At the recent annual re:Invent conference held in Las Vegas, Amazon's cloud computing service AWS announced a series of new technologies that emphasize improvements in energy efficiency at its data centers, making its services over four times more efficient than traditional on-premises computing. AWS head Prasad Kalyanaraman stated that these innovations not only enhance energy efficiency but also flexibly support emerging workloads.
Image Note: The image was generated by AI and is licensed by Midjourney.
The conference highlighted the application of liquid cooling systems and renewable energy. AWS stated that the energy efficiency of its infrastructure currently exceeds that of on-premises infrastructure by 4.1 times, and after optimizing workloads on AWS, the associated carbon footprint can be reduced by up to 99%. This achievement is backed by a series of specific technological improvements.
First, AWS introduced a simplified power distribution system that reduces potential failure points by 20%. This means a more stable power supply, which can better support server operations. Secondly, AWS also introduced liquid-cooled servers that more effectively cool high-density computing chips, combining air and liquid cooling systems to accommodate different types of processors, including Amazon's own Trainium2 chips and Nvidia's integrated racks.
Additionally, AWS has launched new power racks, expecting to increase the power density of its racks by six times over the next two years, followed by another threefold increase. By then, the computing capacity at each site will also increase by 12%, reducing the number of required data centers. To further lower carbon emissions, AWS uses low-carbon steel and concrete in data center construction and has reduced overall steel usage.
In terms of green energy, AWS's backup generators use renewable diesel, a biodegradable fuel that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% over its lifecycle compared to traditional diesel, making it more environmentally friendly. Through optimization using AI models, AWS has improved the rack layout in its data centers, effectively reducing the phenomenon of "stranded power," which refers to power that is typically underutilized.
Notably, Amazon also announced that it has achieved its goal of 100% renewable energy use in operations, seven years ahead of its original target of 2030. This announcement received strong support from several partners and clients, including Nvidia, Anthropic, and Lexis/Nexis.
Key Points:
🌍 AWS's data center efficiency is 4.1 times higher than traditional on-premises computing, with a carbon footprint reduction of up to 99%.
💧 The introduction of liquid cooling systems and simplified power distribution significantly enhances server energy efficiency and stability.
🚀 Amazon has achieved its goal of 100% renewable energy use ahead of schedule, promoting environmental sustainability.
