Top 10 best practices for sustainability in cloud with Google Cloud Platform

As businesses move to the cloud, it is key to ensure that these moves are sustainable. Google Cloud Platform (GCP) has many tools to help companies become more eco-friendly, and Revolgy can help you leverage these tools effectively. Here are the top 10 best practices for using GCP in a sustainable way.

1. Choose energy-efficient regions

Selecting regions with higher carbon-free energy percentages (CFE%) is crucial for reducing your carbon footprint. Google provides this data to help you choose regions powered by renewable energy, reducing your carbon footprint. For example, GCP regions like us-west1 have high CFE percentages, helping businesses make sustainable choices.

2. Utilize Google Cloud Functions

Use serverless computing with Google Cloud Functions. This ensures resources are only used when needed, minimizing idle times and reducing energy consumption. Serverless architectures automatically scale to handle varying workloads efficiently, contributing to energy savings.

Revolgy helps you implement serverless solutions tailored to your business.

3. Implement autoscaling

Use GCP’s Autoscaler to automatically adjust the number of virtual machine instances based on demand. This prevents over-provisioning and conserves energy by optimizing resource usage. Autoscaling ensures that your applications use only the resources they need at any given time.

4. Optimize data storage

Regularly audit and classify your data using Google Cloud Storage’s different classes — Standard, Nearline, Coldline, and Archive. Store infrequently accessed data in lower-energy, cost-effective options. Efficient data management reduces unnecessary storage use and energy consumption.

Revolgy can help you set up a data management strategy that maximizes efficiency and sustainability.

5. Leverage multi-tenancy with GKE

Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) supports multi-tenancy, allowing multiple workloads to share the same infrastructure securely. This maximizes resource utilization and reduces the environmental impact per user. Efficiently managed clusters lead to significant energy savings.

Revolgy can assist in configuring and managing GKE for optimal resource use.

6. Adopt green software development practices

Use GCP’s performance monitoring tools like Cloud Trace and Cloud Profiler to create efficient applications. Optimize code to reduce computational requirements and energy consumption. Green software development focuses on efficiency, minimizing the computing power needed.

7. Utilize renewable energy options

GCP matches 100% of its electricity consumption with renewable energy purchases. By using GCP, your business supports green energy initiatives and reduces its carbon footprint. Google aims to operate on carbon-free energy 24/7 by 2030, and it achieved 64% round-the-clock CFE across all data centers in 2022.

8. Monitor and optimize resource usage

Use Google Cloud Monitoring to track resource utilization and identify inefficiencies. Regularly review and adjust configurations to optimize performance and minimize energy use. Detailed insights help in making informed decisions about resource allocation.

With our managed services, Revolgy provides continuous monitoring to ensure your resources are used efficiently.

9. Encourage remote work with Google Workspace

Google Workspace offers tools like Google Meet, Google Docs, and Google Drive that make remote work and collaboration easy. By supporting remote work, your business can reduce the need for physical office space and lower energy consumption. This not only decreases commuting and office energy usage but also helps your company reduce its overall carbon footprint.

Revolgy can help your team get the most out of Google Workspace for efficient remote collaboration.

10. Promote a culture of sustainability

Educate your team about sustainable practices and energy efficiency. Encourage continuous improvement and make sustainability a core aspect of your business operations. Google’s tools, like Cloud Carbon Footprint, help teams understand and act on their carbon emissions. In 2022, tools like eco-friendly routing in Google Maps helped prevent over 1.2 million metric tons of carbon emissions.

With the right practices and tools, using GCP sustainably is possible. By following these tips, you can reduce your environmental impact and improve operations. GCP’s commitment to sustainability supports companies in meeting their green goals. Implementing these practices benefits both your business and the planet.

Plus, Revolgy’s expertise in cloud adoption and digital transformation ensures you can effectively implement these practices. Partner with us to make your cloud journey green, benefiting both your business and the planet. 💚