A white paper that explores the energy cost and environmental impact of common archival storage technologies.

A Plasmon white paper that explores the energy cost and environmental impact of common archival storage technologies.

The energy consumption of each archive systems has a direct environmental impact, producing tonnes
of carbon each year to generate the required electricity. Operating a UDO Archive Appliance produces
between 4 and 5 metric tonnes of carbon annually, which is approximately half of the per capita carbon
emission for an individual in the UK and Japan, and 25% of the yearly carbon footprint of a US resident.

By contrast the NetApp alternative generates between 18 and 44 tonnes a year and the EMC
configuration outputs between 51 and 207 tonnes. The worst case EMC configuration is equivalent to
the annual carbon footprint of almost 20 people in the UK or Japan.