Towards IDPRO National Conference June 28 2023

Back in 2016 together with; Pak Toto Sugiri, Pak Richard Kartawidjaja, Pak Teddy Sukardi, Pak Michael Abimanyu, Pak Alvin Siagian, Prof Kalamullah Ramli we established IDPRO which stands for Indonesia Data Center Providers Organizations. In the earlier days we only have six members and running only 32 MW of power capacity, in 2023 our member grow to 15 and we are running almost 230 MW. Based on several research documents from Cushman Wakefield, Frost and Sullivan and many others and reflecting on digital transformation that happened, t is predicted that Indonesia will need around 2 GW of power capacity in the next 9 years. Staggering number indeed.

Data center is energy intensive infrastructure and as data center infrastructure continues to expand in Indonesia, there are several main challenges in achieving energy efficiency in this sector:

• High Energy Consumption: Data centers consume significant amounts of electricity to power and cool their IT equipment. The increasing demand for computing power and data storage leads to higher energy consumption, which can strain the power grid and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
• Inefficient Cooling Systems: Cooling is a critical aspect of data center operations to maintain optimal temperatures for equipment. Inefficient cooling systems can result in excessive energy consumption. Inadequate airflow management, improper cooling infrastructure design, or outdated cooling technologies can all contribute to inefficiencies.
• Lack of Standards and Regulations: The absence of specific energy efficiency standards and regulations for data centers in Indonesia can hinder the adoption of best practices. Clear guidelines and benchmarks related to power usage effectiveness (PUE) or energy efficiency ratios could incentivize data center operators to invest in energy-efficient technologies and practices. Together with Ministry of Communication and Informatics and Badan Standarisasi Nasional, we already launched SNI Pusata Data 8799.
• Aging Infrastructure: Some existing data centers in Indonesia may have older infrastructure that was not designed with energy efficiency in mind. Upgrading or retrofitting these facilities to improve efficiency can be costly and challenging.
• Limited Renewable Energy Integration: The availability and integration of renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power, into data center operations are often limited. Relying on fossil fuel-based electricity sources contributes to environmental impact and can be more expensive in the long run.
  

1. The current energy efficiency practices and standards in Indonesian data centers are still evolving and may vary among different facilities. While there is no specific national regulation or standard exclusively for data centers, several broader initiatives and guidelines exist that indirectly promote energy efficiency:
1. Green Building Certification: The Green Building Council Indonesia (GBCI) offers certification programs like the Green Building Council Indonesia Certification (GBCI-ID) and the Greenmark Indonesia certification. These programs encourage sustainable building practices, including energy-efficient designs for data center facilities.
2. Energy Management Systems: Some data center operators implement energy management systems to monitor and optimize energy consumption. These systems can provide real-time data on power usage and enable operators to identify areas for improvement.
3. Efficient Cooling Technologies: Data centers in Indonesia are adopting more efficient cooling technologies, such as hot/cold aisle containment, variable speed drives, and optimized airflow management. These practices help reduce energy waste by directing cooling precisely where it is needed.
4. Virtualization and Consolidation: Virtualization technologies allow data centers to run multiple virtual machines on a single physical server, reducing the overall hardware and energy requirements. Consolidating servers and improving utilization rates can improve energy efficiency.
5. Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) Monitoring: While not mandated, some data center operators in Indonesia monitor their PUE. PUE is a widely used metric to measure the energy efficiency of data centers, indicating how much energy is consumed by IT equipment versus the entire facility. Monitoring PUE can help identify energy-saving opportunities and benchmark performance.

It is important to note that energy efficiency practices and standards in Indonesian data centers may vary across facilities, with some operators implementing more advanced measures than others.

