EPA Takes STAR-ring Role

By Jeff Feinman

June 27, 2008 —  (Page 1 of 3)
Sometimes a frequently talked about concern can be in the forefront of an industry, but such issues are given a much greater level of legitimacy when a government body takes action.

That is what is happening with concerns around data center energy efficiency as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken up a number of initiatives to quell rising energy use. The EPA has teamed with the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to create the National Data Center Energy Efficiency Information Program, which coordinates energy-related activities and initiatives of the two departments.

EPA figures say that energy consumed by data centers will grow by 12 percent per year. However, if organizations were to adopt technologies like energy efficient computer servers and server virtualization, energy efficiency could improve by as much as 70 percent.

The National Data Center Energy Efficiency Information Program integrates elements of the DOE’s Save Energy Now, DOE FEMP (Federal Energy Management Program) and the EPA’s ENERGY STAR program. The EPA is working to develop consistent measurement protocols and metrics to define energy performance in data centers, along with tools to help data center operators to measure their energy use and discover ways to improve it. One tool already created is the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, which tracks and assesses energy and water consumption online.

Currently, the EPA is developing an ENERGY STAR rating system for data centers and enterprise servers. An ENERGY STAR approval shows that a facility or piece of equipment is among the most energy-efficient products on the market.

Mike Zatz, chief of ENERGY STAR’s market sectors group, said that a building owner or manager, and potentially a data center manager, determines his or her facility’s rating on a 1-to-100 scale by using the Portfolio Manager. Information about the building’s historical energy use and operations is entered and the building receives a rating. A rating of 75 or higher indicates that the building performs better than 75 percent of similar buildings and is eligible to earn the ENERGY STAR label, Zatz said.

Related Search Term(s): Data centers, green computing, power

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