Data Centers - Google (2024)

Data Center Impact Assessment – Taiwan

2024

Our environmental report

2024

Google's 2024 Environmental Report describes how we’re harnessing our years as an AI-first company to enable us and our partners to mitigate and adapt to climate change through our products. It also shares how we're working to drive sustainability across our operations. While the path to a truly sustainable future is complex, we’re committed to getting there, every step of the way.

Data Center Impact Assessment – Netherlands

2024

Data Center Impact Assessment – Virginia

2024

A Google data center is more than a bustling hub where your Gmail and YouTube videos live. It is also the driver behind economic, social, and environmental impacts to our communities. Google’s Data Center Impact Assessment dives into how our Virginia-based data centers realize these benefits, unifying these critical dimensions into a groundbreaking, holistic report. It marks a pivotal leap in Google's ongoing journey toward accountability and transparency, bridging the gap between innovation and responsibility.

How data centers benefit your community

2023

Have you ever wondered how digital devices are able to connect us to the world? Data centers are the engines that power the technology that make it all happen. And they also play a valuable role in building a growing, connected, and sustainable community and world for everyone. Watch this short video to learn how Google data centers are building the necessary infrastructure for tomorrow while taking bold action to protect the environment and investing in the communities around us.

A smarter way to buy clean energy

2023

Accelerating clean energy growth on the electrical grid is urgent if we want to help keep the planet under 1.5°C of warming. A big issue holding this growth back is the length of time it takes to complete a clean energy deal. That’s why Google partnered to develop a smarter and faster approach to closing these deals. Dive into how it works, and take a behind-the-scenes look at our process for developing what we believe will become a new standard. Learn more at goo.gle/cleanenergy.

Our podcast returns, sharing how data centers benefit the greater community

2023

Where the Internet Lives – our podcast about the fascinating world of data centers and the technology, people, and places that make the internet run – is back. Seasons 1 and 2 taught us about data centers and showcased the interesting people who work in them. Listen to Season 3 to learn how data centers provide powerful economic, social, and environmental benefits to communities around the globe, led by passionate experts inside and outside Google. Listen here.

An animated video series highlighting data center innovation

2022

Discovering Data Centers is an animated video series about the innovation behind Google data centers. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the technological intricacies that ensure Google data centers work globally and at massive scale, and see how design, technology, operations, and sustainability layer together to make data centers so fascinating. Watch Seasons 1 and 2 here.

Stories from the data center capital of the world

2022

Google is proud to operate multiple data centers in Northern Virginia – a global hub of the digital economy – and to support community organizations there that are changing lives. Meet two inspiring local organizations, Global Inheritance and Mobile Hope, which we’ve partnered with to introduce more young women to STEM and to combat youth homelessness.

Our commitment to water stewardship

2021

Google is pledging to a water stewardship target to replenish more water than we consume by 2030 and support water security in communities where we operate. This means Google aims to replenish 120% of the freshwater volume we consume, on average, across our offices and data centers.

Full steam ahead on 24/7 carbon-free energy

2021

We're tapping into a first-of-its-kind geothermal project that will add "always on" clean energy to the electric grid near our Nevada data centers. Advancements in clean technologies like firm geothermal, combined with carbon-intelligent computing at our data centers, are helping us get closer to 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030.

Cleaner data centers, batteries included

2020

We’re installing the first battery-based system to replace generators at a hyperscale data center. The system will help keep our users’ searches, emails, and videos on the move – without the pollution associated with burning diesel, while also being available as an asset that strengthens the electric grid.

Realizing a carbon-free future

2020

We are the first major company to make a commitment to operate on 24/7 carbon-free energy in all our data centers and campuses worldwide – and we’re working to get it done by 2030. Learn from CEO Sundar Pichai about our continued commitment to go carbon-free.

Inside a Google data center

2020

Ride along on a tour of a Google data center, listen in on a chat with vice president Joe Kava, and learn about the six layers of physical security that help keep user data safe and secure.

Our data centers now work harder when the sun shines and the wind blows

2020

A new advancement in our quest for 24/7 carbon-free energy is a carbon-intelligent computing platform. This first-of-its kind system for our hyperscale data centers shifts the timing of flexible compute tasks to align with times when low-carbon power sources are most plentiful.

Data centers are more efficient than ever

2020

Even as demand for cloud computing has skyrocketed, energy efficiency improvements have kept electricity usage almost flat across the globe’s data centers. How are we squeezing more work out of every electron? The answer comes down to our relentless quest to eliminate energy waste in all of our operations.

Google's European infrastructure

2019

Digital transformation is a defining challenge and opportunity for the European economy. Copenhagen Economics' 2019 study details Google’s efforts to support Europe's economy while remaining energy efficient.

Unleashing digital opportunities in Europe

2019

Plans to invest €3 billion to expand our data centers across Europe over the next two years will bring our total investment in Europe’s internet infrastructure to €15 billion since 2007. Our investments generate economic activity for the region and support more than 13,000 full-time jobs in the EU every year.

