It is possible to have a greener Data Centre with just a few simple steps. In the long term, you'll reap the return on investment of a reduced energy bill and the rewards of a healthier, more comfortable work environment.
Here are ten ways you can go green:
1. Evaluate your energy efficiency.
Add up your energy bills, learn where your energy comes from, and how it’s being distributed in your company. Plan a road map for monitoring and reducing usage. Your initial evaluation can provide a baseline for calculating your ROI after implementing changes.
2. Redesign your cooling system.
Enclose your servers in hot aisles so you can concentrate your cooling directly onto the racks. Be sure to reduce airflow loss by sealing off holes in your walls, floors and ceilings, and make sure you have proper air ducts.
3. Reconsider your redundancy.
Many companies invest in redundant cooling and heating systems that use double the amount of power they usually need - for each kilowatt of energy needed, redundant circuits use two. This helps prepare systems for growth and times of peak performance, but the result is a maximum power flow where only a fraction of that power is put to use. This practice is inefficient and inflates your energy bills. Cut back your redundancy wherever possible, to operate based on current needs rather than a projection of future needs.
4. Use adjustable equipment.
You can also plan for growth and times of peak power needs by implementing scalable and modular systems. Scalable blade servers can concentrate more computing power in a smaller space, requiring less power to cool. Also any scalable system will let you operate at your minimum power requirements and give you the capacity to grow into higher power consumption when you're ready.
5. Virtualise your storage.
Most servers are underused, because they’re loaded with archaic information or software that’s only needed some of the time. With storage virtualiation software or a device, you can make your applications mobile and as a result shutdown unrequired servers. The virtualisation device will keep track of your server space and remap applications to different physical locations as necessary to achieve optimal efficiency. Information can be made location independent and redirected across multiple I/O devices from different vendors.
6. Use Energy Star-rated appliances.
The EPA hasn’t yet released Energy Star standards for data servers however you can purchase other appliances, such as cooling systems, that do meet current standards.
7. Donate or recycle legacy servers.
Archaic systems are less efficient than new ones, so you can save money by buying new systems and decommissioning old ones. However, because servers contain huge amount of toxic waste, never throw a machine away. There are lots of nonprofit or educational organisations who can make use of old servers. There are also many companies who handle computer equipment recycling, who will strip the machines of useful parts and properly dispose of the toxic remains.
8. Look outside the Data Centre.
Your can cut costs outside your server rooms, eg by using earth-friendly construction materials such as low-emission carpets and paints and non-toxic insulation; creating skylights, windows and other natural lighting sources; and by landscaping with native and drought-tolerant plants that require less water consumption and support the local ecosystem.
9. Research alternative power sources.
The best way to stay clean is to find alternative energy that works for you. Solar panels on your roof are a simple step and will reduce your dependence on the power grid. Other options include wind energy, heat pumps, and evaporative cooling can lower your cost and significantly reduce your company's carbon footprint.
10. Get your management involved.
To fully embrace changes in the Data Centre, you need to get the buy-in from your upper management.Show them the cost benefits and the positive PR that can be produced to get them on-side.
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