Last
month, I touched upon the effect of President
Obama’s cap-and-trade energy plan on data centers (“Behavior Modification:
www.distributedenergy.com/blogs/de-editors-blog/behavior-modification-53331.aspx).
In that blog, I suggested that in order to survive under a new national energy
policy that calls for accountability and quantifiable results, data centers
would be wise to focus on energy efficiency, and how onsite power can mitigate
the cost of acquiring energy from a centralized supply (like the
grid).
Although
onsite power (especially when tied to renewable and/or demand/response systems)
is one way to streamline energy usage, using equipment that is fine-tuned for
its purpose can also positively impact large, energy-intensive enterprises.
Along this line, the EPA recently introduced a Tier 1 Energy Star rating for
low-end enterprise servers. Presently,
the EPA estimates that about 25% of servers under Tier 1 will qualify for an
Energy Star endorsement, and many in the industry hope the EPA standards will
eventually evolve into a Tier 2 rating for larger systems.
Data
centers account for almost 2% of all US energy consumption, which—according to a
2006 report by the EPA—translates into
61 billion kWh and a total
consumption cost of $4.5 billion per year. As technology evolves and equipment
becomes more compact, data centers can pack more into a smaller space—increasing
loads and power density. Coupled with higher electricity prices and pressure to
conform to stricter environmental standards, many data center managers find
themselves struggling to survive.
Within
that context, it’s easy to see that the EPA’s labeling program will help data
center operators make informed choices when it comes to equipment—choices that
can reduce consumption and costs while shrinking their collective carbon
footprint.
So
what do you think? Is taking a program that has worked well for toasters and
refrigerators the right approach to large-scale energy users? Will it make a
difference if computer manufacturers can market their products as sanctioned
“energy savers,” and what—if
any—real
impact these EPA guidelines will have on data center energy consumption and
environmental mitigation?