Google raises the bar from carbon neutrality to net-zero carbon
July 16, 2024
Net Zero Innovation Talks by Alberto Ravagni
Net-Zero vs. Carbon Neutral
There is a key distinction between a carbon-neutral goal and a net-zero emissions goal. Carbon neutrality is often achieved by purchasing carbon credits.
The approach has 2 main limitations:
- Purchasing credits does not necessarily reduce emission at the source.
- The quality of the credits or certificates is difficult to guarantee in practice.
Carbon credits are often linked to carbon reductions versus assumed baselines, leading to measurement, double-counting and additionality issues.
The efforts to achieve carbon neutrality did contribute to the growth of renewables and the funding of several carbon reducing projects. However, aiming at carbon neutrality is not sufficient to achieve climate goals.
Net Zero
The key metric of Net Zero is the amount of CO2 (GHG-equivalent) added- or removed - from the atmosphere. This can be physically measured and verified.
The Net Zero approach is based on 2 steps:
- Reduce emission at the source
Net Zero first focus is reducing emissions at the source as much as possible
- Remove the remaining emissions
After reducing the emission as far as technically and economically feasible,
the remaining emissions shall be removed from the atmosphere, resulting
in Net Zero addition of GHG to the atmosphere.
Achieving Net Zero requires different technical solutions than the neutrality approach.
- Firm, controllable Energy sources,
- Short- and long-term Storage to firm intermittent renewables
- Carbon removal technologies.
Time-matched, 24/7 Carbon Free Energy generation is key to reduce source emissions.
The list of controllable, carbon free power generation is quite short:
- Hydro
- Geothermal
- Carbon capture and storage (leading to zero emission if applied to fossil fuels, and to carbon removal using sustainable biofuels - BECCS)
- Nuclear
Every solution comes with its own set of challenges, and all solutions will be needed at scale.
At the COP 28 in Dubai, 200 countries pledged to triple the renewable power capacity. Renewables’ share increased to a record 14.6% in 2023.
Together with nuclear, they represented over 18% of total primary energy consumption. Tripling that is a great goal.
Today 82% of power generation is fossil fuel based and in 2023, for the first time ever, energy-related emissions exceeded 40 Gigatons CO2e .
Every zero carbon energy source and every carbon removal technology will be needed to reverse this trend. All solutions will be measured with the same metric: GHG added (or removed) from the atmosphere.
All solutions share the same goal: scale-up innovation to move the needle on the CO2 concentration in our atmosphere.
Impact of AI
How is this compatible with the AI-driven explosive growth of energy demand for data centers?
AI can have a net-positive impact on global GHG emissions. This is a central goal not only for the data center industry, but for the global industry. Using AI can reduce GHG emissions by between 2.6 and 5.3 gigatons of CO2e (BCG group). A Gigaton is 1000 Million tons.
This should be compared with data centers emissions 2023 Google emissions (e.g. ca. 14m tons, Microsoft: ca. 17m tons), and with the 40 gigatons emitted globally, from the energy sector alone.
The Net Zero Innovation Hub supports data center growth and accelerates Net Zero goals by de-risking innovation, standardizing solutions, aggregating demand, reducing costs and executing first-of-a-kind projects.
Stay tuned, reach out to join our program to move the needle on the CO2 concentration in our atmosphere.
Data Centers as grid assets, heat reuse ready solutions with and without district heating, and clean back-up solutions.The Net Zero innovation hub for data centers hosted a workshop in Amsterdam at Google, where the Hub members presented innovative solutions which will be integrated in pilots in 2025. During the workshop, hub members were updated on ongoing projects. The ongoing RFI for net-zero data center back-up solutions has delivered multiple clean back–up solutions, which are currently being evaluated. The Heat Reuse team delivered reference designs, ready to be implemented in projects. The Operators aligned the Scope 3 emissions project track, led by Data4.
The Net Zero Innovation Hub has developed an online tool to estimate the value of heat provided by data centers. The tool is intended to support the business development of use cases for data center heat reuse
Danfoss, Data4, Google, Microsoft, Schneider Electric and Vertiv today launched the first RFI of its kind in Europe, intended to accelerate the deployment of innovative solutions which can substitute diesel back-up generators.
Today, the Open Compute Project Foundation (OCP), the nonprofit organization bringing hyperscale innovations to all, and the NetZero Innovation Hub (NZIH) for Data Centers, aimed at driving forward sustainable innovations in data center technology, are pleased to announce a new alliance partnership.
