Sustainability Watch. Data Center Energy Efficiency. Data Center Energy Efficiency Is Fast Becoming a Priority. Watch List.

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1 2009 Is Fast Becoming a Priority Watch List Generally accepted energy performance metrics and requirements for servers (as well as data centers) is an EPA priority and will likely be clearly defined in the next two years. The EPA introduced its Energy Star Computer Server Specification on May 15, 2009, which is concerned with power supply and idle power consumption. Additions to the specification are expected and could include blade servers. The EPA is already working on a Tier 2 specification that will measure work done for a given amount of energy, to be published by January, The EPA is also developing an energy performance rating system for enterprise storage and data centers. Once performance measures are in place, an incentive program similar to the 80 PLUS model, or the EPA s Energy Star program, may well follow for manufacturers who install energy efficient servers. A Certified Energy Professional (CEP) program is being developed which will formally certify people who can officially analyze data center power use. The US Green Building Council is in the process of developing a LEED certification process for Data Centers. Related Sustainability Watch Reports IT & Computing Office Equipment Power Usage Effectiveness Key Takeaways The EPA reports that data centers consume 1.5% of total US energy, a number that has doubled in the last 5 years and which will likely double again in the next 5 years. If current trends were to continue, the cost of energy consumed by a server during its lifetime will likely surpass the cost of the equipment itself. Most of the energy that drives servers and ancillary equipment ends up as waste heat that must be managed by a cooling system. A typical data center facility spends almost half of its energy consumption on powering and cooling the computers, not on running the computers themselves. Even an energy efficient server still uses about half its full power when doing virtually no work, thus suggesting the need for consolidation of resources and improved system design. An EPA study suggests that present technologies and design strategies could reduce a typical data center s energy use by 30% or more; with existing equipment, implementing best practices and consolidating applications could reduce energy usage by 20%. A public private partnership which involves federal performance measurements and guidelines as well as organization-level definition of priorities and roles, development of timelines, and identification of issues requiring further assessment is necessary for success.

2 Data Center Energy Efficiency Executive Summary Data centers consume.5% of the world s energy, a figure which doubled between the years 2000 and 2006, and which will double again in the next five years. Last year, US data centers consumed as much as 61 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity or 1.5% of the nation s total, half of which comes from coal. On scale with the airline industry, data centers are second only to heavy manufacturing in terms of energy use and, as a result, are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA states that the growth in demand for data centers is driven by increases in electronic transactions in financial services, expanded use of internet communication and entertainment, a shift to electronic medical records for healthcare, and growth in global commerce and services. Some analysts go further to say that demand will increase exponentially because we are in the midst of a cultural revolution fueled by a need for instant access to information worldwide. The potential risks vs. rewards of such growth, as well as the political, socio-economic and environmental consequences of this new-found capability, are important for business executives to understand. Many technologically intensive industries, such as financial services and telecommunications, face a very real possibility of reduced profitability despite rising demand. Operating costs are increasing twice as rapidly as revenues, and investment in new data center construction is significantly affecting profitability. By some estimates, new data facilities must be constructed every 3 to 5 years simply to keep up with demand, thereby drawing resources away from other IT initiatives such as application development and improved user interface. Similarly, according to the McKinsey Group, by 2020 information and communications products and technologies, including data centers and computing and telecommunications networks, could be the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. The demand for increased capacity is such that a recent Siemens AG survey concluded: 70% of the world s data centers will experience system disruptions by 2011 and worldwide brownouts over the next five years if companies don t take energy savings measures now. Business executives can expect immediate payback from readily available improvements in application management, server efficiency, power supply and distribution, and cooling system advances. The greatest obstacles to change are, not surprisingly, lack of information, lack of funding, shortage of expertise, risk aversion, and a need for tools to monitor and manage an energy center s usage and efficiency. Computer Room Canadian Press

