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Enterprise Servers for Consumers

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Did You Know?

In the U.S., the power consumption in 2005 for servers and related equipment in data centers was equivalent to about five 1,000 MW power plants, or five typical nuclear or coal power plants. Worldwide the electricity consumption for the servers was equivalent to 14 power plants.

A recent set of tests conducted jointly by US EPA, HP, and Microsoft demonstrate that replacing an older server with a new ENERGY STAR-qualified model will save energy and deliver more processing power in the bargain. In some of these tests, the new ENERGY STAR server consumed 54% less power than older model servers. Learn more. (2.67MB)

Computer servers that earn the ENERGY STAR will, on average, be 30 percent more energy efficient than standard servers. If all servers sold in the United States meet this new specification, energy cost savings would approach $800 million per year and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from over one million vehicles.

Data centers support every sector of the economy including financial services, media, academia, manufacturing and government, to name a few. Data centers house the IT equipment used for data processing, data storage, and communications networking. These operations are essential to aiding business processes, information management, and communications functions.

According to EPA's report to Congress, data centers will account for nearly 3% of total US electricity consumption by 2011. Computer servers are at the core of data center operations, and therefore contribute greatly to this overall consumption. Deploying more energy efficient servers can be a key strategy to reduce total data center energy consumption.

Only rack and pedestal computer servers designed to be used in the enterprise environment and containing 4 processor sockets or less are eligible for ENERGY STAR qualification.

Servers can earn the ENERGY STAR by offering the following features:

Efficient power supplies that limit power conversion losses and generate less waste heat, which reduces the need for excess air conditioning in the datacenter facility where they are housed;
Improved power quality which provides building-wide energy efficiency benefits;
Capabilities to measure real time power use, processor utilization, and air temperature, which improves manageability and lowers total cost of ownership;
Advanced power management features and efficient components to save energy across various operating states, including idle; and
A Power and Performance Data Sheet for purchasers that standardizes key information on energy performance, features, and other capabilities.

Standard computer servers can consume between 1,200 - 8,600 kWh annually. Companies that purchase ENERGY STAR qualified servers could save as much as 1,000 kWh per server. Over a five-year lifetime, companies could save as much as $500 for each server they install.

To view other EPA data center initiatives, visit the ENERGY STAR Data Center Web page.

These are the top FAQs related to Enterprise Servers and the ENERGY STAR program.