How Investing in Green Data Centers Can Be an Asset to Your Business

It’s no secret that the rising cost of energy has many businesses paying increased attention to their facility costs. Aside from the bottom line, though, there’s a national trend toward green energy and continuing to attempt to protect the environment. Businesses that are able to boast of more advanced energy conservation measures can often turn the tide of positive public opinion their way, increasing their business growth. And, if that’s not enough reason to go green, there are also forthcoming laws that will provide a different kind of incentive.

It’s not just cars and light bulbs that are being evaluated for their energy efficiency, however. The dramatic increase in online business and entertainment has caused computer use to skyrocket. All of this online data transfer uses a lot of energy. Research into more energy efficient computer chips is continuing, but the good news for businesses interested in moving some of their computing off-site is that data centers can be green, too—both in Chicago and elsewhere across the United States.

Here are three qualities to look for when searching for a green Chicago data center.

1. Proper Heating and Cooling

Efficiency within the data center itself has a lot to do with the temperature of the units. Anyone with a laptop knows that computers generate heat. Keeping the data center at a proper operating temperature—72 degrees Fahrenheit, instead of 68 degrees—will increase operating speeds of the computers as well as lower cooling costs. In addition, there are other structural elements (such as raised flooring) that can reduce heat build-up and ease cooling costs.

2. Sustainable Building Design

It’s not just the computers and cooling systems that can be sustainable; the building itself can be, too. There are national green building standards, such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), that architects and developers can reach. There are a number of Chicago data centers that have achieved this certification, so any business interested in having a reputation for sustainable energy practices can seek them out.

3. System Monitoring

Proper monitoring equipment can track the energy use of various components within the data system itself. In so doing, it can establish a base level of power use, and it can pinpoint variances within the usage that may signal an internal problem. The more quickly a problem like this is identified, the more quickly it can be resolved and energy use can return to normal.

When Jan writes, she writes with passion. She especially enjoys writing about computers. If you would like more info regarding Digital Realty in Chicago, please visit http://www.digitalrealtytrust.com/