The IT Guys Blog

Green is all the rage these days but should you consider going green in your data center? Well, that depends on a few things.

• Age of your data center - If it was built recently than you will probably have to find reasons rather than money to upgrade. I.E. Moral Obligations, Company Image, etc.
• Size of the data center. - If your data center is only a few servers you wont see a huge decrease in cost by going green.
• A/C is the number one cost in data centers these days but that doesn’t necessarily mean that replacing your HVAC system with an energy efficient model will fix all your energy troubles. A lot of times the issue is with the design of the data center itself. Re-designing the layout of your data center usually costs more than just replacing an old HVAC unit. You’ll want to consult a company familiar with data center design to help identify the trouble spots.
• New Equipment isn’t always greener. - Blades and other high density products are terrible to cool. Often companies will stuff two or more blade centers in a single rack which creates an HVAC nightmare. Believe it or not traditional servers actually are the best bet to stay green, not packing a rack full helps too.
• New Equipment - You should absolutely consider energy concerns when purchasing new equipment not only is it better for the environment it’s better for business. Energy costs have a tendency to fluctuate. The new racks of servers you are purchasing that cost $600 a month in power might be $1200 a month in a year.
• If you can’t find a better reason to do it. Remember green is the new black. It’s in style to conserve energy and resources. It makes your company look good and your employees feel like they are doing their part by working at a compnay that recognizes environmental issues.