Data centers require energy; that’s just a given. But energy costs money, and the more of it you use, the higher the bills go. That means keeping data center energy consumption as low as possible is directly worth pursuing, as in, it contributes directly to the bottom line. Businesses must, therefore, prevent any semblance of waste as it’s a direct hit to profitability. Thankfully, a few small points can generate savings by cutting the power needed to keep the data center running.

What Should I Do to Improve Data Center Energy Consumption?

When it comes to data center energy consumption, every little bit helps. Small points add up and help keep those power bills down.

Watch the temperature. A set of new advances in temperature management and heat tolerances will let equipment run just fine at even 80 degrees. One of the data center’s biggest expenses can be kept down as long as there’s sufficient airflow and a moderate temperature in the room.

Cut unnecessary power. The best data centers these days include motion-sensing lights that shut down automatically when no one’s around. Since the servers need no light, either include motion sensors or actively remember to shut off lights when leaving the data center. This improves cost savings and power savings and reduces your carbon footprint for extra environmental impact.

Consider the color. White is the best color for a data center. Not only is it heat-reflective, but it also is light-reflective. You’ll reduce the need for energy in both lighting and heating—30% savings in lighting alone by some reports—and lower the power bills accordingly.

Shut down servers that aren’t running. It’s estimated that 30% of data center maximum capacity is idle at any time. That opens up some opportunity to just shut down some of that capacity for those times that it’s actually needed, saving power.

Consider outsourcing your data. We’re used to outsourcing people, but outsourcing data is a comparatively new prospect. Look into virtualization and cloud-based systems to do on other people’s servers what you would have done on your own before.

When You Want Help Reducing Data Center Energy Consumption

Every data center needs power, but keeping data center energy consumption to its minimum can be a difficult task for anyone to take on. Drop us a line at EmconITto help pull the teeth on the data center power beast. We deliver small-firm style service in a package that’s powerful enough for industry leaders like NetApp, DellEMC, and HP3 Par to take advantage of, and we can help keep your data center energy consumption under control. Just reach out to us to get started.