Is Software as a Service that green?
Been asking my techie friends this question for while now and am normally met by quizzical looks and lots of ‘umms’ and ‘arrs’, but little in the way of argued answers … Here’s the question: is Software as a Service inherently more eco-friendly than premise-based software? Or put another way, am I doing the planet a favour by using Gmail over Outlook?
I am currently agnostic on this one. There are lots of claims being made in the SaaS and hosting space that software running on multi-tenanted servers is inherently better for our collective futures on this rock than running multiple single-server installations. That seems reasonable. But what about the case of hosted software, such as Google Apps, that is largely meant to replace client-only software (e.g. Microsoft Office)? Is this greener? Maybe not. In this case we are actually adding a server into the mix, rather than taking one away. And the environmental costs of running massive server farms are huge. The Economist commented recently that ‘the largest data centres now rival aluminium smelters in the energy they consume’, noting that Microsoft’s new facility in Chicago requires three electrical substations with a capacity of 198 megawatts! Offset that if you will …
So, am I damning the polar bears every time I use Google Docs, or not?
Posted by Ivan Croxford on June 7, 2008
I’m a digital strategist and I like building new businesses. This blog is an opportunity for me to air some of the insights, issues and themes that I come across in the course of my work. I’d love for some/any of these to be picked up as part of the broader conversation on digital disruption.
I would argue that SaaS services are actually much worse for the environment. When you consider that a person has to be using a computer to access either Fat client or SaaS app then it soon becomes clear that a considerable amount of extra infrastructure is needed than just a PC for SaaS.
A standalone app just requires a working PC. SaaS app uses networking kit (routers, hubs, switches etc.) then the SaaS servers themselves.
It’s of course arguable that most folks are online all the time anyway, but the counter to that is that SaaS apps require that you are, thus encouraging this behavior.
This debate will soon become moot though, as the distinction between fat client apps and SaaS become increasingly blurred due to emerging technologies like cloud computing and Adobe Air.
So the onward march of ‘always on, always connected’ computing irrespective of where the bulk of the processing is done is delivering increasingly bad news for the environment then… Looks like all those free hosted apps could come at quite a price?
You definitely need to read The Big Switch (the shift to cloud computing being analogous to the swtich from local energy creation (water mills, coal, oil etc.) to electricity from the grid:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Switch-Our-Digital-Destiny/dp/0393062287/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213688277&sr=8-1
But in answer to your question, have a look at the article below and ask yourself whether 6. matters more than 2. ! (Answer here: http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2007/Dec/19/sc_approves_tax_breaks_for_new_google_site.html )
Google’s criteria when selecting locations for data centers:
1. Large volumes of cheap electricity.
2. Green energy. Focuses on renewable power sources.
3. Proximity to rivers and lakes. They use a large amount of water for cooling purposes.
4. Large areas of land. Allows for more privacy and security.
5. The distance to other Google data centers (for fast connections between data centers).
6. Tax incentives.
From: http://royal.pingdom.com/?p=276
The Big Switch was getting a good plug by the Google Open Social team at GSP East 08. I’ll put it on the list. Thinking about Google’s data centre location strategy, it struck me that its not that different to the first factories in the industrial revolution. In that case, factories had to be located by a source of power, which was often fast flowing streams/rivers in the middle of nowhere to drive watermills. Maybe not much has changed.
I just saw this and thought of this post:
http://www.electronicdatagirl.com/arrow_dg001.swf
This is the main site http://www.electronicdatagirl.com om case you want to know what this is about.