1. Articles from environmentalleader.com

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    1. Top Trends in Data Center Energy Management

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Jan 31 2012) Construction , Emissions

      Top Trends in Data Center Energy Management

      The way large enterprises, government agencies and managed service providers analyze and utilize energy in their data centers will undergo some fairly substantial changes over the next five years. Some organizations are already struggling with increased power demands in the face of constrained capacity caused by both inefficient equipment and stranded power.  The situation is understandable, as most data centers were designed to emphasize performance and availability, with little attention paid to how efficiently the data center would deliver on those objectives.

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      Comment Mentions:   LEED

    2. Sustainability as Economic Game Changer

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Jan 26 2012) Construction , Emissions

      Sustainability as Economic Game Changer “It is one thing to flirt with an idea, and another thing to be married to it.” –Freud In founding a new long-term, visionary world economy, there is no more apposite topic than sustainability — where we develop and establish a durable, value-generating business model delivering long-term protection of the global economy, society and natural capital. And in order to establish sustainability as a business model, organizations need to understand the interdependence between its various capitals – such as human capital, manufactured capital, etc. – and their impacts on energy, water, bio-diversity, green house gas emissions. They must also understand the wider societal impacts of sustainability, and define all of these into one coherent policy and reporting framework. (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   The Economist   IBM

    3. Journal Hails Efficient Lighting as “Unsung Hero” of Data Center Efficiency

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Jan 5 2012) Construction , Emissions , Cloud Computing , Servers

      Journal Hails Efficient Lighting as “Unsung Hero” of Data Center Efficiency Despite consuming only around 3-to-5 percent of a data center’s electrical load, lighting can make a greater impact on a data systems power usage effectiveness rating than many other efficiency systems, according to an article in the Data Center Journal. Switching to energy efficient lighting that integrates with building performance and energy management systems can improve a center’s PUE by up to 25 percent, the article says. The potential efficiency savings from lighting are so great that the publication has labeled it the “unsung hero” of data center efficiency. (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Facebook   CA

    4. Understanding Network Energy Use Is Key to Efficiency

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Nov 28 2011) Emissions , Networking , Servers

      Understanding Network Energy Use Is Key to Efficiency Measuring, monitoring and responding to system energy use are key to optimizing the overall energy performance of network systems, according to a white paper released by IT consortium Climate Savers Computing Initiative. According to Power Management for Networking Devices, mapping the components of power consumption in a system – including input power, used power and [...] (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Natural Resources Defense Council   Intel   Cisco

    5. Dominion, Power Assure to Attach Data Centers to Smart Grid

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Nov 23 2011) Cloud Computing

      Dominion, Power Assure to Attach Data Centers to Smart Grid Virginia utility Dominion Power has invested $1 million in data center power management software company Power Assure as the companies begin a partnership to integrate data centers into the smart grid. Dominion describes data centers as an “excellent fit” for smart grid integration, citing their high power density, the amount of excess power available in [...] (Read Full Article)

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    6. Google Axes ‘Renewables Cheaper than Coal’ Project

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Nov 23 2011) Fossil Fuel

      Google Axes ‘Renewables Cheaper than Coal’ Project Google is abandoning efforts to make renewable energy cheaper than coal, the company blogged yesterday. The internet giant said is cancelling seven projects, including the aptly named Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal (RE (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Google   Bill Weihl   Larry Page

    7. World’s Second-Largest Data Center Nabs LEED Gold

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Nov 17 2011) Construction

      World’s Second-Largest Data Center Nabs LEED Gold Quality Technology Services has achieved LEED Gold certification at its Atlanta Metro facility, which it says is the world’s second-largest data centers. LEED president Rick Fedrizzi said QTS’s achievement is all the more impressive because of the difficulties inherent in a multi-tenant data center, where individual tenant agreements require specific guidelines on temperature and humidity. [...] (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Nvidia   LEED   Quality Technology Services

