Green Grid To Collaborate With EPA & Storage Networking Industry Association
The Green Grid announced Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA). The Green Grid’s agreement with the EPA will first promote energy efficiency in EPA computer facilities and then broadly share results in order to impact change within both other governmental agencies and the private sector. The alliance with SNIA is designed to further networked storage best practices for energy efficiency.
The Green Grid’s collaboration with the EPA will accelerate the adoption of best practices for energy efficiency in existing computer/server rooms throughout the EPA. As an initial step The Green Grid and the EPA will identify an existing small EPA computer/server room as a target for an energy efficiency showcase, and execute a public project demonstrating the feasibility, approach and benefits of optimization. The results, best practices and real-world takeaways from this project will be shared with other governmental agencies, industry stakeholders and the private sector.
"The goal of the agreement between the EPA and The Green Grid is to build further collaboration between the private and public sectors, and to set an example by improving energy efficiency in federal government computer facilities," said Roger Tipley, Director of The Green Grid. "The Green Grid will play a key role in this project by providing a team of technical experts who will perform the assessment and direct strategies and techniques for maximizing energy efficiency."
Earlier this month, SNIA announced a formal alliance with The Green Grid. The Green Grid will work with SNIA and its Green Storage Initiative to develop and promote standards, measurement methods, processes and technologies to improve data center energy efficiencies. SNIA will use its expertise in networked storage and membership (over 400 member companies and 7,000 individual members) to work with The Green Grid on best storage practices for achieving more efficient storage infrastructures, including more efficient storage networking technologies.
"Addressing the challenges associated with energy efficiency and green computing will require collaboration across all IT areas, including the storage industry," said Vincent Franceschini, Chair of the SNIA. "The Green Grid is a key industry organization for improving energy efficiency within data centers and business computing ecosystems. Through its Green Storage Initiative – dedicated to applying the technical and educational expertise of the storage industry to develop and find more energy efficient solutions in the data center – SNIA will work with The Green Grid to develop best practices and education for the industry."
"Within the IT industry, there are a number of professionals who are responsible for data center functionality – from CIOs and IT managers, to heating and cooling experts. It is imperative that we look at the energy efficiency issue from a single, united point of view," said Mark Monroe, Director of The Green Grid. "Together we can leverage each other’s core expertise and areas of focus to deliver a holistic and complete approach for an energy-efficient data center."