2. Potential environmental impacts of energy-inefficient data centers include:

1. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Data centers that consume excessive amounts of energy contribute to increased greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from fossil fuel-based electricity generation. These emissions contribute to climate change and air pollution.
2. Water Consumption: Cooling systems in data centers often require large amounts of water for cooling purposes. In regions where water scarcity is a concern, this can strain local water resources and have environmental implications.
3. Electronic Waste: As data centers upgrade their equipment or decommission outdated infrastructure, electronic waste (e-waste) can accumulate. Improper disposal or recycling of e-waste can lead to environmental contamination from hazardous materials found in electronic components.
4. Mitigating these impacts can be achieved through various steps, including:
5. Implementing Energy-Efficient Designs: Data centers can adopt energy-efficient designs that optimize cooling systems, utilize efficient server architectures, and incorporate advanced power management technologies.
6. Renewable Energy Integration: Transitioning to renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power, can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of data centers. Investing in on-site renewable energy generation or procuring renewable energy from off-site sources can help mitigate environmental impacts.
7. Efficient Cooling Infrastructure: Upgrading cooling infrastructure with technologies like economizers, efficient airflow management, and liquid cooling solutions can improve energy efficiency and reduce water consumption.
8. Virtualization and Consolidation: Employing virtualization technologies to consolidate servers and improve resource utilization can reduce energy consumption and minimize e-waste.
9. Recycling and Responsible Disposal: Proper e-waste management, including recycling and responsible disposal practices, ensures that electronic components are recycled or disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.
10. Currently, there are no specific policies or regulations in Indonesia exclusively targeting energy efficiency in data centers. However, broader initiatives and regulations exist that indirectly promote energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, such as:
11. National Energy Policy: The Indonesian government has set a target to achieve a 23% renewable energy mix by 2025. This policy indirectly encourages the adoption of renewable energy sources in various sectors, including data centers.
12. Green Building Certification: As mentioned earlier, certifications like GBCI-ID and Greenmark Indonesia promote sustainable building practices, which include energy efficiency considerations for data centers.
13. To improve the implementation and enforcement of energy efficiency measures in data centers, the following steps can be taken:
14. Develop Specific Regulations: Introducing specific policies and regulations that address energy efficiency in data centers would provide clearer guidelines and requirements for operators to follow. These regulations can include energy efficiency standards, reporting requirements, and incentives for adopting efficient practices.
15. Incentivize Energy Efficiency: Offering financial incentives, tax breaks, or grants to data center operators who invest in energy-efficient technologies can encourage adoption. These incentives can help offset the initial costs associated with implementing energy-efficient measures.
16. Collaboration and Awareness: Encouraging collaboration between government agencies, industry associations, and data center operators can facilitate the sharing of best practices and knowledge. Promoting awareness through workshops, training programs, and industry events can also increase understanding and adoption of energy-efficient practices.
17. Several innovative technologies and solutions are available today to significantly improve energy efficiency in data centers:
18. Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Energy Optimization: AI can analyze vast amounts of data to optimize server workloads, cooling systems, and energy usage in real-time. AI-powered analytics and predictive algorithms can identify energy-saving opportunities and dynamically adjust system parameters for optimal efficiency.
19. Liquid Cooling: Liquid cooling solutions, such as direct-to-chip or immersion cooling, offer more efficient heat dissipation compared to traditional air cooling methods. Liquid cooling can reduce energy consumption and enable higher-density computing.
20. Edge Computing: Edge data centers located closer to end-users reduce data transmission distances, minimizing energy losses and latency. Edge computing helps optimize resource utilization

3. Collaboration between the data center industry and the government is crucial to promote energy-efficient practices. Here are some ways they can work together:

