How Top Websites & Data Centers Suck Down Energy (Infographic)

Photo credit: The Planet via Flickr/CC BY-SA

By now, you've surely gotten wind of Greenpeace's campaign to get Facebook to 'unfriend' coal -- Jaymi's been doing some great coverage of the attempts made to get the social media giant to power its giant, energy-hogging data centers with something other than dirty fossil fuels. And it's those data centers that lie at the core of the fight -- they're massively energy intensive, currently comprising approximately 1.5% of the nation's energy usage. And as the internet grows, that percentage is slated to grow -- which is why Greenpeace is working to get out in front of the issue now. But to the uninitiated, all of this can seem a little confusing -- how much energy does storing data cost? How do data centers work? How many data centers do the world's most-trafficked websites require? Thankfully, this extensive infographic can clear it up ... ... as long as you've got a few minutes to absorb all the info. The giant graphic from Peer1 does a pretty good job of explaining why our data is so damn energy-intensive to store -- and how we're generating loads of it every day. Be forewarned that there's also a bout of extended self-promotion from Peer1 at the end, but hey, it's their graphic (view the full-size version here):

This should give you some idea as to why we need to be closely watching the energy expenditures of data centers as demand for them rises in coming years.

More on Data Centers and the Facebook Fight
Facebook is Between a Rock and a Greenpeace
Greenpeace Urges Facebook to 'Unfriend' Coal (VIDEO)

Tags: Clean Energy | Coal