GREEN
RISING ENERGY PRICES, A LINGERING RECESSION AND
EVOLVING PUBLIC ATTITUDES HAVE ALTERED THE WAY
BUSINESSES VIEW ENERGY-EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGY. SAVVY
ENTERPRISES NOW RECOGNIZE THE BENEFITS OF GOING GREEN.
BASELINE JULY/AUGUST 2010
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JOE PARRINO ISN’T KIDDING WHEN HE SAYS THAT A GREEN DATA CENTER IS A CRITICAL part of running a business well. In an era of spiking energy prices and oppressive cost pressures, squeezing out savings through energy efficiency is nothing less than a mission
for the United Parcel Service (UPS) facilities engineer.
“It’s just as important as any other business operation,” he says. “We have an obligation
to the company and to the world to reduce consumption and boost efficiency.”
UPS has delivered in a big way. Since 2006, when the company formulated a strategic plan
for energy efficiency and green IT, it has trimmed its energy footprint by nearly 18 percent.
Among other things, UPS has made changes to its data center, embraced server virtualiza-
tion, and developed a strategy for dealing with server refreshes and other equipment. “We’ve
already grabbed the low-hanging fruit, but the job isn’t close to being finished,” Parrino says.
Make no mistake, green IT is going mainstream. According to data center association
AFCOM, slightly more than 71 percent of organizations surveyed indicate they are now
actively engaged in green initiatives.
“The situation has evolved from focusing on a few key areas to the greening of the
entire platform,” says Gary Davis, director of data center practice for PlanNet Consulting.
What’s more, “Organizations aren’t only looking at cost savings; they’re also considering
their image,” he adds.
Indeed, enterprises are turning to an array of tools and technologies to amp up the savings. The list includes green building methods; solar power; water and ambient air exchange
for cooling; lighting; server and rack configurations; and virtualization. Meanwhile, organizations such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Green Grid, an
