Data Centers: Operations and Energy Efficiency

In the digital world we live in, every time we send an email, watch a streaming video, make an online payment, or use an application on our smartphone, we are actually interacting with a complex invisible infrastructure: data centers.

In particular, modern data centers offer a vast range of essential services for businesses and individuals. Among these, Cloud Computing represents perhaps the most significant evolution; through models like Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS), companies can access computational resources.

They also support web hosting services, database management, backup and disaster recovery, big data processing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

These gigantic technological buildings represent the backbone of the modern digital economy and one of the necessary tools for using Artificial Intelligence.

What are Data Centers?

A data center is a room, building, or physical facility that houses the IT infrastructure for creating, running, and delivering applications and services.

In simpler terms, these are enormous warehouses filled with computers, servers, and network systems that work tirelessly to process, store, and distribute the data that powers our daily digital life.

Therefore, the data center is an infrastructure that ensures the constant operation of all computing equipment, networks, and services, and “runs” various software and applications.

Without these technological centers, we couldn’t access social media, use online banking services, watch streaming movies, or even read emails.

How a Data Center Works

The operation of a Data Center is based on a combination of hardware and software designed to process and store data quickly, securely, and reliably. The servers, which represent the operational core, work in synergy with network systems and storage units to manage billions of operations per second.

The architecture of a modern data center is extremely complex and includes several fundamental components:

Servers and Storage: thousands of computers, equipped with great power, that process requests and store information. These servers are organized in “racks,” metal structures that allow numerous machines to be stacked in reduced spaces, optimizing the use of available space.
Network systems: a network of cables, switches, and routers that connects all devices to each other and to the Internet, enabling the continuous flow of information. The speed and reliability of these connections are crucial for ensuring optimal performance.
Cooling systems: considering that thousands of servers generate enormous amounts of heat, data centers require sophisticated air conditioning systems to maintain safe temperatures. These systems represent one of the most significant technical and energy challenges.
Electrical power: data centers require constant and reliable electrical power. For this reason, they are equipped with emergency generators and UPS batteries that guarantee machine operation even during blackouts.
Security systems: both physical and digital, security is fundamental. Data centers are protected by surveillance systems, biometric access controls, advanced firewalls, and intrusion detection systems, in order to protect sensitive data.

The Distribution of Data Centers Worldwide

The geographical distribution of data centers worldwide shows a clear concentration in the United States, which dominates uncontested with nearly 5,400 facilities, a number linked to the presence of tech giants like Google, Apple, Amazon, and Meta.

This American predominance represents a true outlier in the global landscape, testifying to the central role that the United States continues to play in the world digital economy.

Germany and the United Kingdom occupy second and third place respectively with approximately 521 and 514 data centers, together reaching barely one-fifth of the US value: a gap that highlights how far Europe still is from American technological leadership.

China ranks fourth with 449 facilities and can boast the two largest data centers in the world: China Mobile and China Telecom Data Center, both extending over more than one million square meters, where services from giants like Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu are hosted.

The global top 10 is completed by Canada, France, Australia, Netherlands, Russia, and Japan, redistributing global geolocation in a fairly balanced manner.

Italy ranks twelfth with 168 data centers, distinguishing itself with cutting-edge facilities like Aruba’s in Ponte San Pietro near Bergamo, one of Europe’s largest and most sustainable powered by renewable sources, in addition to Telecom Italia’s data centers and AWS facilities located in the Milan region.

The expansion of these infrastructures is mainly driven by artificial intelligence, which requires enormous computational capacity: just consider that training GPT-3 required the equivalent of hundreds of traditional data centers.

According to forecasts, the global data center market will grow at a compound annual rate of 12.9% between 2021 and 2026, with significant momentum driven precisely by artificial intelligence adoption, while demand will continue to increase exponentially with the expansion of technologies like augmented reality and the metaverse.

The Increase of Data Centers in Italy

Italy is a growing hub in the data center sector: investments exceeding 37 billion euros were recorded in 2024, with an additional 10.1 billion already allocated for the 2025-2026 period.

In 2025, Italy marked a 17% increase in installed data center capacity, reaching 513 MW IT.

