Computers and IT hardware are famously hungry for energy, but the large data they provide and crunch has become central to the functioning of modern business and government. In addition to cost, companies see them as low-hanging fruit when it comes to reducing their energy intensity and boosting their green credentials. As they are often in large, consolidated areas, distributed generation and reliance on renewables, and on alternative cooling methods, are also part of the package when it comes to green data centers.