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This is one of those articles where I know we all already know about it, but the Green Gorilla won’t let me let it go without comment – the EPA has finally released its Energy Star rating guidelines for data centers.

Though its accuracy and effectiveness will surely need development, it’s very important to have standards by which everyone can recognize efficiency. Making things clear between different facilities is integral to selection of data center space for customers, and it’s awesome that environmentally-friendly concerns are now such an essential for a facility’s reputation.

The system focuses on power usage effectiveness and its relationship to equipment.  There’s an online tool to apply for the certification and then a professional with the EPA must verify the situation before sending the application on.

The expectation of customers that a data center will achieve Energy Star rankings on par with their competition is bound to increase facilities’ efforts to get green and maintain the new standards.  Other countries may even get in on the system, and having an international standard would be great, too.  For more, see the article at PCWorld or the EPA’s actual site.

-Elizabeth English