Data Center Definition and Solutions

Data Center topics covering definition, objectives, systems and solutions.

By Michael Bullock
Fri, August 14, 2009

Page 4

Is the federal government involved in data centers?

Since data centers consume a far greater share of the power grid than any other sector, they have attracted the attention of the federal government and global regulatory agencies.

Cap and Trade: Sometimes called emissions trading, this is an administrative approach to controlling pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in polluting emissions. In concept, the government sets a limit ("a cap") on the amount of pollutants an enterprise can release into the environment. Companies that need to increase their emissions must buy (or trade) credits from those who pollute less. The entire system is designed to impose higher costs (essentially, taxes) on companies that don't use clean energy sources. The Obama administration is proposing Cap and Trade legislation and that is expected to affect U.S. energy prices and data center economics in the near future.

DOE (Department of Energy): The U.S. Department of Energys overarching mission is to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States. The EPA and the DOE have initiated a joint national data center energy efficiency information program. The program is engaging numerous industry stakeholders who are developing and deploying a variety of tools and informational resources to assist data center operators in their efforts to reduce energy consumption in their facilities.

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency): The EPA is responsible for establishing and enforcing environmental standards in order to safeguard the environment and thereby improve the general state of Americas health. In May 2009 the EPA released Version 1 of the ENERGY STAR® Computer Server specification detailing the energy efficiency standards required by the agency. Servers have to carry the label.

PL 109-431: Passed in December 2006, the law instructs the EPA to report to congress the status of IT data center energy consumption along with recommendations to promote the use of energy efficient computer servers in the US. It resulted in a "Report to Congress on Server and Data Center Energy Efficiency" delivered in August 2007 by the EPA ENERGY STAR Program. This report assesses current trends in the energy use and energy costs of data centers and servers in the US and outlines existing and emerging opportunities for improved energy efficiency. It provides particular information on the costs of data centers and servers to the federal government and opportunities for reducing those costs through improved efficiency. It also makes recommendations for pursuing these energy-efficiency opportunities broadly across the country through the use of information and incentive-based programs.

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