Facebook is reporting that its datacentres consumed some 532 million KWH of electricity in 2011.
The company said in its annual carbon footprint report that overall, its operations generated some 285,000 tonnes of carbon footprint or CO2 equivalent over the course of the year. Much of that footprint was due to the energy required to operate the datacentre facilities which support the company's social network. Facebook estimates that each user of the service produces an average of 269 grams of carbon per month.
Over the course of the year, the company estimates that user activity is equivalent to the carbon output created by producing one medium latte, or two glasses of wine.
The company also laid out its power source distribution. 27% of Facebook's energy comes from coal plants while 23% is generated through clean and renewable resource facilities. An additional 17% came from natural gas facilities and 13% was generated at nuclear power plants.
The report is part of a larger effort by Facebook to show users how the social networking platform is impacting the environment and how the company is managing its environmental strategy.
We’ll continue to track and share this data, and we’ll also work to understand and share other aspects of our footprint where we can. Our goal is to understand where we have the most opportunity and responsibility to minimize our long-term environmental impact.
Greenpeace, which has recently begun pressuring consumer and enterprise IT firms to reduce their reliance on non renewable energy sources lauded Facebook for its transparency and efforts to reduce reliance on coal.
Mr Gary Cook senior analyst at Greenpeace International senior IT said that "Facebook has committed to being fully renewably powered, and today’s detailed disclosure and announcement of a clean energy target shows that the company means business and wants the world to follow its progress. Unfortunately, the transparency Facebook exhibited today is still rare among companies who are racing to build our online world, where some of the largest companies behind the cloud, such as Amazon, still refuse to disclose any information about their energy use and mix.
Source - v3.co.uk
(www.coalguru.com)