Net Zero Innovation Hub board of directors to host a session at the upcoming DCD London conference on 18th September. The session is taking place on 18th September from 15.00 GMT at the Business Design Center in London. During the session, attendees will find out about current and upcoming projects, how to get involved, and meet the team and the board behind the Innovation Hub. The session is open to all attendees of the conference. The Net Zero Innovation Hub is a pan-European initiative led by Danfoss, Data4, Microsoft, Google, Schneider Electric and Vertiv. The scale of innovation projects struggles to keep up with the scale, speed and complexity of data center projects. To master the challenges of the twin transition, towards Net Zero and AI, the data center industry needs new innovation models. This can be achieved through cooperation across the data center industry, with companies driving innovation, start-ups, academia, R&D institutions, industry associations, advocacy entities, public and private investors. The Hub is selecting innovations in the early commercialization phase, to evaluate and execute projects, solutions, and business models based on their “Net Zero Impact” and acceleration capability towards Net Zero. The focus of the first set of projects are within the area of Carbon-Free Energy and Heat Reuse, which we are excited to announce together with our partners. “We are looking forward to the session at DCD, meeting industry partners and developing the partnerships needed to bring innovation projects from First-of-a-Kind (FoaK) to beyond the critical mass”, says Alberto Ravagni, CEO of the Net Zero Innovation Hub. “Net Zero means for us having a zero or positive impact on planet, people and profit, starting with the environmental impact measured by the GHG emissions, and extending to the holistic LCA impact categories”, adds Ravagni. About the Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers The Net Zero Innovation Hub is a pan-European initiative which seeks to address key sectoral challenges through concrete innovation projects and establishing stronger links between operators, suppliers, and governments. Workshop link: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/dcd-connect-live/connect-london/2024/dcdworkshop1/ Contact: Alberto Ravagni, CEO ar@netzerodatacenters.com Merima Dzanic, PR & Communications merima@netzerodatacenters.com +45 20 15 50 21
The case for Net Zero, to transform the global energy system in line with the 1.5 °C goal has never been stronger. August 2023 was the hottest on record by a large margin, this 2024 summer is on track to break that record.
The Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers hosted a workshop on data center heat reuse last week in Frankfurt. Gathering operators, vendors and research institutions, the day focused on data center design, standardization and impact of HPC chip temperature on data center heat reuse. The focus was to identify and qualify concrete projects to accelerate the adoption of data center heat reuse for various use cases across Europe. “The workshop was very constructive in connecting and aligning ecosystems and industry organizations such as EUDCA and Euroheat & Power. Only when we come together and pool our knowledge, can we make things happen much faster and at a much larger scale”, says Alberto Ravagni, CEO of the Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers. “The last few months we have spent time gathering information and reaching out to partners. Now we are ready to move ahead with the first projects within the heat reuse domain. This is a very exciting time for the industry, and we are excited to announce the next steps very soon”, adds Ravagni. The newly established Innovation Hub is a neutral platform, where the data center industry and the surrounding ecosystems can come together and find solutions to common challenges. For more information, please contact: Merima Dzanic, PR & Communications, Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers merima@netzerodatacenters.com + 45 20 15 50 21
The Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers is pleased to announce the appointment of Alberto Ravagni as new CEO of the Innovation Hub. The consortium was launched in September 2023 by industry partners Data4, Danfoss, Google, Microsoft, Schneider Electric and Vertiv. Alberto Ravagni brings over 20 years of experience in the energy industry and is a clean energy architect and industry expert in clean energy, energy storage, and fuel cell technologies. Alberto has been the co-founder and Managing Director of the consultancy firm InfraPrime℠. “I am very pleased that Alberto Ravagni has agreed to become the new CEO of the Innovation Hub. Alberto has vast experience and in-depth knowledge of our industry, as well as the energy sector. He has shown great leadership in his previous positions, is very well-respected and brings a strong track record and international experience from positions earlier in his career,” says Dietmar Baro, Chairman of the Board. Alberto will be responsible for the daily management of the Innovation Hub, working closely with the founding members and project partners, to decarbonize the data center industry in Europe through innovation and cooperation. "The data center industry has a unique impact on our lives, extending far beyond its energy consumption and environmental footprint. It can lead and accelerate the journey towards achieving net-zero emissions and simultaneously enable circular, sustainable growth. I am looking forward to connecting the ecosystems, converging industry, research, innovation, finance, and public institutions, to collaborate on impactful projects with quantifiable outcomes. This effort relies on your support. Join us in shaping a sustainable tomorrow”, says Alberto Ravagni. Ravagni has previously contributed to the foundation and served as board member of the Joint Technology Initiative for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells of the European Commission, a public-private partnership which manages a €1 billion innovation