March 18, 2008 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- Data center owner and operator 365 Main (365main.com) announced on Tuesday that it has become the first data center operator to join energy-efficiency certification provider EPA Energy Star (energystar.gov) as a partner.
The Energy Star program was introduced in 1992 by the EPA as a voluntary partnership intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. The label can be found on more than 50 kinds of products, including homes and commercial buildings. Working with 365 Main is one of the program's first steps into the data center world.
As an Energy Star partner, 365 Main will track its energy performance, in part using tools purchased from Energy Star, and will implement a plan according to the program's guidelines.
The program's first data center partner, 365 Main will also work with EPA to develop an Energy Star energy performance rating for data center facilities. This will enable data centers to earn the Energy Star mark for energy efficiency. The EPA says it initiated the Energy Star Infrastructure Rating for Data Centers after companies requested a system to help them measure, benchmark and improve the energy-efficiency of data center space.
Energy efficiency is an issue that comes up frequently in the data center business, and several organizations are already working to develop energy efficiency metrics and practices for the data center business. Most prominent among those is the Green Grid (thegreengrid.org), of which 365 Main has been a member since last year.
Through its partnership with 365 Main, the EPA says it will collect information and gain an understanding of where energy is consumed within a data center. The rating system will measure the efficiency of power and cooling systems within data center facilities, but will not address the efficiency of IT equipment running within data centers. The EPA says it is currently also working on a separate Energy Star specification for server hardware.