Our biggest renewable energy purchase ever

2019

Google has made the biggest corporate purchase of renewable energy in history, which will also spur the construction of more than $2 billion in new energy infrastructure, including millions of solar panels and hundreds of wind turbines spread across three continents.

100% renewable energy, for the second year in a row

2019

In 2017, we first reached our longstanding goal of buying enough renewable energy to match 100% of Google’s global annual electricity use. During 2018, our purchases of energy from sources like solar and wind once again matched our entire annual electricity consumption.

Google Data Centers and community

2018

At Google we care about the communities where we work and live. Our data centers help keep the internet up and running 24/7 while supporting local economies and job creation. Learn about their positive impact in the Oxford Economics report for the US and in the Copenhagen Economics report for Europe.

100% renewable energy — just the beginning

2017

In 2017 we achieved a great milestone: purchasing 100% renewable energy to match consumption for global operations, including our data centers and offices. But we’re also working to make the electricity supply greener as a whole — not just for us, but for everyone.

Introducing the Data Center Mural Project

2016

Data centers play an important role in our everyday lives, so we asked four artists to reimagine the exterior walls of our data centers in Oklahoma, Iowa, Ireland, and Belgium. Watch videos that tell the stories of how these artists were inspired to bring a bit of the magic from the inside to the outside.

Virtual reality tour inside a Google Data Center

2015

People often ask what’s inside a Google Data Center. In this 360° virtual tour (taken at The Dalles, Oregon), you can see where the Google Cloud lives and the numerous high security measures we use to protect not only customer data but our own custom-made infrastructure.

Harnessing our data to drive efficiency

2014

In our ongoing pursuit of extreme efficiency, we've developed software that optimizes our data centers by predicting and guiding our energy use. In 2014, we shared our model so that others could follow suit and enhance their data center efficiency in similar ways.

Increasing access to renewable energy

2013

As demand for renewable energy increases, we’ve been working with electricity providers on scalable solutions that increase the supply of clean energy. In 2013, we partnered with Duke Energy to pilot a new type of arrangement that lets companies buy renewable energy directly from the utility.

Showing what we're made of — inside and out

2012

For a rare glimpse into where we run our products – like Search, YouTube, Gmail, Drive, and Photos, browse our photo gallery of the technology, people, and places that keep Google's products running 24/7.

Certifying our high environmental standards

2011

In 2011, we became the first major internet services company to gain external certification of our high environmental and workplace standards throughout our US and European data centers, reinforcing our commitment to take care of the environment and our employees.

Adding renewable energy to our communities

2010

We aim to use as much clean energy as possible, but we’re limited by a grid with few renewable options. In 2010, we started buying renewable energy from wind farms near our data centers. In doing so, we're adding new clean power for our data centers and greening the electricity where we operate.

Sharing what we've learned

2009

In 2009, we brought together our peers to discuss how we can all make the industry greener and more efficient. This was followed by an event on efficiency targets across geographies and climates, and a summit exploring the environmental impact and benefits of the internet.

Becoming the first carbon neutral internet company

2007

Our data centers use much less energy than the average data center, and if you add our renewable energy use and carbon offsets, our footprint is zero. We’ve been carbon neutral since 2007, and we’re happy to see that other tech companies have followed in our footsteps.

Designing efficient data centers

2003

In 2003, we designed portable data centers: shipping containers pre-packed with servers and cooling equipment, which were easier to assemble and more energy efficient. By 2006, we moved to newer designs that provided the same benefits, but with greater flexibility.

Pioneering highly efficient servers

2001

We've been designing our own custom servers to minimize their energy use since 2001. By using highly efficient power supplies and putting batteries directly onto the machines, we've built some of the most efficient servers in the industry.

Data Center Security: Six Layers Deep

Security is one of the most critical elements of our data centers’ DNA. Journey to the core of a data center to see the six layers of physical security designed to thwart unauthorized access. Learn more about data and security.

Google Data Center 360° Tour

Learn about the massive scale, the incredible attention to security and privacy, and the amazing efforts to make the data center extremely efficient and green.

Meet Our European Neighbors

Google is proud to call Finland, the Netherlands, Ireland and Belgium home to our European data centers. The data centers support local communities with economic investment and job creation. But that’s not all. We also help communities grow and succeed.

The Data Center Mural Project

See how artists have reimagined the exterior walls of a few of our data centers, bringing a bit of the magic from the inside to the outside. Learn more about The Data Center Mural Project.

Google and the Circular Economy

Google Data Centers are achieving zero waste, leading in energy efficiency, and running on renewable energy. This is all a part of our commitment to making a positive impact on the environment.

Inside a Google Data Center

Joe Kava, VP of Google Data Centers, gives a tour inside a data center, and shares details about the security, sustainability and the core architecture of Google's infrastructure.