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Are Greening Consultants Really Worth It? Print E-mail
Written by Bill Masters   
Monday, 17 March 2008
I would have been hard pressed to give you one or two good reasons a couple of years ago as to why it's a good business decision to work with a knowledgeable "greening" consultant for your data center energy reduction initiatives. That all changed when I was introduced to an energy consulting company with a solid IT background. My company has been partnered with them for over a year now and they have been instrumental in reducing the overall KWh in our customer’s data centers in addition to saving them six and seven figures in some cases on their power bill. No doubt some of you are still grappling with the idea that you even need a greening strategy for your most prized possession the data center. Most of us are still in the wait and see or toe dabbling mode. Don't take my word for it; look at what the Aperture survey uncovered when they spoke to 100 data center professionals about their plans for greening. STAMFORD, Conn., March 12, 2008 -- "A new survey from Aperture Research Institute finds that while many data centers are adopting greener practices, most are not 100 percent sure of the green qualifications of some products.

Among the more than 100 data center professionals surveyed, two-thirds said vendors have used green marketing by touting products' green credentials, the fact that they can save money, or both. But almost half of those respondents said there is no way to validate the green claims, and 26 percent see green marketing as nothing but hype.

The survey uncovered some disparities in energy-efficient measures. While 66 percent of those surveyed see their energy use increasing, 21 percent said their energy use is going down through a mix of methods, including consolidating equipment through virtualization, replacing equipment with energy efficient products and improved cooling management. But other organizations said virtualization is increasing their power and cooling needs".

Let me offer you my 5 Top Reasons why I believe it makes good business sense to green your data center using a professional greening consultant.

  1. Skilled greening consultants will have a technology and energy background. That means they have expertise in power distribution, UPS, infrastructure, cooling as well as extensive knowledge with respect to load and performance benchmarking measurements.
  2. Experienced greening consultants will take a holistic energy reduction approach to data centers. Most will conduct a comprehensive Data Center Analysis to evaluate your data center's infrastructure in addition to an IT Analysis that's designed to pin point hardware and software inefficiencies.
  3. A good greening consultant is aligned with the utilities in your area of operation or has the ability to create a program with your utility for your specific project. In many cases the experienced consultant will have programs to offer you that are supported by the utility available to companies like yours to cover some or all of the greening costs associated with an aggregate or stand alone power savings programs.
  4. The skilled greening consultant will act as your agent to work directly with the utility on your behalf to see your greening project through from inception to completion.
  5. Finally, the skilled greening consultant will only get paid a percentage of the verified energy savings calculation confirmed by the utility. The consultant will earn their keep by saving you 10's perhaps 100's of thousands of dollars on your energy costs in addition to rebates and incentives that most data center professional are not either aware of or simply don't have the time to deal with it.

This is not intended to be an advertisement for greening consultants but rather a statement to inform the data center professional that there are viable options available to you and your company with none or very little up front cost. My point is; rather than do little or nothing about greening or go it alone, have a conversation with a greening consultant to see what your options are. I would be happy to put you in touch with my "greening"consultant if you're interested in knowing more about how they work and what they can offer you and your company. Please feel free to email me directly at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it    Bill Masters (847-612-4357)
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