Research conducted by England’s Loughborough University gives disturbing results. Scientists warn that by 2025, the world’s renewable energy supply will not be able to meet the growing demand for digital data. The results, published in the journal Energy Policy, present econometric models showing the world’s current trajectory towards “data destruction.”
A more optimistic vision awaits us if we also take into account conventional sources. Projections then indicate that global electricity supplies will not be able to meet the growing demand for digital data over the next decade. More precisely, if data consumption is not limited, electricity demand caused by excess data could exceed global production by 2033.
Digital data is generated by people in every corner of the world. Their creation and consumption is growing rapidly. The development of artificial intelligence will certainly not help here, as it can create unimaginable amounts of content and images without human intervention, while consuming huge amounts of energy, as is being talked about more and more often. As we read in a statement from Loughborough University, data centers consume more energy than the entire UK. It is estimated that as many as 65 percent of them are the so-called dark data (dark data), i.e. digital knowledge resources that are used once and then forgotten.
– Our research highlights the need for a data-centric approach to sustainability across supply chains, sectors, industries and countries. Such measures are key to increasing efficiency, reducing energy consumption and transitioning to a decarbonized digital ecosystem, thus supporting the global drive towards a sustainable, net-zero future, said Dr. Vitor Castro from Loughborough Business School about his findings.
The researchers’ forecast is addressed primarily to industry leaders and even the entire digital ecosystem. This is a call for immediate action to support policies that promote energy efficiency, reduce data waste and transition to a greener digital infrastructure.
Source: Uniwersytet Loughborough
Literature: Vitor Castro et al, Digital data demand and renewable energy limits: Forecasting the impacts on global electricity supply and sustainability, Energy Policy (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114404
Source: geekweek.interia.pl
