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What happens to tech datacenters in small towns when the big companies leave? We take a look at how these facilities are repurposed and what impact they have on the local economy.
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The Need for Datacenters
As the world increasingly moves online, the demand for datacenters continues to grow. Datacenters are large facilities that house servers and other computing equipment. They need a lot of space and a lot of power to run. That’s why they’re often located in small towns.
The Internet of Things
The internet of things, or the connected world, is here.
According to Gartner, there will be 20.4 billion devices connected to the Internet by 2020. All of these devices will generate 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day. By 2025, it is estimated that 463 exabytes of data will be created every day.
To put this into perspective, one exabyte is one quintillion bytes. That is a 1 followed by 30 zeroes. This is a mind-boggling amount of data, and it is only going to increase as we move towards a more connected world.
With all of this data being generated, there needs to be a place to store it. This is where datacenters come in. Datacenters are large facilities designed to store and manage data. They are typically located in areas with low environmental risks and high connectivity.
Datacenters come in all shapes and sizes, from small server rooms to massive warehouses. They can be located underground, in the side of a mountain, or even floating on the water.
There are datacenters all over the world, and they are an essential part of our modern lives. However, they can pose a problem for small towns.
Big Data
More and more companies are looking to store their data in off-site datacenters, and small towns are becoming an attractive option for these facilities. Datacenters require a lot of space and access to reliable power and internet connectivity, both of which are typically more available in rural areas than in urban areas. Small towns also tend to be more welcoming to new businesses than larger cities, making them an attractive option for datacenter developers.
Big data is one of the most important trends in the tech industry today, and datacenters play a critical role in supporting it. These facilities are responsible for storing huge amounts of data and making it available to users on demand. Without datacenters, companies would not be able to offer many of the services that have become essential in our modern world.
The need for datacenters is only going to increase as we continue to produce more data. It is estimated that by 2025, there will be 175 zettabytes (ZB) of data in the world – that’s almost double the amount that exists today! With this much data being generated, it’s clear that we need reliable and efficient datacenters to keep everything running smoothly.
If you’re looking for a stable and lucrative investment, investing in a tech datacenter in a small town is a great option. These facilities are essential to the operation of many businesses, and they are only going to become more important as big data continues to grow.
The Impact of Datacenters
Datacenters are a vital part of modern day technology. By definition, a data center is “a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems.” They come in all shapes and sizes, from small server rooms to massive warehouse-like buildings. But what happens when a tech company decides to locate a datacenter in a small town?
Jobs
The presence of a tech datacenter can have a profound impact on a small town, both in terms of the number of jobs it brings and the types of jobs.
A typical tech datacenter employs a wide range of workers, from engineers and technicians to support staff and security. In addition, the construction of a new datacenter often requires a large number of workers, both skilled and unskilled.
The impact of a tech datacenter on a small town can be significant. In terms of jobs, datacenters tend to bring high-paying jobs to an area. In addition, the construction phase of a new datacenter can provide an influx of jobs, both skilled and unskilled. The presence of a tech datacenter can also attract other businesses to an area, which can further boost employment.
The Economy
Every time a new datacenter pops up in a small town, there are always a few locals who are worried about the impact it will have on the economy. Will the datacenter drive up property prices? Will it lead to more traffic and congestion?
In most cases, these concerns are unfounded. Datacenters tend to have a positive impact on local economies, both in the short and long term. Here are a few ways that datacenters can boost the economy of a small town:
1. Jobs: Datacenters require a lot of employees to build and operate them. This can provide a much-needed boost to the local economy, especially in small towns that may be struggling with high unemployment rates.
2. Property values: While it’s true that datacenters can drive up property values, this is generally seen as a positive by locals. It means that their homes are worth more money and they can sell them for a higher price if they ever need to move.
3. Tax revenue: Datacenters also generate tax revenue for local governments, which can be used to improve infrastructure or fund other projects that benefit the community.
