Concern for Regulation is Major Driver for Green Datacenter Efforts in 2009
May 2009
Potential government regulation and how that would impact datacenter operations is a primary concern among senior level IT executives, according to a study of green datacenter trends in the United States. According to the survey, 69 percent of respondents said they were extremely or very concerned about government regulation.
By contrast, last year’s results were dominated by the need for clearer standards and best practices for green datacenters, says Jim Smith, CTO of Digital Realty Trust. The survey of 100 executives at large corporations in North America was conducted for Digital Realty Trust.
Progress has been made in the area of clear standards. In the 2008 survey, 82 percent said that there was no clear definition of what makes a green data center. Now, 53 percent said there is a clear definition.
“There has been significant progress in that area over the past year, including the publication of green datacenter case studies by industry leaders, the development of green building standards specifically for datacenters, and widespread efforts to educate datacenter professionals on the practical application of that information," says Smith.
To prepare for potential regulations, companies are accelerating the process of implementing green initiatives to increase energy efficiency, says Smith. Energy efficiency was identified as a key aspect of a green datacenter by 73 percent of respondents. Also, compared to only 18 percent in 2008, 81 percent of 2009 survey participants said that carbon credits are now part of their green IT strategy.
