鍵名額為能源再利用系數(ERF)，标準ISO/IEC 30134-6定義了其計算方法.
From those measurements a renewable energy factor (REF) metric can be calculated as the ratio of renewable energy to total energy consumed at a site. An REF of 1 indicates that all the data centres power is renewable. Another key metric is energy reuse factor (ERF), the calculation of which is defined under the standard ISO/IEC 30134-6.
這些名額結合在一起可以激勵資料中心營運商改善他們總體的能源效率，增加可再生能源的使用，同時推動循環經濟的發展，例如餘熱回收利用。
Together these metrics can encourage operators to improve their overall energy efficiency, increase use of renewable sources and promote circular economy initiatives such as heat re-use.
溫室氣體名額
GHG metrics
控制碳排放具有重要的全球地緣政治意義。是以，許多國際公認的協定中含有很多複雜的計算，包括多種源頭的碳排放，進而構成了計算碳強度和碳使用效率(CUE)等其他名額。
The control of carbon emissions is of major global geo-political importance. As such, there are numerous internationally recognised protocols. Many of these are complex calculations encompassing emissions from multiple sources, but they form the basis for the calculation of other metrics such as carbon intensity and carbon usage effectiveness (CUE).
CUE與IT負載相關，它可以使資料中心或其他行業通過這種方式進行碳排放的比較。它能夠在選址，規劃設計和營運階段發揮作用，以衡量持續改善的效果。
CUE is related to the IT load and allows comparisons of carbon emissions across data centres and other industries. It can be used in the site selection, planning and design phase as well as during operations to measure the effectiveness of continuous improvement programs.
碳抵消和碳額度通過為企業購買方式抵消産生的碳排放，鼓勵企業從更多元度範實作碳排放。此外，每小時供應和消耗的比對性将會作為衡量營運者可再生能源的發電與消耗的标準。
Carbon offsetting and carbon credits, provide a means of encouraging businesses which have more scope to reduce carbon operations to do so, by paying them and deducting the amount of carbon saved from one’s own carbon emissions. Lastly, hour by hour supply and consumption matching will measure the extent to which renewable energy generation matches the energy consumption by an operator.
廢棄物、水、土地和生物多樣性
Waste, water, land and biodiversity
計量整個場地的用水量是另一個需要被包含在内的關鍵性名額，其應該涵蓋設施運作的所有水資源消耗，包括淡水和再生水。整體能源用水量計量了生産資料中心所用能源過程中的用水，其可以被用來優化與能源使用相關的水資源消耗。
Measuring total site water usage is also another key metric to include, and should cover all water consumed - fresh and reclaimed – within a facilities operation. Total source energy water usage measures the water used to produce the energy consumed by a data centre and can be used to optimise the water usage related to energy consumption.
例如，使用蒸發制冷裝置造成的水消耗會增加資料中心設施的水資源消耗總量，但是會減少制冷系統的能源使用。此舉不僅能減少發電廠的用水量，并提供了一個整體的視角，進而能更好地管理與營運相關的所有水資源消耗。
For example, water used by an evaporative cooling system will add to the total water usage but will reduce energy consumption in the cooling effort. This saves water usage at the power plant, and provides a holistic view, enabling better management of all water associated with the plant operations.
關于廢棄物，關鍵性的名額包括資料中心從建設到營運過程中産生廢料的總重量；送往垃圾填埋場的廢料總重量；通過循環經濟(包括再利用、制造和回收)從垃圾填埋場分流的廢料重量；和廢料轉化比，即回收利用廢料的重量與産生的廢料總重量比值。此名額創造了一個參數，使之可以在不同資料中心之間進行比較，也可以用來衡量針對廢料減少的持續改進效果。
With regards to waste, key metrics include the total weight of material waste generated at a data centre, from construction right through to operation; the weight of waste sent to landfill sites; the weight of waste diverted from landfills through circular economy efforts including re-use, manufacturing, and recycling; and waste diversion rate, which is the weight of waste recycled, divided by the weight of total waste generated. This metric creates a ratio that can be compared across data centres, so can be used to benchmark continuous improvements in waste reduction.
盡管資料中心的土地開發不應對生物多樣性(包含：動物栖息地，植物甚至微生物)造成影響已經成為共識，但此名額還處于起步階段，尚未标準化。我們希望這一點在未來會有所改變。
Although there is a general appreciation that the development of land for data centres should not adversely impact biodiversity, including animal habitats, plant life and even micro-organisms, metrics to compare efforts are in their infancy and not yet standardised. This, we hope, will change in future.
資料中心建設階段，對土地和生物多樣性的潛在傷害也必須保持在最低限度。尤其應對項目和開發商提出額外的要求，可持續性不僅關乎資料中心設施本身，同樣包含其配套的可再生能源基礎設施，例如太陽能發電闆和風力發電機。
The potentially harmful effects of data centre construction on land and biodiversity must also be kept to a minimum. This is especially true when extra demands on real estate are made, not just by the facility itself but by the associated renewable energy infrastructure such as wind turbines and solar panels.
上述名額的應用
Application of said metrics
對于緻力于收集和稽核可持續發展名額的企業而言，可以通過一系列方法有效改善資料中心可持續性。
Once an organisation commits to gathering and processing sustainability metrics, they can be applied across a range of functions to deliver genuine improvements in data centre sustainability.
最顯著的方式為設定目标：為改善資料中心或整個組織的可持續性表現，可以通過達成一個非常有挑戰的PUE,CUE或WUE目标或減少一段特定時間内的廢棄物産出量。
The most obvious is target setting: aiming to improve the performance of a data centre or the overall organisation, whether by aiming to achieve a particularly ambitious PUE, CUE or WUE target, or aiming to reduce the amount of waste generated over a set period of time.
衡量名額需要確定企業能夠準确地上報，同時以一種透明、可量化的方式彙報在可持續方面的進展，進而使根據公認标準認證企業的努力成為可能。
Metrics must also enable businesses to report accurately and communicate their progress towards achieving sustainability in a transparent and measurable way, thereby offering the possibility of certifying their efforts against accepted standards.
随着對行業的需求不斷增加，相應需求的彈性也不斷擴大，資料營運商必須考量其業務決策會對環境造成怎樣的影響，并在組織中優先采用标準化的，具備可持續性的實施方法。如欲了解更多資訊，請參閱白皮書《衡量資料中心環境可持續性名額指南》。
With the demands placed on the sector accelerating, and the need for resilience becoming greater, data centre operators must consider how their business choices impact the environment and prioritise standardised, sustainability practices within their organisations. For further information, please see our latest White Paper #67, a ‘Guide to Environmental Sustainability Metrics for Data Centres’.
深 知 社
翻譯：
孔慶一
OPPO IDC 技術&創新，LEED AP BD+C
DKV（DeepKnowledge Volunteer）計劃成員
校對：
賈夢檩
阿裡雲 暖通工程師
DKV（DeepKnowledge Volunteer）計劃精英成員
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