IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i8p3543-d1635148.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Modeling Critical Success Factors for Green Energy Integration in Data Centers

Author

Listed:
  • Panos T. Chountalas

    (Department of Business Administration, University of Piraeus, GR-18534 Piraeus, Greece)

  • Stamatios K. Chrysikopoulos

    (Department of Business Administration, University of Piraeus, GR-18534 Piraeus, Greece)

  • Konstantina K. Agoraki

    (Department of Business Administration, University of Piraeus, GR-18534 Piraeus, Greece)

  • Natalia Chatzifoti

    (Department of Business Administration, University of Piraeus, GR-18534 Piraeus, Greece)

Abstract

The rising energy demands of data centers combined with increasing sustainability requirements require the integration of green energy solutions. This study identifies and analyzes the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) that affect the effective adoption of green energy in data centers, addressing both technical and organizational challenges. Through a systematic literature review and expert validation, eleven key CSFs were identified, encompassing aspects such as energy efficiency, renewable energy integration, carbon neutrality strategies, regulatory compliance, and investment strategies. This study employs the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) methodology to explore the interdependencies among these factors, mapping causal relationships within the CSF network. The findings indicate that governance and organizational culture, along with investment strategy, are the most influential CSFs, driving the effectiveness of energy transition efforts. Carbon neutrality strategies serve as a crucial mediating factor, linking governance and financial commitment to operational sustainability outcomes. Additionally, renewable energy integration and regulatory compliance act as structural mediators, ensuring that governance-led sustainability initiatives result in practical, measurable impacts. These insights provide a strategic roadmap for data center operators, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to prioritize interventions that promote a resilient and sustainable energy transition. By clarifying the cause-and-effect dynamics within the green energy adoption framework, this study contributes to the development of more effective policies and investment strategies aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of data centers and enhancing their long-term sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Panos T. Chountalas & Stamatios K. Chrysikopoulos & Konstantina K. Agoraki & Natalia Chatzifoti, 2025. "Modeling Critical Success Factors for Green Energy Integration in Data Centers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-22, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:8:p:3543-:d:1635148
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/8/3543/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/8/3543/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kwon, Soongeol, 2020. "Ensuring renewable energy utilization with quality of service guarantee for energy-efficient data center operations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    2. Zhiyuan Liu & Hang Yu & Rui Liu & Meng Wang & Chaoen Li, 2020. "Configuration Optimization Model for Data-Center-Park-Integrated Energy Systems under Economic, Reliability, and Environmental Considerations," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-22, January.
    3. Stamatios K. Chrysikopoulos & Panos T. Chountalas & Dimitrios A. Georgakellos & Athanasios G. Lagodimos, 2024. "Green Certificates Research: Bibliometric Assessment of Current State and Future Directions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-45, January.
    4. Wu, Hsin-Hung & Chang, Shih-Yu, 2015. "A case study of using DEMATEL method to identify critical factors in green supply chain management," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 256(C), pages 394-403.
    5. Jouhara, Hussam & Meskimmon, Richard, 2014. "Heat pipe based thermal management systems for energy-efficient data centres," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 265-270.
    6. Md. Abdul Moktadir & Anil Kumar & Syed Mithun Ali & Sanjoy Kumar Paul & Razia Sultana & Jafar Rezaei, 2020. "Critical success factors for a circular economy: Implications for business strategy and the environment," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 3611-3635, December.
    7. Panos T. Chountalas & Natalia Chatzifoti & Alexandra Alexandropoulou & Dimitrios A. Georgakellos, 2024. "Analyzing Barriers to Innovation Management Implementation in Sustainable Tourism Using DEMATEL Method," World, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-19, October.
    8. Habibi Khalaj, Ali & Abdulla, Khalid & Halgamuge, Saman K., 2018. "Towards the stand-alone operation of data centers with free cooling and optimally sized hybrid renewable power generation and energy storage," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 451-472.
    9. Deymi-Dashtebayaz, Mahdi & Norani, Marziye, 2021. "Sustainability assessment and emergy analysis of employing the CCHP system under two different scenarios in a data center," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    10. Bai, Chunguang & Sarkis, Joseph, 2013. "A grey-based DEMATEL model for evaluating business process management critical success factors," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(1), pages 281-292.
    11. Chia-Chi Chang & Po-Yu Chen, 2018. "Analysis of critical factors for social games based on extended technology acceptance model: a DEMATEL approach," Behaviour and Information Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(8), pages 774-785, August.
