A diagram shows the research methodology used by Pike Research (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — As the cloud computing industry continues to grow , a new study finds the adoption of cloud services will lead to a 38 percent reduction in global data center energy expenditures by 2020. The report, “Cloud Computing Energy Efficiency” by cleantech market intelligence firm Pike Research ( www.pikeresearch.com ), finds energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced as cloud computing becomes more mainstream. “The growth of cloud computing will have a very significant positive effect on data center energy consumption,” senior analyst Eric Woods said in a statement. “Few, if any, clean technologies have the capability to reduce energy expenditures and GHG production with so little business disruption.