4. tourism: In some cases, datacenters can also attract tourists to town. For example, Facebook’s datacenter in Prineville, Oregon has become something of a tourist destination, with people coming from all over to take pictures of the massive facility.
The Environment
These tech giants have come under harsh criticism in recent years for their detrimental effect on the environment. A report from the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that between 2005 and 2017, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon emitted a total of 1.2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide – the equivalent of 261 coal-fired power plants.
To answer this criticism, all four companies have pledged to run their datacenters completely on renewable energy by 2030. But this transition will likely cause other problems for small towns. In places like Ponnequin, Colorado, where a Winds were once a rare sight
Now they are becoming more common
The turbines are often 500 feet tall
The blades can be up to 150 feet long
Ponnequin’s turbines are 600 kilowatts each
The average household uses about 1 kilowatt per hour
So each turbine can power about 600 homes
The Future of Datacenters
In this rapidly digitalizing world, it’s important to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to technology. Datacenters are the backbone of the internet, and small towns are quickly becoming home to some of the most cutting-edge facilities in the world. But what does the future hold for these datacenters?
Sustainability
The future of datacenters is inextricably linked to the issue of sustainability. With the world’s population projected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050, the demand for energy – and specifically, electricity – will only continue to grow. Datacenters are some of the most energy-intensive buildings in the world, so it’s imperative that we find ways to make them more sustainable.
One way to do this is by using renewable energy sources to power datacenters. This can be done either by directly powering the datacenter with renewable energy, or by offsetting the datacenter’s energy consumption with renewable energy credits (RECs). RECs are credits that are purchased from renewable energy projects and used to offset an organization’s emissions.
Another way to make datacenters more sustainable is by improving their energy efficiency. This can be done through a variety of measures, such as: optimizing server utilization, using virtualization technologies, and deploying efficient cooling systems.
Finally, it’s important to note that sustainability is not just about environmental issues – it’s also about economic and social issues. To be truly sustainable, datacenters must be economically viable and provide social benefits as well.
Renewable Energy
With the advent of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, datacenters are increasingly turning to these sustainable options to power their operations. In fact, many tech companies are now building their datacenters in small towns that have an abundance of renewable energy sources.
There are numerous benefits to using renewable energy to power datacenters. For one, it reduces the carbon footprint of the datacenter, as emissions from traditional power sources, such as coal-fired power plants, are eliminated. Additionally, it can help to lower operating costs, as renewable energy is often cheaper than traditional energy sources.
Another benefit of using renewable energy to power datacenters is that it helps to ensure a reliable and uninterrupted supply of power. This is important for datacenters, as even a short interruption in power can result in significant downtime and lost data.
There are some challenges associated with using renewable energy to power datacenters, however. One challenge is that the intermittent nature of some renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, can make them less reliable than traditional power sources. Another challenge is that the construction of large solar and wind farms can be disruptive to local landscapes and ecosystems.
Despite these challenges, the use of renewable energy to power datacenters is likely to continue to grow in the years ahead, as companies increasingly seek to reduce their carbon footprints and lower their operating costs.
The Cloud
The Cloud is one of the most popular new technologies, and it’s revolutionizing the way datacenters are used. In the past, datacenters were usually large, centralized facilities that housed all of a company’s data. This made them expensive to maintain and resulted in a lot of wasted space and energy.
With the Cloud, datacenters can be distributed across multiple locations, which makes them more efficient and cuts down on costs. Additionally, the Cloud allows datacenters to be used more flexibly, so that they can be scaled up or down as needed. This makes them much more efficient than traditional datacenters and helps to reduce waste.
The Cloud is also helping to improve the security of datacenters. In the past,datacenters were often targeted by hackers because they contained valuable data. However, with the Cloud, data is spread out across multiple locations, making it much more difficult for hackers to access it. Additionally, the Cloud provides companies with better tools for managing their data and keeping it secure.
Overall, the Cloud is having a major impact on datacenters. It is making them more efficient, flexible, and secure. As the Cloud continues to evolve, it is likely that its impact on datacenters will only grow.
