The recent release of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study on data center energy efficiency is adding fuel to the fire in the research and development of new ways to reduce energy use in centers. The findings, summarized on the EPA website, are staggering: Data centers consumed about 60 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2006, roughly 1.5 percent of total US electricity consumption -Energy consumption of servers and data centers has doubled in the past five years and is expected to almost double again in the next five years to more than 100 billion kWh, costing about $7.4 billion annually.
The new reality of balance and optimization
in planning green data centersData Center Dynamics, International FacilityWilliam Kosik, PE, CEM, LEED AP Management Association (IFMA), Labs21, NeoCon,ULI and 7x24, as well as articles in the ASHRAEJournal, Energy & Power Management magazine,Building Operations Management, Engineered Systems,Consulting-SpecifyingEngineer, and R&D Magazine. Mr. Kosik worked as a consultant for the US GreenBuilding Council (USGBC) on the launch of the LEEDCore and Shell Pilot Program, and presented at multipleUSGBC conferences, as well as at the World Forum forBuilding Innovation in the UK and the SustainableBuildings Conference in Finland. He has also workedWilliam Kosik, PE, CEM, LEED APEYP Mission Critical Facilities, a company of HP with the City of Chicago in developing city-specificEnergy and Environmental Initiatives Leader environmental criteria. He is currently co-developingwkosik@eypmcf.com312.846.8510 apublication for ASHRAE on green data center designand on a team lead by Lawrence Berkeley Labs indeveloping a standard on LEED for data centers. Mr. Kosik's projects have earned 19 ASHRAE Awards.Bio He has a degree in Engineering Mechanics fromWilliam Kosik, PE, CEM, LEED AP, is a Managing University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.Principal at EYP Mission Critical Facilities (EYP MCF),a company of HP. William is also the Energy and IntroductionEnvironmental Initiatives Leader, and a member of the The recent release of the Environmental Protectionfirm's Technology Council, EYP MCF's R&D Agency (EPA) study on data center energy efficiencyorganization. As one of EYP MCF resident experts on is adding fuel to the fire in the research and developmenthigh-performance computing, Mr. Kosik is also of new ways to reduce energy use in data centers.collaborating with multiple SC500 clients, developing The findings, summarized on the EPA website,innovative design strategies for cooling high-density are staggering:environments, and creating scalable cooling andpower models for 10sTeraFlop to 100sTeraFlop to .Data centers consumed about 60 billion 10sPetaFlop scenarios. Mr. Kosik has presented on kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2006, roughly 1.5 percentthe topics of data center optimization and building oftotal USelectricity consumption. performance simulation at venues, including AFCOM, .The energy consumption of servers and dataData Center Dynamics, and the Liebert Users centers has doubled in the past five years and isConference. Also among his 50+ articles, and expected to almost double again in the next fivespeaking engagements are presentations to AFCOM, years to more than 100 billion kWh, costing aboutthe American Institute of Architects, ASHRAE, $7.4 billion annually.
2.Federal servers and data centers alone account for Life beyond the Dotcom bustapproximately 6 billion kWh (10 percent) of thiselectricity use, at a total electricity cost of about Happening in tandem to these groundbreaking$450 million per year. studies was the resurgence of the economy, andthe development of faster and more power-hungry.Existing technologies and strategies could reduce PCs and cabinet mounted servers, namely thetypical server energy use by an estimated 25 percent, blade servers. For the first time, the focus shiftedwith even greater energy savings possible with from electrical power distribution, which was oftenadvanced technologies. the limiting factor in bringing on new types ofWhile this information is still very fresh and many server technology, to the cooling systems. Theinitiatives are still in the early stages of development, it ability to cool high density server installations wasis important to realize that the discussion on identifying often a stumbling block that had to be resolved.and reducing energy use in data center actually has The power intensity of the cooling systems nowroots dating back more than a decade. started to limit the overall growth potential of the ITsystems, even if physical space was available toThe digital power divide house the IT equipment. It now became importantto look at the whole power delivery chain, not justA seminal article written for Forbes Magazine by "watts per square foot", when considering a new ITMark Mills and Peter Huber (also authors of the technology deployment.2007 book, The Bottomless Well) analyzed theimpact of the Internet on the global energy markets.The article was appropriately titled, "Dig More Coal Energy conservation and-the PCs Are ... [download for more]
