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Energy Saving Fact Sheet: Servers & Network HardwareSwitch IT Over Home Taking Action Resources Introduction
Servers and network hardware account for a large proportion of energy used in a typical office. The need to keep server rooms cool adds to the energy required, in fact the cost of cooling server equipment now typically exceeds the initial upfront cost of buying hardware. However there are measures council can take to reduce the power needed to operate a server room. Table of contents
Buy for Energy EfficiencyProcuring servers with even 1kWh less energy consumption can save an additional 0.5kWh in server room cooling, not to mention reduced running costs (Danish Electricity Savings Trust, 2008). When selecting a new server make sure you consider energy consumption alongside other performance characteristics. There are some useful performance standards to assist you to make this assessment. SPECpower benchmarkThe Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC) is a non-profit corporation that has developed a benchmark that evaluates the power and performance characteristics of volume server class computers. Basically, the benchmark measures the work the server is doing against the energy required to do it. The main limitation with the SPECpower benchmark is that is only represents the power to performance ratio for one type of workload (i.e. server-side Java). However, it can be a useful and independent starting point for information. 80 PLUSChoosing a server with an 80 PLUS certified power supply is substantially more efficient than servers with typical power supplies. The 80 PLUS performance specification requires multi-output power supplies in servers to be 80% or greater energy efficient at 20%, 50% and 100% of rated load with a true power factor of 0.9 or greater. ENERGY STAR
Traditional ENERGY STAR performance standards are based on maximising energy efficiencies whilst the processor is in a lower power mode (e.g. idle, sleep or standby mode). This method of achieving energy savings does not mesh well with the way servers are used for several reasons (ENERGY STAR, 2006):
However, there is usually no reason why the monitors on network servers should not be powered down (or even switched off) whenever they not actually being used. On a network with several servers this can save quite a lot of money (ENERGY STAR, 2005). ENERGY STAR is in the process of developing a program requirement for computer servers that differs from its traditional requirements for other office equipment. The draft requirements state that qualifying products must:
Manufacturers can begin to label and promote qualifying ENERGY STAR computer servers from 1 January 2009, so the ENERGY STAR label will be able to be specified in procurement documentation the very near future. Copy and paste product specificationsIncluding clear energy performance criteria in product specifications for council's servers is one of the best way to ensure new equipment satisfies council’s preference for high efficiency equipment. The following table provides an example set of criteria for energy consumption that can be included in procurement documentation, and how claims can be verified. Click table to enlarge: Switch to Thin ClientsA thin client is a network computer without a hard disk drive and involves replacing desktop computers with scaled back terminals, moving the bulk of the data processing onto the server. The benefits of a thin client solution include:
Implement Server VirtualisationServer virtualisation involves reducing the amount of physical servers by using virtualisation software to consolidate the workload from a multitude of underutilised servers onto fewer, more energy efficient servers (IBM Corporation, 2008). Fewer units mean fewer fans; uninterrupted power supplies, network hardware and cooling requirements and thus savings in energy and greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved. Other benefits of server virtualisation include maintained reliability, increased space in server rooms and improved transferability of data. Blade ServersBlade servers are designed to use less power than conventional servers by hosting one set of common power, networking and storage connections in the blade chassis. The chassis has multiple slots which can be populated with numerous blade servers. This means fewer components are duplicated than in a traditional rack-mounted server and therefore less power is required to run the system. Blade servers can be used with virtualisation software, thereby maximising the energy savings that can be made (IBM Australia, 2007). Server Room CoolingProcuring energy efficient hardware and implementing software management solutions is only part of the picture. Server room infrastructure can account for around 60% of total energy consumption in server rooms (Gartner, 2007). IBM Corporation (2008) recommends the following measures to increase the cooling capacity of a server room:
Sustainable End-of-Life Disposal
Local government agencies utilise a range of channels to dispose of their old office and IT equipment. There is no clear method that stands out as the most sustainable option as the sustainability of each method is influenced by a multitude of factors. Click table to enlarge: Manufacturers Sustainability CommitmentsInformation about the environmental credentials of each manufacturer can be found on their websites. References
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