Data Center Handbook, 2nd Edition

1SUSTAINABLE DATA CENTER: STRATEGIC PLANNING, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND OPERATIONS WITH EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

Hwaiyu Geng

Amica Research, Palo Alto, California, United States of America

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The earliest known use of the term “megatrend” was in 1980s published in the Christian Science Monitor (Boston). Oxford dictionary defines megatrend as “An important shift in the progress of a society.” Internet searches reveal many megatrend reports that were published by major consulting firms including Accenture, Frost, KPMG, McKinsey Global Institute, PwC, etc. as well as organizations such as UN (United Nations)* and OECD (Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development [1]). One can quickly summarize key megatrends reported that include globalization, urbanization, demographic trend, technological breakthroughs, and climate changes.

• Globalization: From Asia to Africa, multinational corporations are expanding their manufacturing and R&D at a faster pace and on a larger scale than ever before. Globalization widely spreads knowledge, technologies, and modern business practices at a faster space that facilitate international cooperation. Goods and services inputs are increasingly made of countries from emerging economies who join key global players. Global value chains focus on national innovation capacities and enhance national industrial specialization. Standardization, compatibility, and harmonization are even more important in a global interlaced environment. ...