
Spoiler alert: Yes, it can, and here is how.
Energy demands and the costs associated with data center usage are rising all the time. The emergence of AI, in particular, is expected to amplify global data center power demand by 160% by 2030, according to Goldman Sachs. AI and machine learning (ML) require a lot of energy, particularly during the training of large models and the continuous operation of complex algorithms.
AI has already been integrated into a variety of software, including Office, Microsoft’s Copilot, as well as Google’s Gmail and Docs and Github’s Copilot, with more to come. This trend is likely to exponentially increase the internet’s environmental footprint in a very short time. According to Gartner, by 2025, without sustainable AI practices, AI will consume more energy than human labor. This will render carbon neutrality all but unattainable.
The impact of this unprecedented pressure on the energy supply chain is twofold: Rising operational costs will hit the bottom line, while environmental concerns are influencing regulatory frameworks and environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals. As companies face these challenges, the rapidly emerging category of platform engineering could offer a viable approach to reduce energy consumption and boost operational efficiency.
Why? Well, while platform engineering tools are designed to improve developer and end-user experience through enhanced self-service capabilities and tooling, they can also help increase operational efficiency, facilitate change management, accelerate DevOps and cloud adoption and critically, reduce cloud spend and carbon footprint.
Platform Engineering and the Magnificent Seven
For data centers, the value of platform engineering goes beyond development velocity. It offers a structured way to manage and reduce energy usage. Outlined below are seven ways platform engineering can help alleviate critical data center energy shortages.
1. Reducing Overconsumption With Self-Service Portals
Platform engineering is the great enabler. It provides developers with a self-service portal that allows them to manage their own resources, including provisioning, scaling and deprovisioning virtual machines, storage and compute power as needed.
Empowered developers only need to request the resources they require, which helps reduce the risk of overprovisioning, a common cause of unnecessary energy usage.
In a world that lacks flexibility, it is better to have more of something you need than not enough, but platform engineering eradicates this inefficiency.
2. Intelligent Workload Management
Another advantage of platform engineering is its ability to optimize workload scheduling based on power availability and costs. Using automation and scheduling algorithms, platform tools can shift energy-intensive tasks to off-peak hours, when energy demand is lower. Energy-savvy orchestration can prioritize the use of servers or data center locations that are currently the most power-efficient. This reduces the total power footprint of the data center by ensuring that workloads run in the most energy-efficient configurations.
3. On-Demand Scaling for Elastic Resource Management
As the old saying goes, idle hands are the devil’s workshop’. When it comes to data centers, one of the greatest sources of energy waste comes from idle resources. Platform engineering delivers elasticity through on-demand scaling, meaning resources can scale up or down based on real-time demand. When demand is low, idle servers can be powered down, and during peak times, resources can scale up efficiently. This elasticity ensures that data centers use only as much energy as necessary at any given time, minimizing waste.
4. Streamlined CI/CD for DevOps Efficiency
To err is human, and even though to forgive is divine, that does not alter the fact that human error can present massive problems. By automating repetitive tasks in the continuous integration (CI) and continuous deployment (CD) pipeline, platform engineering reduces the likelihood of human error. Streamlined CI/CD workflows enhance development speed and optimize resource use by ensuring that environments are used only when needed.
5. Real-Time Monitoring and Reporting
In another effort to help fallible humans, platform engineering can also be used to provide dashboards and analytics that offer real-time visibility into resource usage and energy consumption.
The information available on the fly like this enables developers and operators to quickly make data-driven decisions about resource management, identifying underutilized resources and reallocating workloads to more power-efficient environments. Automation can be leveraged to trigger alerts or take proactive actions, such as shutting down idle resources, which further minimizes energy waste.
6. Informed Decision-Making Through FinOps and GreenOps Integration
Additional transparency can be realized by integrating platform engineering with financial operations (FinOps) and green practices (GreenOps), enabling users to see both the financial and environmental costs associated with their resource usage.
Developers are encouraged to make more efficient choices, such as selecting energy-efficient configurations or reducing unnecessary resource requests. In many cases, simply being aware of the energy and financial impacts of different options motivates developers to adopt best practices in resource management.
7. Controlling Shadow IT
Shadow IT, when employees use unauthorized technology outside of approved IT processes, can be a major source of inefficiency. By providing a sanctioned, efficient way to access resources, self-service portals can discourage shadow IT, reducing the risks of redundant or misconfigured systems consuming energy unnecessarily.
Platform engineering’s automated monitoring tools can also detect unauthorized resource usage, allowing IT to step in and take corrective action while shedding light on shadow IT’s energy impact.
The Broader Impact of Platform Engineering on Energy Efficiency
Driving down costs benefits both the bottom line and the world we live in. The efficiency gains from platform engineering have long-term benefits for sustainability and regulatory compliance. For instance, more efficient resource management aligns with ESG goals, which can enhance a company’s reputation and attract investment. While improved operational efficiency will also give businesses a competitive edge, they are better positioned to adapt to regulatory changes and market shifts driven by environmental concerns.
In regions facing energy shortages, these practices will become essential. Platform engineering represents a practical and scalable approach to addressing the energy challenges faced by data centers. By providing tools that empower developers, automate resource management and optimize workloads, platform engineering can significantly reduce unnecessary energy consumption.
As sure as night follows day, data centers will continue to grow in both scale and energy demands. The sooner organizations adopt a platform engineering approach, the sooner they will be able to meet their operational and environmental goals while supporting the sustainability of the energy infrastructure. In an era where data center efficiency is essential, platform engineering offers a promising path forward for businesses committed to sustainability and operational resilience.