3 Business Options & Best Practices A Public Private Partnership for a Public Private Concern Data centers consume 1.5% of total US energy; a level of consumption that is more than the electricity consumed by all the color televisions in the US and equivalent to the energy consumed by 5.8 million average households. This amount of energy is approximately equal to that amount produced by 30 power plants. In an effort to curb this energy use, the EPA will evaluate its own servers and facilities and then standardize performance measures. It has a signed memorandum of understanding with The Green Grid, the data center energy efficiency consortium, and plans to publish its results for the benefit of other governmental agencies and industry stakeholders. Once minimum energy standards are established for servers, federal agencies would be required to purchase servers meeting those requirements. Energy eligibility requirements for servers at the federal level could result in increased purchases of energy efficient servers at the state, local and foreign levels where many government agencies procurement policies also fall under Energy Star and DOE restrictions. By standardizing performance measurement of equipment and facilities, as well as modeling best practices and sharing results, a system of federal leadership will be forged. For individual companies themselves, reduced energy consumption in the data center offers immediate environmental and economic savings. What s more, the resources necessary to make dramatic improvements in energy efficiency are available now, both for the physical structure itself and the IT equipment contained within. The EPA estimates that, without compromising performance and reliability, energy savings of more than 20% are possible simply by improving operating management procedures. Savings of up to 45% are possible by incorporating a series of best practices using today s technologies. Reductions of up to 55% are possible if state-of-the-art strategies were embraced. The first step for reducing data center energy usage is to conduct a real time energy audit; evaluating a company s energy use against an accepted metric such as the Green Grid s PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) or DCiE (Data Center Infrastructure Effectiveness). Admittedly only a first step, the main criteria are efficiency of a server s power supply and the amount of power consumed at idle. The second step is to plan for the future, considering such factors as location and current power requirements, projections for growth, local government regulations, incentives available, and required CO2 reductions and their timeframe. Management will not be able to evaluate the environmental and economic benefits of energy saving initiatives without first establishing metrics with which to track and quantify improvements. A cost-benefit analysis at that point will likely lead to some simple steps that can be taken to yield results quickly and inexpensively in the short term, and some more sophisticated measures with even greater rewards that can be incorporated over time. In some cases, it may become clear that the best solution for a company is not to house its own data center, but to outsource its IT needs. Short Term Energy-Saving Strategies Decommission obsolete equipment Perform regular maintenance on computer room air handlers Remove sub floor air-flow blockage, such as excess cabling and wiring Replace long power cords with shorter lengths to improve air flow 3

4 Use wire management and ties to secure wiring Install motion sensor switches; turn off the lights when not in use Cover all open rack spaces with blanking panels Configure racks into a hot aisle/cold aisle format Contain hot aisles from cold aisles Block cable openings to prevent cold air waste Turn off idle servers Turn off unnecessary air conditioning Optimize perforated tile locations Long Term Energy-Saving Strategies Use energy-efficient equipment Switch to DC power supplies Consolidate and virtualize servers Reduce redundancy by right-sizing IT and cooling systems Track and manage data center energy consumption Make energy consumption a part of total cost analysis Improve airflow management Implement targeted/adaptive cooling solutions. Using fresh air can reduce air-conditioning need by as much as 85%. Liquid cooling eliminates the mixing of hot and cold air. Formalize relationship between IT and facility managers Beyond the Facility Itself: Conserve fresh water by using recycled water instead Reuse or recycle all electronic equipment Engage with peers to advance smart energy practices Resources Government & Non-profits EPA Provides tools and technical assistance designed to help businesses understand and meet their obliga tions under environmental laws and regulations. Offers important information about grants and partnerships, as well as best practices. DOE - Together with the EPA offers important information about grants and partnerships, as well as best practices. Its Energy Matters quarterly for the Industrial Technologies Program provides in-depth articles to help industry professionals save energy, reduce costs, and increase productivity. NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) The DOE s primary center for research and development with the goal of accelerating research and scientific innovation to discover market-viable energy solutions. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Provides technical resources to help designers and operators improve data center energy performance using a wealth of information including benchmarking tools, case studies, and technical reports. The Green Grid An association of IT professionals seeking to lower the overall energy consumption of data centers globally. Encourages members to share best practices. ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) Develops standards for building systems and disseminates information on sustainable technology. AFCOM A leading association for data center professionals, dedicated to providing education and resources for management in key areas affecting all data-intensive organizations. World Business Council for Sustainable Development - Provides a platform for companies 4