    8. Modular Data Centers Make Green, Business Sense Says Report

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Nov 16 2011) Construction , Cloud Computing , Servers

      Modular Data Centers Make Green, Business Sense Says Report Pre-engineered and prefabricated data centers now make environmental and economic sense, according a report by environmental IT research consortium The Green Grid. According to Deploying and Using Containerized/Modular Data Center Facilities, this new modular approach to the construction and deployment of a data centers can be rapidly deployed, have lower operating and capital costs, and [...] (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   The Green Grid   IBM   Allianz

    9. Google Green Czar Steps Down

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Nov 9 2011)

      Google Green Czar Steps Down Google green czar Bill Weihl quietly stepped down from his post yesterday. Weihl, who headed the company’s Clean Energy Team, confirmed his departure to the website Fresh Dialogues only a few days ago. He told the site, “It’s time to move on and find something new,” but wouldn’t disclose what his next move would be. PCWorld said Weihl was involved in almost all green initiatives at Google, including research, investments in green technologies, and energy reduction efforts. Major green projects at Google include a $168 million equity investment in the 370 MW Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, and a 42 percent stake in the $5 billion Atlantic Wind Connection, a planned undersea power line to enable 6,000 MW of wind development from New York to Virginia. Altogether, Google has invested more than $800 million in clean energy, Business Insider reports. (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Google   Bill Weihl

    10. 40% of Firms Failing to Tackle Energy Efficiency, UK Says

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Nov 9 2011) Cap and Trade , Emissions

      40% of Firms Failing to Tackle Energy Efficiency, UK Says More than 40 percent of companies ranked on their energy efficiency actions by the U.K. government failed to score a single point, it emerged yesterday. The Environment Agency’s Performance League Table ranks participants in the Carbon Reduction Commitment program, under which companies of a certain size have to purchase allowances for every ton of CO2 they emit. Unlike the EU cap and trade scheme, the CRC covers non-carbon-intensive sectors. Among the 22 organizations in joint first place on the CRC list were Manchester United, Johnson Wax, British American Tobacco, CB Richard Ellis, resort operator Center Parcs and several government agencies, including the Department of Energy and Climate Change. (Snapshot of the 22 organizations, above left.) Of the 2,103 companies ranked, 803 tied for last place, all with zero points. They included many major companies such as AstraZeneca, ConocoPhillips, Diageo, electronics retailer Dixons, Goldman Sachs, Halliburton, Kodak, Kraft ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Europe   Goldman Sachs   Carbon Reduction Commitment

    11. The Elephant In the Data Center?

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Nov 9 2011)

      The Elephant In the Data Center? The whole concept of “green” computing has been focused in recent times on the metric introduced by The Green Grid, PUE, Power Usage Effectiveness. PUE is simply the ratio of total facility power divided by the IT load itself. So a PUE of 2 represents a facility where for every 1kW consumed by the IT load the facility consumes 2kW – although PUE has to be averaged over a full year and is measured in terms of energy, annual total kWh. The industry has moved from an average PUE of well over 2.5 in the mid 90s to a typical 1.4 in 2011 – but with extreme examples, from Google, Yahoo and Facebook, jostling for supremacy between 1.07 and 1.13. Over recent times there have been two major contributors to the improvement in efficiency – the mechanical cooling systems and the IT hardware itself. (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   The Green Grid

    12. Are Your Servers Running Efficiently?

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Nov 7 2011) Cloud Computing , Servers

      Are Your Servers Running Efficiently? Last July, the US federal government announced plans to shut 40 percent of its data centers over the next four years. With more than 2,000 data centers, the Obama Administration realized that data center consolidation was part of a broader strategy to become more IT efficient and make substantial savings (predictions run into billions of dollars a year). Over the past 20 years, physical servers have shrunk in size to today’s pizza box, and processing capacity has continued to double every two years, a trend that looks set to continue until at least 2020. These factors have contributed to the higher power and cooling demands in data centers. These complex and dynamic environments are under scrutiny to be managed more effectively and efficiently. Driven by rising energy prices and the state of the fragile economy, as well as other pressures that IT departments have on their budgets, focus ... (Read Full Article)

