Know your PUE?

09 December 2010

Less than a third of senior management professionals and data centre decision makers are aware of the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) rating of their IT facilities according to research by Keysource

This worrying statistic from research undertaken by the data centre solutions provider, Keysource, amongst attendees of its regional seminars this year highlights the need for greater understanding of IT energy consumption.However, the research does suggest some encouraging developments during the past 12 months, with a noticeable increase of more than 20 per cent in the number of those now aware of PUE figures. In 2009, less than one in four data centre professionals knew of the PUE of their company’s data centres, so some positive steps have been taken this year.
Other findings point towards an ongoing improvement in PUE that is being achieved by UK data centres. Based on figures collected from those attendees aware of their ratings, the average PUE was 1.89. This compares to an average of 1.93 PUE in 2009, representing a year-on-year improvement of 2.1 per cent.
Commenting on the findings, Mike West, Managing Director of Keysource said: “Bearing in mind that PUE is recognised as the preferred industry metric for data centre energy usage, it is somewhat surprising that there is such low understanding of the measurement. With increasing pressure to improve the performance of data centres in terms of corporate responsibility, cost reduction and compliance, I anticipate far higher levels of awareness in the next few years.”
Keysource’s Data Centre Efficiency Audit not only measures the PUE of a facility, but also provides a better understanding of energy performance and identifies areas of improvement. This process can highlight quick wins and best practice to achieve savings of as much as 25 per cent with virtually no capital expenditure.
Keysource’s next Data Centre Seminar is planned for 9th February 2011 and will be jointly hosted by Keysource and Petroleum Geo-Services (PGS) at Mercedes Benz World in Weybridge in Surrey. Attendees will get the opportunity to view one of the most efficient data centres currently in operation in the UK and learn about energy efficiency strategies, which can save businesses up to 45 per cent on their energy bills. Keysource has been providing a free seminar programme for the past five years to keep data centre operators updated and informed on current and future issues.