(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — In conjunction with its Data Centre Incentive Program, Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited (www.torontohydro.com) is offering data center customers a financial incentive to increase their energy efficiency.
Supported by the Ontario Power Authority, Toronto Hydro will provide $300 for each measurable peak kilowatt reduced from improvements in new or existing data centers. Toronto Hydro’s DCIP helps customers cut their electricity use, resulting in immediate and on-going financial savings through reduced power consumption, as well as associated environmental benefits such as reduced carbon emissions.
Toronto Hydro IT infrastructure director Stephen Walker said the new incentive program will offer yet another reason to use virtualization. “The program is not only attractive from an electricity savings perspective, but the financial incentives to participate should also make it easier for our customers to get started,” Walker said in a statement. “DCIP encourages data centres to improve their equipment layout designs to increase efficiency; use energy efficient products including new server and software technology, and upgrade air cooling systems to more efficient equipment,” adds Walker.
Toronto Hydro, itself, is well on its way to virtualizing the servers housed in its own data centers. Since it began in 2008, 45 percent of the utility’s servers have been consolidated decreasing the space required and reducing electricity use. “Toronto Hydro ‘walks the talk,’” Walker said. Many of Toronto Hydro’s major tier-one applications and systems have been virtualized, and at the completion of its virtualization project in 2010, Toronto Hydro expects 70 percent of its servers to be virtualized, resulting in significant energy and cost savings.
