Energy Efficiency in Data Centers: A New Policy Frontier

Thousands of high-density data centers nationwide house some 10 million computer servers and typically consume 15 times more energy per square foot – and in some instances up to 100 times more – than a typical office building.

This report offers a number of suggestions for how government can:

• raise awareness about data center energy use and encourage energy efficiency to identify energy-efficiency opportunities;
• support efforts to develop server and power supply energy performance metrics;
• evaluate minimum energy performance standards for server power supplies;
• ensure that data center best practices are included in commercial building codes; and
• establish tax and/or utility incentives to help defray the cost of more efficient equipment.

With an annual electricity bill of $2 to $3 billion, America’s 10 million computer servers offer great potential for reducing their power use with energy-efficiency measures.