Individuals worldwide are increasingly embracing new technology, dedicating more time to portable devices, and contributing to high energy consumption and carbon emissions in the IT industry. Green cloud computing aims to optimize energy efficiency, promote renewable energy sources, and implement eco-friendly practices in cloud computing infrastructure. By prioritizing energy conservation and sustainable production, it plays a vital role in mitigating environmental challenges. This chapter analyzes factors impacting energy consumption in cloud computing, emphasizing power efficiency and energy-efficient mechanisms in data centers. It also highlights the role of cloud users in achieving sustainable cloud computing and emphasizes the importance of energy-performance. Authors have proposed steps to reduce carbon emissions in data centers and conserve power at home. Adopting green cloud computing practices contributes to protecting the environment and advancing sustainable development goals through advanced technologies.
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Green cloud computing involves the design, development, and deployment of energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable cloud computing systems. This entails utilizing renewable energy sources, employing energy-efficient hardware and software, and implementing virtualization to minimize server requirements. By adopting green cloud computing practices, carbon emissions can be reduced, and the global environment can be preserved through decreased energy consumption and waste compared to traditional computing systems. The focus is on promoting sustainability and minimizing the environmental impact of cloud computing. In green cloud computing, the focus is given to how efficiently the resources and equipment are using in cloud computing so that generation of carbon emission can be reduced (Karuppasamy & Balakannan, 2019).
Karuppasamy and Balakannan (2019) have proposed a green IT framework for energy efficient and less carbon enabler using virtualization technology that can be used at data centres. Their framework implementation comprises of 5 stages and in each stage describes several steps needed to implement that efficient framework in terms of power usability and energy consumption.
Radu (2017) has discussed studies and developments in the field of cloud computing. Author has also discussed the research directives and several open problems those relates to green cloud computing like technical issues those includes software design, thermal aware management techniques and virtualization techniques.
Atrey et al. (2013) outlined techniques to decrease CO2 emissions and energy consumption in cloud computing, focusing on strategies for mitigating environmental impact in the field. They discussed the green matrices that can be used in data cetnters and further focused on some green scheduling algorithms by which energy consumption and carbon di oxide emission can be reduced.
Fakhar et al. (2023) conducted a thorough analysis of advanced cloud computing, illustrating real-life instances of renewable energy projects in smart cities. Their study delved into the integration of cloud computing with sustainable practices in smart city initiatives.
Saxena et al. (2023) introduced the Dual-Phase Black Hole Optimization, an evolutionary algorithm to optimize multi-layered feed-forward neural networks. They applied this technique to address resource usage and congestion identification in Cloud Data Centers. Furthermore, they extended their approach to a multi-objective framework, aiming to minimize active server machines, carbon emissions, and resource wastage for sustainable and secure virtual machine (VM) allocation and management. This research contributes to greener cloud computing by promoting efficient resource optimization and environmentally friendly practices, emphasizing the importance of sustainability in Cloud Data Centers.
In their study, Goel et al. (2015) proposed an energy-efficient hybrid technique to reduce energy consumption in cloud computing while addressing the health risks associated with high carbon emissions. This research underscores the importance of green cloud computing by emphasizing the need to lower energy consumption and carbon emissions, advocating for sustainable practices to mitigate environmental and health-related concerns in the field.
Jain et al. (2013) emphasize the significance of green cloud computing due to the substantial carbon emissions in the environment. They highlight the practice of saving energy through recycling and reusing it over time, while minimizing resource wastage. The researchers note that increased usage of processor chips leads to higher heat generation, necessitating more cooling, which in turn generates additional heat. This creates a need to establish a balance in the system to address the energy and heat management challenges. By recognizing these issues, the study underscores the importance of adopting environmentally friendly practices in cloud computing to mitigate carbon emissions and promote sustainability.