Sustainability is extremely important purely from a business perspective. Optimizing the use of key resources keeps costs down and enhances the efficiency of day-to-day operations. This is especially true in data centers, where substantial quantities of energy are needed to keep hardware up and running, and where equipment needs to be kept at safe temperatures. Additionally, sustainability in the data center minimizes negative environmental impacts, which for some business customers may be a priority. 

Market growth to drive more green initiatives

The data center market is forecast to experience a compound annual growth rate of around 10.66 percent from 2014 to 2019 according to a recent report from Research and Markets titled "Global Data Center Power Market 2015-2019." In large part, this growth will be stimulated by the breakneck pace at which data is being generated. Tech movements such as the Internet of Things, as well as the growth of cloud computing and big data analytics strategies being used in enterprises, will put more strain on data centers, and present new challenges for data center managers. 

Going green may help alleviate some of this strain, according to Research and Market's report. Green data center construction will play an important role in helping data center managers handle the increasing demand for storage without significantly raising operational costs, while also reducing the carbon footprint of data centers. 

DCIM's role in sustainability

Much of the cost-saving and carbon-reducing efforts that go into improving data center infrastructure - and in successfully constructing green data centers - fall on the shoulders of data center managers. Efficient DCIM plays a key role in creating sustainable data center environments without limiting capabilities. Effective climate monitoring can help identify hot spots in the facility, making it easier to regulate rack cooling efforts as needed; conversely, sectors that require less cooling won't needlessly consume energy. 

Power efficiency is also a key component of optimal DCIM. Keeping equipment up and running is a huge part of the day-to-day operations in a data center. Doing so at maximum sustainability rates is an even more challenging task, and one that many data center operators have struggled with in the past.

According to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, data centers could have cut electricity consumption by 40 percent in 2014 through the use of more efficient tech strategies. Doing so would have collectively saved around $3.8 billion - enough energy to power all of Michigan's houses for a year. These statistics highlight the important role that power monitoring plays in DCIM. Employing power strips effectively and maintaining their usage can reduce energy waste, helping to conserve money and environmental resources.

Employing the right data center solutions

Proper usage and maintenance of data center technology is an important part of promoting sustainability in data centers. However, energy efficiency through DCIM is only possible through careful selection of the right solutions for powering, cooling and monitoring.

Even as green data centers start being built from the ground up, daily operations and maintenance will fall into the hands of data center managers. So while building green data centers from scratch is an important step in the right direction, running these data centers efficiently is ultimately what will keep sustainability on course.

Learn more about how these gains in efficiency can be achieved and maintained by exploring Geist's online resources and product guides.