program to drive the transition to zero carbon energy systems. Previously, he was the founder and CEO of SOLIDPower, a market leading fuel cells company, which commercialized fuel cells generators in megawatt scale for residential, SME, and data center clients. Ravagni was a member of the first board. Alberto Ravagni will start as CEO of the Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers on 1 May 2024. About the Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers The Net Zero Innovation Hub is an industry consortium launched in September 2023 by Data4, Danfoss, Google, Microsoft, Schneider Electric and Vertiv, to accelerate European data centers towards a net zero future. The consortium will function as a meeting place where key players can enter into collaborations and develop new innovative solutions that can be quickly implemented for the benefit of the green transition. For further information, please contact: Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers: Merima Dzanic, PR & Communications merima@netzerodatacenters.com // +45 20 15 50 21
Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers kicked off first project with a workshop on data center heat reuse. The Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers hosted a workshop on data center heat reuse yesterday at Googles offices in Amsterdam, the first project within the newly established Innovation Hub. The focus was on identifying the challenges and opportunities of various applications of data center heat reuse in Europe. The newly established Innovation Hub is a neutral platform, where the data center industry and the surrounding ecosystems, can come together and find solutions to common challenges. The initial workshop concluded positively with a clear message: European data centers want their excess heat to be reused and become an integrated part of the communities in which they operate in. However, several barriers are hindering these developments, which we need to overcome. Some of the challenges which were identified were centred around ownership models, regulatory frameworks and pace of technological developments. “Our aim is to gather a range of partners, including those who have already done some tremendous work within this domain, to see how we can combine our forces and accelerate the development of data center heat reuse in Europe”, says Peder Bank, program lead for the Innovation Hub’s heat reuse project. This is a complex subject and undoing the “knot” of difficult challenges, cannot be undone, or solved without forging collaborations outside of the data center sector. We need to push this even further and accept that the hardest, but best collaborations, come from being involved in cross-industry and sector innovation systems. This is exactly why the Net Zero Innovation Hub was founded, and I am looking forward to the work ahead of us”, adds Bank. Participants included representatives from the founder group including Google, Data4, Danfoss, Schneider Electric as well as Meta, Alfa Laval, Wilo, BP, Danfoss, DTU, BorderStep Institute, RISE, Euroheat & Power and DTU. For more information, please contact: Merima Dzanic, PR & Communications, Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers merima@netzerodatacenters.com + 45 20 15 50 21
European colocation provider Data4 has joined the Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers consortium, joining forces with Danfoss, Google, Microsoft, and Schneider Electric. The Net Zero Innovation Hub was launched in September 2023, to accelerate European data centers towards a net zero future. The consortium will function as a meeting place where key players can enter into collaborations and develop new innovative solutions that can be quickly implemented for the benefit of the green transition. At the same time, it will serve as an opportunity to share best practices and guidance from leading researchers. Initially, the focus is on developing solutions that lower or equalize the data centers' carbon emissions and contribute to the stabilization of the electricity grid. “I am delighted to announce that Data4 Group has joined the Board of the Net Zero Innovation Hub, a new pan-European innovation centre, which brings together major players in the data center sector to find practical solutions to accelerate the ecological transition. Our Europe-wide working group is made up of major players like Google, Microsoft, Schneider Electric and Danfoss.”, says Olivier Micheli, President of Data4 Group. “We are delighted to welcome the European colocation operator Data4 to the partnership. Data4 has always had innovation at forefront of their organisation. Adding their expertise and knowledge to the mix of innovation power-houses within the consortium, will only strengthen the work of the Innovation Hub, “ says Henrik Hansen, Interim CEO of the Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers. The Hub will be targeting projects in Scope 1, 2, and 3, which are the different kinds of greenhouse gas emissions that a company or organization produces. More specifically, for cutting emissions (Scope 1) the Hub will look at projects for diesel generation alternatives and substitute fuels, and heat reuse. As for indirect emissions (Scope 2), the Hub will aim to better utilize carbon-free energy sources such as wind and solar for power generation. And for embodied emissions (Scope 3), the Hub will partner with suppliers and academia to research how to decarbonize raw materials like concrete, steel, and aluminum, allowing for data centers to be built more sustainably in the future. For further information, please contact: Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers: Henrik Hansen, Interim CEO henrik@netzerodatacenters.com // +45 40 13 44 74 Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers: Merima Dzanic, PR & Communications merima@netzerodatacenters.com // +45 20 15 50 21
Project Management Partner
Contact info
Net Zero Innovation Hub
Port House - Vendersgade 74 (Building B), 7000 Fredericia, Denmark
info@netzerodatacenters.com
+ 45 40 13 44 74
Menu