Cloud migration has become a popular strategy for businesses looking to take advantage of the benefits of cloud computing while reducing costs and increasing flexibility. One of the often-overlooked benefits of cloud migration is its potential to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainability. In this blog post, we'll look at how to calculate the amount of carbon footprint reduced due to cloud migration, using an example.
Step 1: Gather Data on Energy Consumption and Carbon Emissions
The first step in calculating the amount of carbon footprint reduced due to cloud migration is to gather data on energy consumption and carbon emissions. This includes data on the energy consumption of the IT infrastructure that is being migrated to the cloud, as well as data on the energy consumption and carbon emissions of the cloud provider.
For example, let's say a business is planning to migrate its IT infrastructure to AWS. The business would need to gather data on the energy consumption of its existing IT infrastructure, such as the number of servers, storage devices, and networking equipment, as well as the energy consumption of these devices. The business would also need to gather data on the energy consumption and carbon emissions of AWS, such as the energy sources used to power its data centres and the amount of carbon emissions produced.
Step 2: Calculate the Carbon Footprint of the Existing Infrastructure
The next step is to calculate the carbon footprint of the existing IT infrastructure before migration. This can be done using a carbon footprint calculator, which takes into account the energy consumption of the IT infrastructure and the carbon emissions associated with the energy sources used to power it.
For example, let's say the business has 100 servers that consume 100 kW of energy each, and the energy source used to power these servers is coal, which produces 1 kg of carbon emissions per kWh. The carbon footprint of the existing infrastructure would be:
Carbon footprint = (100 servers x 100 kW x 8760 hours x 1 kg CO2/kWh) / 1000 = 87,600 metric tons of CO2 per year
Step 3: Calculate the Carbon Footprint of the Cloud Infrastructure
The next step is to calculate the carbon footprint of the cloud infrastructure after migration. This can be done using the same carbon footprint calculator, taking into account the energy consumption and carbon emissions of the cloud provider.
For example, let's say the business migrates its IT infrastructure to AWS, and AWS uses 100% renewable energy to power its data centres. The carbon footprint of the cloud infrastructure would be:
Carbon footprint = (100 servers x 100 kW x 8760 hours x 0 kg CO2/kWh) / 1000 = 0 metric tons of CO2 per year
Step 4: Calculate the Amount of Carbon Footprint Reduced
The final step is to calculate the amount of carbon footprint reduced due to cloud migration. This can be done by subtracting the carbon footprint of the cloud infrastructure from the carbon footprint of the existing infrastructure.
For example, using the previous calculations, the amount of carbon footprint reduced would be:
Amount of carbon footprint reduced = 87,600 metric tons of CO2 per year - 0 metric tons of CO2 per year = 87,600 metric tons of CO2 per year
This means that by migrating its IT infrastructure to AWS, the business would be able to reduce its carbon footprint by 87,600 metric tons of CO2 per year.
Conclusion
Calculating the amount of carbon footprint reduced due to cloud migration is an important step towards promoting sustainability and reducing carbon emissions. By gathering data on energy consumption and carbon emissions, calculating the carbon footprint of the existing infrastructure
key Takeaways
- Cloud migration can help businesses reduce their carbon footprint by taking advantage of the energy efficiency and sustainability efforts of cloud providers.
- To calculate the amount of carbon footprint reduced due to cloud migration, businesses need to gather data on the energy consumption and carbon emissions of their existing IT infrastructure and the cloud provider they plan to migrate to.
- A carbon footprint calculator can be used to determine the carbon footprint of the existing infrastructure and the cloud infrastructure after migration.
- By subtracting the carbon footprint of the cloud infrastructure from the carbon footprint of the existing infrastructure, businesses can determine the amount of carbon footprint reduced due to cloud migration.
- Cloud providers are making significant efforts towards sustainability and reducing their carbon emissions, which can contribute to the overall reduction of carbon footprints for businesses that migrate to the cloud.
Sources
Amazon Web Services. (n.d.). Sustainability at AWS. Retrieved from https://aws.amazon.com/about-sustainability/
Carbon Trust. (2021). Carbon Footprint Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx
Cloudflare. (2021). Cloudflare's Approach to Sustainability. Retrieved from https://www.cloudflare.com/sustainability/
Microsoft. (n.d.). Environmental Sustainability at Microsoft. Retrieved from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/corporate-responsibility/sustainability
Salesforce. (2021). Sustainability at Salesforce. Retrieved from https://www.salesforce.com/company/sustainability/
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). (2018). Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Retrieved from https://ghgprotocol.org/
These sources provide valuable information on the carbon emissions of cloud providers and how they are working towards sustainability, as well as tools for calculating carbon footprints.
0 Comments