Watts Up: Does Virtualization Really Save Energy?

Watts Up: Does Virtualization Really Save Energy?

Lays out the case for how using virtualization can save very significant amounts of energy, especially in large data centers. Breaks down resource requirements in terms of RAM, storage and ultimately cooling for a stand alone server configuration and a comparable virtualization configuration and builds a case for why and how virtualization can significantly reduce energy usage requirements for data centers.

Regulating Green Building- Part 2: 7 Rules For Sound Green Regulations

Regulating Green Building- Part 2: 7 Rules For Sound Green Regulations

This post is the second in a five part series on green building regulation looks at how green building regulators can avoid problems down the line if they establish regulations that have a clear intent, evaluate extreme outcomes, carefully analyze utilizing third party green building criteria and certification systems, create measurement and verification mechanisms, develop valid enforcement mechanisms, check for state and federal preemption, and anticipate litigation.

Top 10 Things Data Centers Forget About PUE

Top 10 Things Data Centers Forget About PUE

In the race for the title of the world’s greenest data center a lot of perhaps overly optimistic PUE claims have been made. Power usage effectiveness (PUE) is a measure of how efficiently a computer data center uses its power. While it is a step in the right direction it still fails to capture the complete picture of the data center’s energy and resource efficiency. It goes on to point out ten areas that are not being captured; some of which have significant implications.

Cleantech Financing Strategies in the Global Economy

Cleantech Financing Strategies in the Global Economy

In this post Peg summarizes a round-table discussion about cleantech financing in the global economy held at 5th Annual Babson Energy and Environmental Conference on Entrepreneurship for a Sustainable Future and chaired by Mark Donohue. The discussion covered some of the global aspects affecting cleantech financing and looked at various challenges and opportunities lying ahead.

So You’re Building a “Green” Data Center”

So You’re Building a “Green” Data Center”

Building a green data center is a challenging undertaking; it is also one that is poorly understood and that can fail in many ways. This post goes into some of the deeper level goals that need to be kept in focus if the project is going to be a success.

Facility Management the Unsung Heroes of Sustainability

Facility Management the Unsung Heroes of Sustainability

This post highlights how facilities management is an important, if often unsung part of so many businesses… any businesses with facilities, in fact. Sustainable facilities management is an area that can have a profound and near term impact on overall business sustainability. Very large potential energy savings and hence carbon footprint reduction could be realized in facilities management areas such as HVAC or lighting for example; the embodied energy of facilities — their materials and recurring requirements; how runoff is handled and so forth all are areas in which sustainable facilities management can really impact the triple bottom line in a positive way.

3 HVAC Cleantech Startups Making Major Energy Efficient Moves

3 HVAC Cleantech Startups Making Major Energy Efficient Moves

With heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems using more building energy use than lighting and IT combined, they can have a major impact when it comes to how sustainable a building is. This is where innovative HVAC start-ups like Ice Energy, Optimum Energy, and Chromasun come in, with technology designed to significantly reduce HVAC building energy usage.

Did You Know You Can Challenge LEED Certification?

Did You Know You Can Challenge LEED Certification?

I am going to be honest with you, I have been sitting on some LEEDigation-related stories. I sat on these stories because I wanted to understand the implications before writing about them.

Best Practices for Greening Your Data Center

Best Practices for Greening Your Data Center

Rising energy costs and a focus on Green IT mean that it is time to find ways of reducing energy consumption and cutting data center bills.  There are several best practices that will help guide you towards a greener and more efficient data center solution. by Konstantin Gorshkov, Green Economy Post When it comes to […]