Schneider Electric

AI and Data Centers: Driving Global Decarbonization

Schneider Electric

AI and Data Centers: Driving Global Decarbonization

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

9 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

9 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Describe how AI‑powered data centers drive decarbonization across energy, transport, buildings, and industry

  • Explain how AI and data centers support clean energy grids, smart mobility, and efficient operations

  • Identify why sustainable digital infrastructure is essential for achieving global net‑zero goals

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Recently updated!

April 2026

Assessments

22 assignments

Taught in English

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There are 5 modules in this course

Data centers that once operated in the background are well known by almost everyone thanks to recent Artificial Intelligence hype. There has been a wave of new scrutiny of data center energy use and carbon emissions. However, forecasts showing future sustainability of the sector and active participation in carbon footprint reduction from the economy present optimistic perspectives. Carbon footprint reduction in every sector of the economy requires data centers. Electrification and digitization enabled by data centers will drive decarbonization, which will improve quality of life and boost technology development. By relying on renewable power sources, innovative power, and cooling technologies, data centers will continue to reduce their own emissions while mitigating major emissions from other sectors and leveraging Artificial Intelligence.

What's included

10 videos4 readings4 assignments

The decarbonization of energy generation and distribution is an important objective because sizable emissions from this sector are widespread across the entire economy. The power sector requires electrification with more renewables in the energy mix. Equally important is extensive digitalization that will help manage transformation. This process will generate large amounts of data, which is impossible without including data centers in infrastructure. By housing Artificial Intelligence, data centers will allow smart management of supply and demand to mitigate carbon footprint. Energy generation and distribution are going to be significantly more resilient and secure thanks to the broader deployment of data centers.

What's included

12 videos1 reading5 assignments1 plugin

Reducing pollution from commercial and residential buildings is based on electrification and consecutive digitalization. Both actions show tremendous potential to deliver expected decarbonization through increased renewables share in energy supply, smart management of HVAC that respects building occupancy, and control of emerging electrical loads like EV charging stations located in buildings. Predictive tools driving that transformation are housed in data centers. AI will be used for battling buildings emissions from operations and mitigating embedded carbon, but large data generated in the process requires IT infrastructure. Sectorial efficiency gains achieved thanks to smart tools are impossible without data centers providing computing power and low latency transfers.

What's included

9 videos1 reading4 assignments

Substantial contributions to global emissions coming from manufacturing are likely to decrease thanks to improvements in operational efficiency. Digitalization of the production sector will lead a transformation towards optimized processes and have the potential to change the existing paradigm driving IT/OT convergence. In the foreseeable future, Artificial Intelligence that relies on undisturbed access to data centers will drive decarbonization of manufacturing. Smart algorithms employed in automation and predictive tools will decrease asset down time and generate vast amounts of data, which need to be securely transferred, processed, and stored. Data centers are an inevitable element in reducing carbon footprint in manufacturing.

What's included

12 videos2 readings4 assignments1 plugin

The global carbon footprint is largely made of emissions from transportation. Electrification and digitalization of the sector will strongly reduce pollution and increase sustainability, thanks to green fuel and optimization of operations. However, smart management of EV charging stations or automated supervision of fleets with predictive algorithms driving decarbonization will generate large amounts of data. Data centers are an essential element of the transport evolution, enabling AI algorithms participation in sectorial transformation. Smart tools substantially increase data traffic and require low latency, secure networks, and fully accessible platforms to operate. Optimization and a large part of decarbonization in the transportation sector are impossible without the broader deployment of data centers.

What's included

13 videos1 reading5 assignments

Instructor

Taught by Schneider Electric Experts
Schneider Electric
1 Course37 learners

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