    12. Kouhizadeh, Mahtab & Saberi, Sara & Sarkis, Joseph, 2021. "Blockchain technology and the sustainable supply chain: Theoretically exploring adoption barriers," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    13. Shahbaz Khan & Rubee Singh & Abid Haleem & Jacinta Dsilva & Sadia Samar Ali, 2022. "Exploration of Critical Success Factors of Logistics 4.0: A DEMATEL Approach," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-14, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Panos T. Chountalas & Natalia Chatzifoti & Alexandra Alexandropoulou & Dimitrios A. Georgakellos, 2024. "Analyzing Barriers to Innovation Management Implementation in Sustainable Tourism Using DEMATEL Method," World, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-19, October.
    2. Nikita Osintsev & Aleksandr Rakhmangulov, 2025. "Supply Chain Sustainability Drivers: Identification and Multi-Criteria Assessment," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-45, February.
    3. Zare Ghaleh Seyyedi, Abbas & Akbari, Ehsan & Mahmoudi Rashid, Sara & Nejati, Seyed Ashkan & Gitizadeh, Mohsen, 2024. "Application of robust optimized spatiotemporal load management of data centers for renewable curtailment mitigation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    4. Kumar, Shashank & Raut, Rakesh D. & Agrawal, Nishant & Cheikhrouhou, Naoufel & Sharma, Mahak & Daim, Tugrul, 2022. "Integrated blockchain and internet of things in the food supply chain: Adoption barriers," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    5. Eduardo Augusto Machado & Luiz Felipe Scavarda & Rodrigo Goyannes Gusmão Caiado & Renan Silva Santos, 2024. "Industry 4.0 and Sustainability Integration in the Supply Chains of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises through People, Process, and Technology within the Triple Bottom Line Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-25, January.
    6. Ashish Dwivedi & Sanjoy Kumar Paul, 2022. "A framework for digital supply chains in the era of circular economy: Implications on environmental sustainability," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1249-1274, May.
    7. Shao, Shuangquan & Liu, Haichao & Zhang, Hainan & Tian, Changqing, 2019. "Experimental investigation on a loop thermosyphon with evaporative condenser for free cooling of data centers," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 829-836.
    8. Govindan, Kannan, 2023. "How digitalization transforms the traditional circular economy to a smart circular economy for achieving SDGs and net zero," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    9. Eduardo Machado & Luiz Felipe Scavarda & Rodrigo Goyannes Gusmão Caiado & Antonio Márcio Tavares Thomé, 2021. "Barriers and Enablers for the Integration of Industry 4.0 and Sustainability in Supply Chains of MSMEs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-31, October.
    10. Matthew Quayson & Chunguang Bai & Lihua Sun & Joseph Sarkis, 2023. "Building blockchain‐driven dynamic capabilities for developing circular supply chain: Rethinking the role of sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 4821-4840, November.
    11. Omar Boutkhoum & Mohamed Hanine & Mohamed Nabil & Fatima El Barakaz & Ernesto Lee & Furqan Rustam & Imran Ashraf, 2021. "Analysis and Evaluation of Barriers Influencing Blockchain Implementation in Moroccan Sustainable Supply Chain Management: An Integrated IFAHP-DEMATEL Framework," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(14), pages 1-23, July.
    12. Lai, Kee-hung & Feng, Yunting & Zhu, Qinghua, 2023. "Digital transformation for green supply chain innovation in manufacturing operations," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    13. Emmanuel Ebo Arthur & Solomon Gyamfi & Wolfgang Gerstlberger & Jan Stejskal & Viktor Prokop, 2023. "Towards Circular Economy: Unveiling Heterogeneous Effects of Government Policy Stringency, Environmentally Related Innovation, and Human Capital within OECD Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-18, March.
    14. Rohit Agrawal & Vishal A. Wankhede & Anil Kumar & Sunil Luthra, 2021. "Analysing the roadblocks of circular economy adoption in the automobile sector: Reducing waste and environmental perspectives," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 1051-1066, February.
    15. German Arana‐Landin & Waleska Sigüenza & Beñat Landeta‐Manzano & Iker Laskurain‐Iturbe, 2024. "Circular economy: On the road to ISO 59000 family of standards," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(3), pages 1977-2009, May.
    16. Jurczuk Arkadiusz, 2021. "Barriers to implementation of business process governance mechanisms," Engineering Management in Production and Services, Sciendo, vol. 13(4), pages 22-38, December.
    17. Syed Imran Zaman & Sharfuddin Ahmed Khan & Sahar Qabool & Himanshu Gupta, 2023. "How digitalization in banking improve service supply chain resilience of e-commerce sector? a technological adoption model approach," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 904-930, June.
    18. Patricia van Loon & Luk N. Van Wassenhove & Ales Mihelic, 2022. "Designing a circular business strategy: 7 years of evolution at a large washing machine manufacturer," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(3), pages 1030-1041, March.
    19. Govindan, Kannan & Kannan, Devika & Jørgensen, Thomas Ballegård & Nielsen, Tim Straarup, 2022. "Supply Chain 4.0 performance measurement: A systematic literature review, framework development, and empirical evidence," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    20. Davies, Jennifer & Sharifi, Hossein & Lyons, Andrew & Forster, Rick & Elsayed, Omar Khaled Shokry Mohamed, 2024. "Non-fungible tokens: The missing ingredient for sustainable supply chains in the metaverse age?," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:8:p:3543-:d:1635148. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.