The demand for data centers continues to rise, driven by businesses’ need for environmentally friendly and cost-effective solutions to store their data off-premises. However, a new study by Aggreko reveals that data center supply and demand in Europe are not in balance, with 92% of data center professionals reporting delays due to supply chain issues.
The material scarcity, challenging economic conditions, and changes in data storage practices are some of the factors contributing to these delays. As more businesses opt for cloud solutions, the demand for hosted space in data centers has significantly increased.
Data centers are also exploring low-carbon options to address environmental concerns. However, these solutions are still in early development and can be more expensive than traditional options. Additionally, there is a lack of skills in adopting renewable energy, with many data center professionals expressing concerns in this regard.
Some of the concerns related to renewable energy adoption include the risk of changing technology leading to higher costs over a data center’s lifespan, the high upfront investment in green technology, and worries about renewable energy sources meeting the demand.
Billy Durie, Global Sector Head for Data Centres at Aggreko, suggests that data center operators should focus on strategies to combat delays while still supporting the transition to renewable practices.
Overall, data centers in Europe are under pressure to balance various factors to meet the growing demand while adopting sustainable and environmentally friendly practices.
