Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/634770
10 | THE DATA CENTER JOURNAL www.datacenterjournal.com ability to buy 'green' power in deregulated markets enables a lot of the data centers out to be 'green sourced,'" Crosby noted. is capability is a result of the distributed nature of the power grid, as discussed above. Because power from many sources is mixed on the grid (voltage is voltage), a customer can in many cases buy power from a provider of solar, wind or some other form of energy. "Of course, the fact that the power bill is generally more expensive makes it a less than appealing option for most businesses," he added. susTainaBiLiTy By oTheR Means Much of the focus of sustainable data center operation focuses on what goes into the facility: what kind of resources (energy and water), what kind of equipment (in terms of efficiency) and so on. But what comes out is equally at issue: specifically, the waste that data centers produce. IT equipment contains toxic metals as well as materials that simply require energy to mine or produce. "Dealing with old equipment is no doubt an overlooked aspect of data center sustainability," said Sean Magann, VP of Sims Recycling Solu- tions. Moreover, "Improper disposition of IT equipment can expose confidential data which could lead to a data breach, put a company out of compliance and damage a company's reputation. ere are various services available when disposing of retired IT and electronic devices that can help a company maximize the value of their equipment, protect data stored on old devices and ensure environmentally responsible disposition when/if equipment is ready to be discarded." Properly dealing with old IT equip- ment can benefit a data center operator not only through the long-term rewards of environmental stewardship (possibly along with a few PR points), but also on the business side. Said Magann, "Economically, there's still value in each asset whether it's a reusable asset or one that holds com- modity value. From a sustainability and environmental perspective, a company can still get credit for recycling assets in terms of carbon savings. is data can be useful in corporate sustainability reports." He also added that proper asset disposition pro- vides a liability advantage, acting like an in- surance policy to protect the business from data breaches. Such benefits are in addition to avoiding equipment (that's potentially serviceable or recyclable) ending up in a landfill, whether at home or, perhaps more likely, in a developing nation. pRofiTaBLe susTainaBiLiTy Given the numerous media portray- als of companies as caring nothing for the environment, it's easy to think that sustain- ability and profitability have nothing to do with each other. In fact, however, they can be closely correlated, particularly in the data center industry. "Most sustainability efforts benefit either the operational- expense line, the capital-expense line or some combination of the two," said Crosby. "Capitalism is beautiful in our industry because less cost equals more profit. Since electric bills are a big portion of the total cost of ownership (TCO), it is in the indus- try's best interest to make the electric bills lower. Even those who pass through power bills have to be concerned, as it affects their customers' TCO." Of course, the fiscal benefits of effi- ciency may still fail to draw every last data center operator. Nevertheless, those that pass by the opportunity to save themselves and their customers money will be at a competitive disadvantage, and the market will eventually weed them out—all without nannying by governments (whose own data center operations tend to be extremely wasteful). Unfortunately, however, ef- ficiency efforts lack the flash of a new solar or wind farm funded by a major industry player. "ere is definitely a high degree of ROI in terms of PR value that some build- ers of mega data center facilities derive from financially demonstrating their 'green commitment,'" said Crosby, "but that is simply not a practical consideration for the vast majority of data center providers. In short, these efforts may garner some headlines, but I don't think anyone has demonstrated any proven correlation to their effectiveness in generating revenue or customer retention." An efficient cooling design, therefore, may offer much more sustainability mileage than an alternative- energy project, even if it fails to draw much public attention. concLusions Alternative energy sources like wind and solar typically lead in the headlines with regard to data center sustainability, and they do offer some value—at least to those few companies with the means to harness them. Recent quarters have seen a number of large announced projects and contract purchases by major industry players, seemingly leaving smaller compa- nies far behind. But given that the power grid remains dominated by other energy sources (specifically, coal and natural gas), the best thing a small (or large) data center operator can do is operate more efficiently. A watt saved at the data center is far more saved at the power plant, owing to the inefficiencies of generation and transmis- sion, and it's also money saved for both providers and customers. Energy efficiency at both the IT level and the facilities level—in particular, cool- ing—are one way companies can operate more sustainably. But that effort is not and need not be solely about the environment: environmental sustainability and business sustainability have much in common. In fact, dropping the modern language, one might easily say that these measures are all just plain business sense. In addition to operating wisely, companies can aid themselves and the environment by prop- erly handling their waste. Ensuring that old equipment is recycled or otherwise disposed of cleanly and securely may add some cost, but the cost is worth the protec- tion in both liability and public image. Unfortunately, the data center industry has earned a reputation for being a power hog, even though it's only serving customer demand. Many groups have turned that reputation—whether justly or unjustly earned—into a platform for their various agendas. Crosby responded aptly to the situation by saying, "As it relates to the 'carbon crowd' and magic 2 degrees Celsius, I will let the politicians, bureau- crats and crony capitalists fight it out. For me and my house, I will continue to focus on stewardship and elimination of waste to make an impact for the future." n