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3: Collaboration Is Key for Green IT 45

governments around the world are taking action to encourage data cen-
ter operators to improve their energy performance of their data centers.
If we look at all IT energy use (including the energy used for all our lap-
tops), the percent of global energy use is approaching 10 percent.
Current government initiatives include the following:

■ US EPA ENERGY STAR data center rating system: As mentioned
previously, US EPA has an ENERGY STAR building program. It is cur-
rently working on a data center rating system. It released a draft docu-
ment for comments, for which companies provided input by 2/22/08. Its
initial proposal appears to be focused on a variation of the PUE.
Comments have been made on the rating system proposal, suggesting
that the rating system consider the percent of equipment that utilizes
virtualization technology and power management and measuring tech-
nology (like AEM), as well as facilities with thermal and space planning
and regular review of thermal profiling (for example, via MMT, tile flow,
and so on). Beginning in March 2008, the EPA began soliciting data
centers to test the rating system. IBM intends to have one or two data
ptg
centers participate in the testing.
■ DOE Save Energy Now Data Center initiative: Also, as mentioned
previously, the DOE is partnering with the Lawrence Berkeley National
Lab to develop a model that characterizes the power use and thermal pro-
file of the data center. The software tool will collect specific energy-use
data for the data center, calculate the DCIE metric, create estimated
energy-use breakouts by system, and prepare a list of applicable energy-
saving actions. Concurrently, it is preparing a data center energy assess-
ment program, based on the LBNL best practices checklists, which can
be used by energy service providers to assess data center energy use and
recommend specific energy-savings actions.
■ EU Code of Conduct for data centers: The European Code of Conduct
for data centers was published in 2008. The EU CoC is an excellent pub-
lication to help improve energy efficiency in data centers. Thus, the EU
CoC was published before the EPA's ratings for data centers.
■ Other geographies: Australia is beginning to talk about initiating a
data center energy-efficiency effort and has contacted IBM representatives
about participating in such a program.