5 to explore sustainable development, share knowledge, experiences and best practices. Climate Savers Computing Initiative Chartered in 2007 by Google and Intel, this group unites consumers, businesses and conservation organizations in an effort to cut power consumption from all computers by 50% by Regulatory Environment - EPA Report to Congress on Server and Data Center Efficiency, August 2, In response to Public law , the EPA released to Congress a report assessing opportunities for energy efficiency improvements for government and commercial computer servers and data centers in the United States. The report outlines projections for growth of energy use of servers and data centers, evaluates costs and savings of energy saving improvements, and recommends potential incentives and voluntary programs to promote energy efficiency. - EPA Finalized Version 1.0 of the Energy Star Enterprise Servers Specification, May 15, After consulting with server makers for more than a year, the EPA details in this report which types of servers the program will cover and their performance criteria. Vendors are required to publish power and performance data in a standard way for qualifying models and configurations. The program will be used for industry standard x86 servers, though blade servers may be added soon. The specification has been criticized for measuring idle consumption only. - EPA Data Collection Initiative to Develop an Energy Star Rating for Data Centers, October The EPA has invited industry stakeholders to submit data on energy use and operations, including both stand-alone facilities as well as data centers located in office and other types of buildings. The goal is to publish by January, 2010, Energy Star benchmarks for data centers which reflect whole building operations. - The European Commission s Code of Conduct on Data Centres Energy Efficiency Version 1.0, October 30, This voluntary program aims to inform and stimulate data centre operators and owners to reduce energy consumption in a costeffective manner without hampering the mission critical function of data centres. Much like the EPA s Report to Congress, The Code of Conduct aims to achieve this by improving understanding of energy demand within the data center, raising awareness, and recommending energy efficient best practice and targets. Established Standards PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) and DCiE (Data Center infrastructure Efficiency) Reciprocal metrics proposed by The Green Grid which enable data center operators to estimate the energy efficiency of their data centers, compare the results against other data centers, and determine if any energy efficiency improvements need to be made. These have become the de facto standards for the industry. Energy Star Program In May, 2009, the EPA announced Energy Star specifications for servers, to go into effect immediately. Computer servers that earn the Energy Star will be, on average, 30% more energy efficient than standard servers. An energy performance rating system for enterprise storage and data centers is being formulated. US Green Building Council s LEED Program An internationally recognized certification system that provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green 5

6 building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. Some experts question the relevance of LEED metrics for data center design, citing reliability vs. sustainability as the central issue. However, most agree that many valuable features of the LEED program can be applied to data center design. EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) A system to help purchasers evaluate, compare and select electronic products based on their environmental attributes. Many agencies of the federal government, such as NASA and the Defense Department, must meet EPEAT standards for purchasing. 80 PLUS Program An electric utility funded program to integrate more energy-efficient power supplies into desktop computers and servers. Requires 80% or better efficiency of power supplies for certification. Related Entities Non Governmental Organizations AFCOM Alliance to Save Energy ASHRAE Consortium for Energy Efficient Thermal Management Enterprise Strategy Group Environmental Defense Fund Gartner Research and Consulting Uptime Institute World Business Council for Sustainable Development 7x24 Exchange Governmental Organizations DOE Energy Star Enterprise Server and Data Center Energy Efficiency Initiatives Federal Energy Management Program Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory National Renewable Energy Laboratory US Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Certification Organizations 80 PLUS Climate Leaders Climate Savers Energy Star EPA EPEAT The Green Grid Standards Organizations Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation US Green Building Council (LEEDS) Acronymns ASHRAE American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers DCiE Data Center Infrastructure Efficiency LEED Leadership in Energy Environmental Design NREL National Renewable Energy Laboratory PUE Power Use Effectiveness References Are data centers burning the brand? (2007). Data Strategy, 3(8), Retrieved May 28, 2009, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Complete. t-live Barroso, L. & Holzle U. (2007, Dec). The case for energy-proportional computing. Computer. IEEE Computer Society. Retrieved May 29, 2009, from org/portal/site/computer/menuitem.eb7d ce52e4b0ef1bd108bcd45f3/index. jsp?&pname=computer_level1&path=computer/ homepage/dec07&file=feature.xml&xsl=article.xs 6

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