2022 Global Data Center Market Comparison

Sustainability

MID-WEIGHT

Recent news regarding the lack of progress on carbon emission reduction has put continued pressure on the need to derive efficiencies from all industries globally, with data centers an increasing focus. While many industries struggle to reduce their carbon footprint, as a high-tech and multilayered asset class, data centers have many options, including immersion cooling, artificial intelligence to better manage data center workloads, and sourcing renewable materials for use in construction. Not only are all these methods excellent for the environment, they also lower operating costs over the life of the asset, which can be well past nine figures in the largest data centers. Increasingly creative methods are being discovered to better utilize all parts of a data center, expanding to the re- use of waste heat to warm nearby homes. As noted in the previous version of this report, the largest hyperscale tenants have all committed to reducing their carbon footprint in all facets of operations, with data centers

the largest source of these emissions. Many are aiming to be net-zero by 2030, a date which is suddenly approaching and increasingly noted in corporate environmental reports as a source of expenditure as operations shift accordingly. Those operators that can assist with sourcing renewable energy, lowering power usage effectiveness inside a facility, and providing an array of options for greater building efficiency will continue to gain business from here on. Certain cities have committed to fully renewable power, including Montreal, Sydney, Oslo, and Reykjavik, which for those locations in Canada and the Nordics means abundant hydropower and utilities that are able to tap this energy accordingly. Vancouver and Seattle follow closely behind (again using the abundant hydropower in the Pacific Northwest for this purpose). Expect workloads over the long-term to utilize these more efficient markets more often, particularly as 2030 looms ever closer.

Montreal Sydney Oslo Reykjavik Vancouver Seattle Nairobi† Stockholm Mumbai Santiago† Top Markets

Markets that provide renewable energy will continue to gain attractiveness in coming years as operators and their tenants alike intend on fulfilling net-zero commitments.

† New market in 2022 report

26 / CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD