Dr. Can Hankendi April Seminar: Navigating Data Center Sustainability in the Era of AI

As the global demand for digital infrastructure grows, data centers face increasing pressure to minimize their environmental impact, particularly regarding energy consumption and carbon emissions in the era of AI. This talk explores approaches to enhance the sustainability of data center operations, with a focus on practical carbon footprint analysis and optimization strategies. Key topics include addressing carbon emission reporting challenges and data gaps in relation to the credibility of net-zero claims from big-tech companies and their future projections. We introduce tools designed to quickly assess both operational and embodied carbon footprints, enabling data centers to make informed decisions about sustainability. Finally, we present techniques to explore the potential for optimizing workload migrations to reduce electricity costs and carbon emissions, alongside evaluating AI workloads for demand response participation to better align energy usage with grid demands. Through these insights, this talk aims to highlight strategies and techniques for achieving greater energy efficiency and carbon reduction in data center operations, driving progress toward a more sustainable digital future.