1. Policy Development: The government can work with industry stakeholders to develop specific policies, regulations, and standards that encourage and enforce energy-efficient practices in data centers. Input from industry experts can help ensure practical and effective guidelines.
2. Incentives and Funding: The government can provide financial incentives, grants, or tax benefits to data center operators who adopt energy-efficient technologies and practices. This can help offset initial investment costs and encourage widespread adoption.
3. Public-Private Partnerships: Collaborative initiatives between the government and the data center industry can support research and development efforts, promote knowledge sharing, and facilitate technology transfer. Public-private partnerships can drive innovation, pilot projects, and the implementation of energy-efficient solutions.
4. Awareness and Education: The government and industry can collaborate to raise awareness about the benefits of energy efficiency in data centers through workshops, training programs, and industry events. They can also work together to develop educational materials and guidelines for data center operators.
5. Investing in energy-efficient data centers brings several benefits and cost savings for businesses:
6. a. Reduced Energy Costs: Energy-efficient data centers consume less electricity, leading to significant cost savings on energy bills. Optimized cooling systems, efficient server utilization, and advanced power management technologies can lower operational expenses.
7. b. Improved Reliability and Performance: Energy-efficient practices often go hand in hand with optimized infrastructure design, which can enhance reliability, performance, and uptime. Well-designed cooling systems can prevent overheating and equipment failures, reducing downtime and associated costs.
8. c. Scalability and Flexibility: Energy-efficient data centers are typically designed with scalability and flexibility in mind. This allows businesses to easily expand their IT infrastructure and adapt to changing needs without significant energy overhead or disruptions.
9. d. Enhanced Reputation and Corporate Social Responsibility: Operating energy-efficient data centers aligns with sustainable business practices, improving a company's reputation and demonstrating a commitment to environmental responsibility. This can be attractive to environmentally conscious customers and stakeholders.
10. e. Regulatory Compliance: As environmental regulations evolve, investing in energy efficiency helps businesses comply with emerging standards and avoid potential penalties or restrictions.
11. While specific case studies or success stories from Indonesian data centers achieving significant energy efficiency improvements may be limited, there are international examples that can serve as inspiration for the industry:
12. a. Google's Data Center in Singapore: Google's data center in Singapore is known for its energy-efficient design. It utilizes a combination of technologies, including advanced cooling systems, optimized airflow management, and efficient server utilization. The facility achieved a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.11, well below the industry average.
13. b. Indosat Ooredoo Data Center: Indosat Ooredoo, a telecommunications company in Indonesia, implemented various energy-saving measures in their data center operations. These included deploying energy-efficient servers, virtualization technologies, and efficient cooling systems. The company reported significant energy savings and reduced carbon emissions.
14. While specific data centers in Indonesia may not have publicized their energy efficiency achievements extensively, it's important to note that data center operators in the country are increasingly recognizing the importance of energy efficiency and implementing measures to improve their environmental performance.

1. Data center operators can take several steps to raise awareness among their clients and end-users about the importance of energy efficiency and encourage them to adopt sustainable practices:
1. Education and Training: Organize workshops, webinars, or training sessions to educate clients and end-users about the benefits of energy efficiency in data centers. Provide practical guidance on implementing energy-efficient practices, optimizing workloads, and reducing energy consumption.
2. Transparent Reporting: Share data and reports on the energy efficiency metrics of their data centers, such as PUE or carbon footprint. Transparent reporting can help clients and end-users understand the environmental impact of their data usage and make informed decisions.
3. Communication and Marketing: Include information on energy efficiency and sustainability practices in marketing materials, websites, and communication channels. Highlight the energy-saving features and environmental initiatives of the data center to showcase its commitment to sustainability.
4. Collaboration and Sharing Best Practices: Encourage clients and end-users to collaborate and share their experiences and best practices in energy efficiency. Facilitate networking opportunities and forums where knowledge exchange can take place.
5. Incentives and Recognition: Offer incentives or rewards to clients and end-users who adopt energy-efficient practices or achieve specific sustainability targets. Recognize and showcase their efforts as case studies or success stories to inspire others
6. Research and development (R&D) play a vital role in advancing energy-efficient technologies and practices in data centers. The collaboration between academia and industry can drive innovation in this area:
7. Technology Development: Academia can contribute by conducting research on energy-efficient cooling systems, server architectures, power management techniques, and renewable energy integration in data centers. Industry partners can provide insights into practical challenges and implementation requirements. This collaboration can lead to the development of new technologies and solutions.
8. Piloting and Testing: Academic institutions and industry partners can collaborate to pilot and test energy-efficient technologies and practices in real-world data center environments. This allows for the evaluation of their effectiveness, performance, and scalability.
9. Knowledge Exchange: Academic researchers can publish their findings and share them with the industry through conferences, journals, and seminars. Industry practitioners can provide feedback and insights based on their practical experiences, fostering a two-way knowledge exchange.
10. Funding and Grants: Governments and industry associations can provide funding and grants to support collaborative research projects between academia and industry. This financial support can accelerate R&D efforts and facilitate the development and implementation of energy-efficient technologies in data centers.
11. Training and Education: Academia can offer specialized courses or certifications in data center energy efficiency to train future professionals in this field. Industry practitioners can contribute by sharing their expertise and participating as guest lecturers or mentors.

By fostering collaboration between academia and industry, research and development can contribute to continuous advancements in energy-efficient technologies and practices, ultimately driving the sustainability and environmental performance of data centers.