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Partnering with Computer Data Centers

Data Center Resources

The Industrial Technologies Program (ITP), through Save Energy Now, is working with U.S. computer data centers to reduce their energy consumption. Here you'll find information about tools, partnerships, and planned activities. Some of the documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.

Data Center Energy Profiler (DC Pro) Tool Suite

Evaluate energy use in your data center and identify potential opportunities for savings with the DC Pro Tool Suite, which includes the DC Pro profiling tool and system assessment tools.

National Data Center Energy Efficiency Information Program

DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have initiated a joint national data center energy efficiency information program. The program coordinates a wide variety of activities from ITP's Save Energy Now initiative, the DOE Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), and the EPA ENERGY STAR® program.

The following fact sheets summarize ongoing efforts at DOE and EPA to provide information, tools, and resources to owners and operators of data centers to assist in their efforts to reduce energy consumption in their buildings. Read the full fact sheet (PDF 225 KB) and abbreviated fact sheet (PDF 84 KB). View presentations from the National Data Center Energy Efficiency Strategy Workshop held on July 8, 2008.

DOE and The Green Grid Team Up on Data Centers

DOE and The Green Grid signed a Memorandum of Understanding (PDF 92 KB) to accelerate adoption of energy efficient technologies and energy management practices. Read the ITP news article.

Saving Energy at Data Centers

Data centers perform computing functions vital to the U.S. economy, yet they require large amounts of energy to operate. To support the growing demand for processing power throughout the nation, data centers are using ever more compact and energy-intensive servers—even as the total number and size of data centers continues to increase. This is creating a serious burden on the U.S. electric grid.

DOE and its partners are working with data centers to deploy energy management best practices and conduct supporting targeted research and development. Building on the Save Energy Now energy assessment model, DOE can help companies benchmark data center energy use and identify opportunities to reduce energy by 25% or more. DOE will work with data center equipment suppliers, end users, and DOE's National Laboratories to explore joint industry R&D opportunities.

A coordinated program of focused R&D and operating practice improvements in computer data centers will produce large energy savings, reduce the load on the electric grid, and enhance data center reliability. Benefits of energy efficiency improvements in data centers include:

  • Limit growth in electricity demand and carbon emissions
  • Protect critical data and computing functions
  • Increase regional electricity reliability
  • Postpone the need to build new electricity generation capacity