Server room guide helps energy managers reduce server consumption

Panel: 6. Appliances, product policy and ICT

This is a peer-reviewed paper.

Author:
Jan Viegand, Viegand Maagøe, Denmark

Abstract

About 1.1-1.5 % of the global electricity consumption is consumed by servers and data centres. In the European Union (EU) the total electricity consumed in data centres, including enterprise servers, ICT equipment and cooling equipment is estimated at 56 TWh per year in 2007 corresponding to about 1.9 % of EU total electricity consumption. The consumption is projected to increase to 104 TWh per year in 2020.

Actions are needed in order to reduce the environmental impact of the projected increase in energy consumption. Solutions exist. A study showed significant potential – up to 55 % - for efficient technologies and practices to improve the energy efficiency of servers and data centres. Cases collected by the author showed savings up to 80 %.

The Danish Energy Agency (and previously the Danish Electricity Saving Trust and the Danish Energy Saving Trust) has had focus on servers’ importance on the electricity consumption during a decade. Already in 2003 they launched activities for energy savings in servers and datacentres. Since then, many activities have been carried out such as demonstration projects, procurement requirements, dialogue and cooperation with the industry, reach out activities, information activities etc. Furthermore, Danish Energy Agency supports international activities such as the EU Code of Conduct on Data Centres and the Green Grid.

One main information and reach out activity is a server room guide. It has been updated and extended over the recent years. In beginning of 2013, it was again updated and extended.

The paper describes as an introduction why the energy consumption in data centres is important followed by the nature of the energy consumption, saving opportunities and a market analysis among IT managers. This is followed by a presentation of the contents of the server room guide and the process of preparing the guide. Finally a conclusion is provided.

Viegand Maagøe assists the Danish Energy Authority in the server activities.