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    13. Adopt Network Efficiency Strategies or Pay Up

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Nov 3 2011) Networking , Servers

      Company executives need to adopt specific best practices for energy efficiency in networks and across connected devices, or unneeded energy use will continue to negatively affect their companies’ bottom lines and productivity, according to a white paper by IT consortium Climate Savers Computing Initiative. Considerations for Selecting Power Supplies for Networking Equipment and Evaluating Power Conversion Efficiency says that, due to the way they are operated and installed, network devices offer unique energy efficiency challenges that require unique solutions. One of the green innovations specific to networking systems is that of using highly efficient power supply designs specific to such applications. Most network systems are built with expansion in mind and, as such, often run using a fraction of their power supply’s full power, or rated load. But most power supplies are far less efficient when used at a lower loading. (Read Full Article)

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    14. HP Data Center Project ‘to Reduce Energy up to 89%’

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Nov 2 2011) Construction , Cloud Computing , Servers

      HP Data Center Project ‘to Reduce Energy up to 89%’ HP has unveiled Project Moonshot, an initiative to reduce data center energy use by up to 89 percent through the sharing of storage, networking, management, power and cooling across thousands of servers. HP says the project will simplify data centers for companies operating thousands of servers, by using up to 94 percent less space than [...] (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Europe   Facebook   IBM

    15. Allianz Deploys IO Anywhere Modular Data Center

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Oct 31 2011) Construction

      Allianz Deploys IO Anywhere Modular Data Center Allianz Global Investors of America has deployed IO’s IO Anywhere, a modular data center technology platform. By choosing the modular platform, Allianz expects to avoid the upfront commitment of a multiple megawatt power plan, resulting in significant operating and capital expense savings. The solution was delivered to Allianz in 90 days, IO said, adding that the modular platform is a flexible solution that can quickly scale to a business’s demands. IO Anywhere modular data centers aim to provide enterprise-class infrastructure that can be delivered as-a-service, and rapidly deployed as a product to customer sites anywhere in the world, the company said. The move to the modular platform for data centers is the latest step offered to the IT industry in order to reduce costs at the data center. (Read Full Article)

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    16. Apple Quietly Plans Solar Array for $1bn Data Center

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Oct 31 2011) Solar

      Apple Quietly Plans Solar Array for $1bn Data Center Apple is quietly planning a solar farm near its newly opened, $1 billion Project Dolphin data center in Maiden, N.C., according to news reports. The Charlotte Observer says that the county has approved permits for Apple to reshape about 171 acres of vacant land that it owns across from the data center, for the purpose [...] (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Apple   Greenpeace   CA

    17. Tata Taps Emerson for Energy Management

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Oct 31 2011)

      Tata Taps Emerson for Energy Management Tata Steel has upgraded control of the largest steam boiler at its Port Talbot, Wales, facility using energy management technologies and services from Emerson Process Management. The Port Talbot plant will be using Emerson’s SmartProcess Energy and SmartProcess Boiler products, DeltaV digital automation system with model predictive control, DeltaV SIS process safety system, Rosemount and [...] (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   The Green Grid   IBM   Tata

    18. Intel, Dell Join Facebook’s Efficiency Project

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Oct 28 2011) Servers

      Intel, Dell Join Facebook’s Efficiency Project Intel, Dell, Mozilla, Rackspace and Netflix have all joined Facebook’s Open Compute Project, which aims to increase efficiencies and reduce the environmental impacts of data centers. The initiative, launched in April, aims to encourage collaboration on hardware development and implementation to speed up innovation. This week Facebook announced the formation of a foundation to lead [...] (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Intel   Cisco   Facebook

    19. Many CFOs Lack Involvement in Sustainability Strategy

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Oct 6 2011)

