Firms Hiring Execs to Reduce Carbon Footprint
Data centers are voracious consumers of energy. Collectively, they are becoming major contributors to global warming. That’s according to a new joint study just released by McKinsey & Co. and The Uptime Institute. In fact, the study also contends that data centers are on track to surpass the airline industry as a major greenhouse gas polluter by 2020. That’s because carbon dioxide emissions from electricity consumed by fast-expanding data centers are growing rapidly and remain largely unchecked. It’s not simply a balance sheet issue. Concerns about the environment are also pushing corporations to reassess their energy utilization and identify efficiency enhancements to reduce their carbon footprint.
Right now, firms are increasingly examining their data centers to determine how much energy they consume…and how much they can save by making them operate more efficiently. Executive search firm, A.E. Feldman, has a team of industry veterans already working with a number of firms to identify and place qualified professionals who can design and implement strategies for maximizing energy efficiency. The firm reports that demand is surging for operations professionals with the expertise to address mounting energy concerns.
The largest consumer of energy is the data center. Data center usage of energy has doubled from 2000-2005 and continues to grow. Energy costs are increasing by 16% every year, while greenhouse gas emissions from data centers are due to pass those of all airlines by 2020, according to a study conducted by McKinsey & Company and The Uptime institute.
“We need to know better what’s coming into and out of our data centers,” says William Forrest, Associate Principal for IT at McKinsey. Forrest also notes that data center growth is weighing heavily on IT budgets and will continue to do so unless corporations make increasing energy efficiency a priority.
According to the report, up to 30% of servers are just wasting space and energy. Moreover, CIOs are not being held accountable for capital and operational expenditures in the data center because they don’t have the data to know any better.
Coordinating the Effort
”Within the IT industry, there are a number of professionals who are responsible for data center functionality — from CIOs and IT managers, to heating and cooling experts. It is imperative that we look at the energy efficiency issue from a single, united point of view. Together we can leverage each other’s core expertise and areas of focus to deliver a holistic and complete approach for an energy-efficient data center,” says Mark Monroe, Director of The Green Grid, a global consortium of companies dedicated to advancing energy efficiency in data centers.
Meanwhile, at the top, a number of leading companies with large data centers also have experts on their boards to strategize and manage energy saving initiatives.
The McKinsey/Uptime report also urges companies to set measureable, achievable goals and create “energy czar” positions to manage energy efficiency.
Data center efficiency is something that just can’t be ignored, says one industry veteran and consultant working with A.E. Feldman. He adds, however, that within any corporation there are several moving parts that must be coordinated in order to implement data center efficiency initiatives. “These efforts must be coordinated by experienced professionals with the perspective and the ability to address differing agendas and negotiate with all stakeholders on a quarterly basis,” he advises.
Need for Accountability
“Most organizations could double their energy efficiency by 2012 if they just tried,” says Forrest. “In many instances, boards and even CIOs don’t participate in the way they should in how these major expenditures are designed and operated.”
“Energy efficiency must be made a priority in the board room for the potential savings alone,” says Fred Palmer, Founder and Head of the Palmer Group, an organization that focuses on best practices in technology. “When it comes to energy efficiency, the CIO must be held accountable. And that has to come from the top,” he adds.
Palmer contends that the facilities function which oversees energy infrastructure must also be positioned high enough within an organization to impose the necessary efficiency controls. The audit function, both internal and public, must also gain the expertise to assess the efficient use of energy within the enterprise.
More information on data center efficiency:
Need for Data Center Efficiency Driving Demand for Talent
IT Projects Undeterred by Slowing Economy, Experts in Data Center Efficiency in Demand
Energy is a Bottom Line Issue, Growing Demand for Experts in Data Center Efficiency
