Network World – Maybe it is easy being green

IT professionals implementing energy efficient solutions in the data center are realizing big savings, and many report it has been easier to do than they thought it would be. In its fourth year, the CDW Energy Efficient IT Report found that implementing energy efficient solutions is easier than the typical organization perceives. Even better, “green” initiatives are gaining respect in the IT world, with 43% of survey respondents identifying green initiatives as a top driver for data center consolidation.

But what exactly is energy efficiency in the data center? Typically it involves everything from hardware selection to consolidation, cooling strategies, virtualization and more. CDW’s report discussed the solutions users identified as offering the greatest return in energy efficiency, taking into consideration the cost, technical feasibility and management support for various solutions.

It also examined the barriers IT managers face when pursuing data center energy efficiency. While the combination of energy efficient strategies that makes the most sense for your organization will depend on your unique data center environment, there are still best practices to keep in mind.

Through the report findings and numerous implementations, here is what we have learned.

Maybe it is easy being green.

Alex Carroll

Managing Member at Lifeline Data Centers

Alex, co-owner, is responsible for all real estate, construction and mission critical facilities: hardened buildings, power systems, cooling systems, fire suppression, and environmentals. Alex also manages relationships with the telecommunications providers and has an extensive background in IT infrastructure support, database administration and software design and development. Alex architected Lifeline’s proprietary GRCA system and is hands-on every day in the data center.