      Many CFOs Lack Involvement in Sustainability Strategy Some 31 percent of chief financial officers say they are rarely involved or not involved in sustainability strategy and governance at their companies, according to a survey conducted by Deloitte. This hands off attitude is evident despite a majority of CFOs saying they are aware that sustainability will affect their “mainstream” duties, according to “Sustainable [...] (Read Full Article)

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    20. Facebook, Amazon Panned on Energy Management and Transparency

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Sep 13 2011) Monitoring , Carbon Footprint , Emissions

      Facebook, Amazon Panned on Energy Management and Transparency Amazon, Netflix, Facebook and other major internet firms are failing to adequately disclose their carbon footprint, according to a report by independent analyst Verdantix. The report, Carbon Strategy Benchmark: Internet Sector, finds that Akamai, Apple and eBay outpace their global competitors on energy efficiency enhancements and transparent disclosure of carbon emissions. Salesforce is also making positive [...] (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Apple   Amazon.com   Google

    21. Google Data Centers Use More Power than Salt Lake City

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Sep 9 2011) Carbon Footprint , Solar , Cloud Computing

      Google Data Centers Use More Power than Salt Lake City Google has broken its silence on energy consumption, announcing that it consumed 2,259,998 MWh in 2010. In a new section on the Google Green site, called “The Big Picture,” Google also said that it generated 1.46 million metric tons of carbon dioxide last year. Average annual carbon footprint per user was about 1.46 kg CO2 [...] (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   New York Times   Greenpeace   Amazon.com

    22. Level 3 Buys 100% Renewable Power for Three Data Centers

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Sep 1 2011) Hydro , Solar , Wind , Servers

      Level 3 Buys 100% Renewable Power for Three Data Centers Level 3 Communications has taken three colocation facilities 100 percent renewable. The communications services provider has signed up to a 100 percent green energy product with the electricity providers for one colocation center in Amsterdam and two facilities in London. The green power product sources its energy from hydroelectric, wind and solar. This is backed up by the energy producer’s proof of origin and is checked on a regular basis by independent auditors, Level 3 says. NYSE Euronext recently announced it had become the first carbon-neutral global exchange operator with initiatives including the installation of an array of solar panels at its Basildon, England data center. Besides its energy efficiency and conservation efforts, the company also bought Green-e certified renewable energy certificates and carbon offsets. (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Netherlands   NTT   Bloom Energy Servers

    23. 2010 Saw Largest CO2 Rise for 22 Years

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Aug 19 2011) Emissions

      2010 Saw Largest CO2 Rise for 22 Years Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rebounded in 2010 but still remained six percent below 2005 levels, according to an analysis by the Energy Information Administration. Energy-related CO2 underwent a historic decline in 2009. That year the economy as measured by the real gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 3.5 percent compared to the previous year, but emissions fell by over 7 percent. Last year, CO2 emissions saw their largest absolute and percentage increase (213 million metric tons or 3.9 percent) since 1988. Only two years – 1996 and 2000 – have shown similar growth in the time period since 1990. The EIA said that 2010 was an atypical year for emissions growth, just as 2009 showed an unusual decline. Total energy consumption rose by 3.8 percent in 2010 across all end-use sectors. Because GDP increased by only 3.0 percent, the energy intensity of the economy increased by 0.7 ... (Read Full Article)

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    24. Sentilla Raises $15m, Targets Computing Efficiency

      Explore environmentalleader.com (Aug 16 2011) Monitoring , Servers

      Sentilla Raises $15m, Targets Computing Efficiency Sentilla, which makes efficiency software for data centers, has raised $15 million in its third round of funding. SingTel Innov8, the venture capital arm of a Singapore telecoms company, now owns 23.4 percent of Sentilla after joining existing investors, Green Tech Media reports. Sentilla’s software monitors and manages power consumption in data center equipment including [...] (Read Full Article)

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