Data centres back in the spotlight-using 18% of total power consumption of the country

Your sole reason 'population growth' completely disregard technology and efficiencies.

My point is fairly straight forward, I am surprised the conversation has gone on this long on it tbh - my own fault most likely.

What is more energy efficient:

a brand new efficient fridge?

No fridge?

New fridge clearly.

Energy efficiency is the use of less energy to perform the same task or produce the same result.

A new A+++ rated fridge can be up to 4 times more energy efficient than one bought 10 years ago.

Old Fridge = 1000 units to run

New Fridge = 250 units to run.

So I can run 3 new fridges compared to 1 old fridge and still use 25% less electrical consumption.

Multiple televisions in a modern household might be a better example Boggles than a fridge in the bathroom 😁

Although there is the argument that rather than having a television in the kitchen, one could just use the fridge -

https://www.appliancegeeked.com/how-to-install-netflix-on-samsung-fridge/

We don't need to we haven't a hope of hitting our targets.

How could you when you have given over 30% of your capacity to 80 odd buildings.

10 times the EU average.

🤷‍♀️

Quick distract them with Wolves.

But this is what I am talking about - a larger population requires a larger infrastructure.

You don't get ANY smart device or "connected" device without the back end infrastructure. Now, you can try "offshore" this or you can (as a planet) decide to try put that infrastructure where it is most efficient...........you are the one speaking about efficiencies - it would be rather silly to suggest that data centres should be placed in locations where they aren't as energy efficient surely?

These smart devices/solar panels/general goods also consume electric while being manufactured - we are happy enough to push that consumption off to China yet dont seem prepared to accept our own place in the global economy.

We need to continue to look at generating power from more sustainable sources, increasing the capability of the grid to deal with electric vehicles and microgeneration opportunities and of course TRY to be more efficient on a local scale but as you've said and I agree, we wont be hitting any targets on the current trajectory.

But isn't Ireland one of the most efficient places for these services?

Again we cannot have our cake and eat it surely? We are happy enough to outsource manufacturing to China and place all of the cost on it for electric useage in manufacturing 90 percent of our goods, and indeed we are happy enough to take a lot of the direct and indirect taxation from these data centres..... So let's behave like adults and build and infrastructure capable of supporting these services and all of the services that are required to support a sustainable economy.

By what metrics is ireland the most efficient place for these services? Sure in the equator you could get far better electricity output from solar to power the whole centers.

In Antarctica youd barely need to actively cool at all

Places with abundant energy would be far more suited to these data centers than a place that only has a mild climate

There are emissions targets, which we will fail to meet even harder due to data centers here.

But this is what I am talking about - a larger population requires a larger infrastructure.

10 times the EU average?

it would be rather silly to suggest that data centres should be placed in locations where they aren't as energy efficient surely?

Agreed. The reality is though Ireland is not a location for optimal efficiency. If we are firing up old coal plants to run them, that would be the opposite of efficiency.

There is far better options with far better environmental and efficiency variables then here.

Some of the Nordic countries or Iceland who can run them on 100% reliable constant renewable energy with more efficient environmental conditions.

These smart devices/solar panels/general goods also consume electric while being manufactured - we are happy enough to push that consumption off to China yet dont seem prepared to accept our own place in the global economy.

That would be a separate argument, but China is ahead of us in terms of renewables and efficiency.

It's a completely linked argument

In terms of us achieving our cuts in consumption it has absolutely nothing to do with this thread.

But in just terms of efficiency there wouldn't be much better than the Chinese.

The Nordic countries or Iceland suffer from a couple of issues when it comes to hosting datacentres.

Which are?

You are correct, up to a point. Yes, technology and efficiencies are improving and items such as fridges are using less electricity than they did in the 80's.

But you seem to be ignoring the fact that we have more people now than in 1980. We had 3.413m in 1980. In 2022 we had 5.1m and it's gone up since last year. More people = more demand for electricity. Here are the figures in case you don't believe me.

It's not possible to reduce overall consumption using more efficient electrical equipment when you have that sort of population growth. I can reduce my consumption but that will be negated by population growth. Plus it's not just population growth, it's the growth in electrical equipment too.

In 1980 we had one TV, one smallish fridge, one light in each room, one radiogram (record player and radio combined - which was rarely used), we'd an electric carving knife, a kettle and an immersion heater for the water. And being honest, the immersion wasn't used very often because we had one bath a week in 1980 (dirty fcukers, I know 😁), maybe two if we were doing something that got us very dirty, and a washing machine and vacuum. That's not a lot of electrical appliances. Oh yeah, dad had an electric drill.

Now, as I walk around the house, we've 4 tv's, two computer monitors, 3 laptops, 1 tablet, 5 phones, a treadmill, some rooms have 3 or 4 lights, a kettle, an electric hob and oven, a coffee maker, two fridges, a freezer, a washing machine, a dishwasher, a dryer, two air fryers, an electric can opener, a vacuum, a toaster, an electric footspa, an electric massage gun, an electric air purifier, 3 electric showers, an oil burner for heating the house (needs electricity to run), two electric drills, an electric saw, an electric strimmer etc. There's probably a couple of things I'm missing. I'd imagine we are the rule rather than the exception. I don't think we've more stuff than the average family. We don't have an electric car but if the legislation is brought in, we'll have to get one of those as well.

While it's accurate to say stuff has gotten more efficient, we've an awful lot more of it and it's only going to get worse with population increases and the craving for more gadgets.

The current government are doing their best to undermine our native industries for reasons of climate change and international commitments yet have no problem promoting data centres.