The following is a list of resources that has been compiled from a host of sources in an effort to provide our clients with additional information useful for making data centre decisions. Square Data Facilities is an expert in energy efficient data centres and through continued research and innovation, Square strives to remain up to date in order to provide the best service in the most energy efficient data centres.

In our resources section we pass this information on to you, our client, and hope you find our site a valuable collection of information to answer your data centre questions.

Is there something specific you would like to know? Send us an e-mail at info@square.ca and we will do our best to find you the answer.

Valuable Websites:

The Uptime Institute:

A great site dedicated to data centre information. You can find well researched white papers, reports and podcasts. The institute holds regular seminars and conferences across the United States however membership is required for access to some of the material.

Data Centre Knowledge:

A site with up to date information on data centre technology, power and cooling challenges and daily industry news. This site has a good collection of white papers and provides breaking news on a wide range of related topics.

The Green Grid:

A consortium focused on advancing energy efficiency in data centres. A great source for information regarding efficiency and productivity metrics and frameworks, specifically PUE and DCiE metrics.

Valuable Reports:

Accenture: Data Centre Energy Forecast Report (July 11, 2008)

This report explores the results of a host of data centre energy saving initiatives that were launched in response to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Data Centre Energy Efficiency Report released in 2007 (see below for a link to this report). The Accenture report compares the various initiatives and summarizes the energy savings and costs of implementation.

US Environmental Protection Agency: Report to Congress on Server and Data Centre Energy Efficiency (August 2, 2007)

This extensive report (133 pages) explores current trends in energy use and costs associated with data centres in the US and outlines some of the opportunities available for improving energy efficiency. It discusses the growing severity of the sheer volume of energy required by data centres and outlines the importance of efficiency initiatives when selecting/building a data centre.

The Urgent Need for Energy Efficiency in Data Centres

The following quotes from the US Environment Protection Agency Report emphasize the need for energy efficiency practices in data centres around the world. Square Data Facilities has been implementing energy efficient practices since its inception and is dedicated to continuously innovating to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its operations.

This commitment will allow Square to provide the highest level of service, performance and security while minimizing CO2 emissions created by excess energy use. By partnering with Square your company is playing a part in shifting the wasteful data centre industry to one dedicated to conservation and efficient practices.

“During the past five years, increasing demand for computer resources has led to significant growth in the number of data center servers, along with an estimated doubling in the energy used by these servers and the power and cooling infrastructure that supports them. This increase in energy use has a number of important implications, including:

Increased energy costs for business and government, increased emissions, including greenhouse gases, from electricity generation increased strain on the existing power grid to meet the increased electricity demand, and increased capital costs for expansion of data center capacity and construction of new data centers. Source: EPA_Datacenter_Report_Congress_Final1.pdf (pg 4-5)

“The energy used by the nation’s servers and data centers is significant. It is estimated that this sector consumed about 61 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2006 (1.5 percent of total U.S. electricity consumption) for a total electricity cost of about $4.5 billion. This estimated level of electricity consumption is more than the electricity consumed by the nation’s color televisions and similar to the amount of electricity consumed by approximately 5.8 million average U.S. households (or about five percent of the total U.S. housing stock).” Source: EPA_Datacenter_Report_Congress_Final1.pdf (pg 7)