Among the main players investing in Italian territory we find:

Microsoft: with a 4.3 billion euro investment
Amazon Web Services (AWS): with 1.2 billion euros
Data4: with 2 billion euros for dedicated campus development
TIM: with significant national projects, including a 130 million investment near Rome

During 2023, 23 operators announced projects for the construction, by the end of 2025, of 83 new physical infrastructures.

The geographical distribution of data centers in Italy shows strong concentration in major metropolitan areas. Milan confirms itself as the absolute sector hub, as 98% of new capacity will be realized in the Lombard capital, confirming its strategic importance as the main headquarters for data infrastructure development in Italy.

Rome emerges as the second national hub. In the capital, within the Tiburtino Technology Park, stands the Hyper Cloud Data Center (IT4), Rome’s largest data center campus.

Arezzo also confirms itself among emerging cities for data center infrastructure development, demonstrating that expansion doesn’t only concern large metropolises.

How Much Does the IT World’s Electrical Energy Consumption Amount To?

Despite the undeniable benefits that data centers bring to modern society, their environmental impact is becoming an increasingly relevant concern. Energy consumption represents the main challenge.

Data centers consume about 1% of global electricity demand, equal to 0.3% of global CO2 emissions, a percentage that could grow significantly in the coming years with the expansion of artificial intelligence and digital services.

Forecasts indicate that by 2030, consumption could reach up to 13% of global power consumption - more than 900 terawatt hours.

This exponential growth is mainly due to the increasing demand for digital services, artificial intelligence, and the enormous amount of data generated daily.

An often overlooked aspect is water consumption. For example, in Ireland, data centers’ share of electricity consumption has exceeded that of all households combined. Additionally, there is significant water required to cool these systems with important effects on consumption and biodiversity.

On the regulatory front, the Energy Decree 2025 introduced PAUR (Regional Unified Authorization Procedure) to simplify the authorization process: up to 300 MW, Regions decide, while above 300 MW, competence passes to the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, with certain timeframes of 10 months plus 3 in exceptional cases.

How to Make Large-Scale Technology More Sustainable

The data center industry is increasingly aware of the need to reduce its environmental impact. To achieve this, several strategies are emerging:

Use of renewable energy: many companies are investing in powering their data centers with solar, wind, and hydroelectric energy. Tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon have set ambitious goals to achieve carbon neutrality. Approximately 50% of AI’s increased consumption appears to be covered by renewable sources.
Increased energy efficiency: new cooling technologies, such as liquid cooling or using external air in cold climates, are significantly reducing consumption. Algorithm and code optimization, as well as using more efficient hardware, further contribute to this purpose.
Heat reuse: some data centers are experimenting with systems to capture heat generated by servers and use it to heat nearby buildings or greenhouses, transforming a problem into a resource.
Intelligent design: building data centers in strategic locations with naturally cold climates or near renewable energy sources can drastically reduce environmental impact.

The challenge for the future is therefore finding a balance between technological innovation and environmental sustainability.

The adoption of renewable energy, more efficient technologies, and sustainable practices is no longer an optional choice but a necessity. Only through concrete commitment to sustainability can the data center industry continue to support digital growth without compromising the environment.

Contact us! to understand how to develop software focused on the objective of performing while also aiming to minimize energy consumption. Discover our solutions available On-Premise and in private Clouds, thus bringing security risk to zero, which is present in large data centers.

What’s the big deal about AI data centres?| https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg2ldpl9leo

Where are data centers located worldwide? The map| https://www.infodata.ilsole24ore.com/2025/01/31/dove-sono-i-datacenter-nel-mondo-la-mappa/

Data Centers: investments increasing in Italy: 5 billion euros already spent in the 2023-2024 period and over 10 billion planned for 2025-2026| https://www.osservatori.net/comunicato/data-center/data-center-in-italia/

How much energy does artificial intelligence consume| https://www.italian.tech/dossier/tutorial/2025/10/06/news/quanto_consuma_l_intelligenza_artificiale-424894694/#:~:text=Quanto%20consuma%20l’intelligenza%20artificiale%3A%20i%20numeri,rispetto%20alla%20domanda%20elettrica%20complessiva

Artificial intelligence and energy: 5 key numbers to understand AI consumption| https://www.wired.it/article/intelligenza-artificiale-energia-data-center-iea/